Twenty-six-year-old Sudha Mohamed is a Ujuzi Manyattani beneficiary who graduated in January 2023 with a tailoring and dressmaking course, among 29 others from Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in Garissa County.
Now, Sudha wasn’t your average girl next door. At the tender age of 17, she was married off, dashing her dream of attending university. However, Sudha wasn’t one to let life’s curveballs get the better of her.
Sudha had always been fascinated by beautifully mended clothes. She would gaze longingly at women parading their expensive outfits, wondering if she could ever create such masterpieces. Guess what? She decided to pursue her passion for tailoring; come what may!
Sudha joined Ujuzi Manyattani, a USAID-funded Local Works program that aims to empower youth and women in the community with valuable skills. She wanted to be a shining example for her younger siblings and make her dear mother proud. Through Ujuzi, she succeeded!
“Thanks to Ujuzi Manyattani, I received a tool kit on graduation day! I set up my tailoring shop right outside my mother’s store,” said Sudha.
She adds that the shop was to her advantage because she didn’t have to incur any extra costs like rent, electricity, and water bills, bearing in mind that this was supposed to be her only source of income and that her husband was jobless.
At the crack of dawn, you can find Sudha bustling in her shop, armed with measuring tapes, fabric scissors, and a trusty sewing machine. She meticulously takes measurements, jots them down, and expertly cuts fabrics, twirling the sewing machine like a pro. Sudha is a force to be reckoned with!
“What a stroke of luck that NRT Trading brought Ujuzi Manyattani right to our villages!” Sudha exclaims. “Now, I’m not just a tailor but also an entrepreneur. I’ve learned to plan my business, budget, and entertain my customers.”
With her newfound skills, Sudha earns up to KES 1,000 daily. Sure, it is not a fortune, but it is enough to keep food on the table and household utilities in check.
In a sea of competing tailors, Sudha stands out from the crowd. Why, you may ask? It is all because of the valuable advice she received from the NRT Trading Biashara Mashinani team. They stressed the importance of politeness and honesty with customers. Sudha is no “lying tailor”! She always keeps her word and finishes her work before the deadline. A true professional, indeed!
With dreams in her heart and a sewing needle in her hand, Sudha aspires to open a more extensive shop named after NRT Trading. She wants to be the talk of the town—a renowned tailor, supplier, and wholesaler all in one. And if that isn’t enough, Sudha hopes to inspire young girls like herself to enroll in similar training programs, empowering them to improve their lives.