We've Moved!
I received an urgent call from our ladies a few weeks back. The current landlord at our Kaunda Square facility was bullying our ladies. The "Mama Bear" in me asked lots of questions to figure out what was happening. And it wasn't good. The landlord took advantage of the women - and their lack of voice in society - and started using their property as storage for his house. Sounds crazy, right? Imagine this: the entire yard was filled with his belongings and building materials for his own home renovation. He tore down a part of our concrete wall to make more room for his things - exposing our facility to everyone around and putting our women at risk. He instructed his workers to come and go freely into that property, so women would often be the first to walk into the sewing training facility to find that they weren't the first inside. Some strange men were already there collecting and delivering this landlord's items for him.
To put it plainly, this Mama Bear wasn't happy. Our ladies were being taken advantage of simply because they were women. But they knew things weren't right. That's why they called.
Without any legal options to keep this man from abusing our rent money and taking our facility from us even as we were paying for it, we took the situation into our own hands. No longer will the women of Kaunda Square believe that they can be preyed upon because they are women.
So this Mama Bear told the ladies to move. Get the heck outta there. For their safety, for the safety of our staff and equipment, and to find a place that wouldn't abuse and take our money - your money.
The ladies of Kaunda Square scoured the entire compound and had just days to do so. The next rent payment was due, and there was no way that it was going to that corrupt landlord. So they found this amazing facility. Gated, secure, with a huge yard, so many rooms, much bigger than the already-cramped facility we were currently renting. As if that wasn't amazing enough - it has running water with a sink, toilet and shower, which is like striking gold in a compound. It also has electricity. What a gem they found!
It was also the only other facility that was big enough to hold the 20+ students in the Kaunda Square class that was available ASAP.
Here's the catch. It is $100/month more. Instead of $150/month, it's $250/month. And while that may not seem like much (and it sure sounded like a deal to me!), it's money that wasn't budged for or anticipated.
I think we can handle it - you and me. What if just 10 people sign up to give $10/month to cover this facility that gives these women safety, a few luxuries, and room to grow? Our ladies deserve that, right?
Just 10 of you to sign up for the amount of a Netflix subscription to give 20 women every year the opportunity to experience life-change through skills-training education. Can we do that together, friends?
Sign up with the button below. And here are a few pics from move-in day in our new Kaunda Square facility with women already hard at work on their custom outfits for their Graduation Day coming up soon!
Let's do this.
With Chikondi (Love),
Amy/CiH Mama Bear
