On May 31st, Make Me Smile Kenya’s craft center in partnership with Make Me Smile International and Comundo celebrated a vibrant graduation ceremony for 47 AGYW (Adolescent Girls and Young Women) who completed courses in dressmaking, tailoring, beauty, and hairdressing. All graduates had successfully passed the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) exams conducted last November. Additionally, the 57 Future Hub ICT Class also graduated during this ceremony.
The graduation ceremony was a colorful and lively event, featuring students showcasing their work through modelling and catwalks. The entertainment included dances and guests took the time to inspire, motivate, and advise the graduates as they embarked on their entrepreneurial journeys. Each graduate received a start-up kit, and initial feedback indicates that most have already begun using these kits to earn a living. Six of the 35 dressmaking and tailoring graduates have been absorbed by the craft center’s production unit and are earning a commission for their work.
Strathmore University School of Business also participated in the graduation. It has a partnership with Make Me Smile Kenya to mentor the graduates on applied entrepreneurship skills using their start-up kits. Unilever PLC also partnered with the initiative, providing shop items for the graduates to sell alongside their core business. This support aims to help them achieve economic independence and stability.
A representative of the graduates shared her journey, saying, “I joined the vocational school without any skills and I am now graduating as a fully equipped professional in dressmaking, beauty therapy, hairdressing, and information communication technology.” She emphasized that motherhood does not end dreams, sharing her success as a testament to this belief.
The ceremony concluded with a reminder that graduation is not the end but merely the beginning of a new chapter in their journey, opening the door to even greater opportunities and achievements.
