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Basima Shamo, a 38-year-old woman from the small town of Sinune, had always possessed a natural talent for creating beautiful handmade crafts. Growing up, she would spend hours weaving intricate baskets, embroidering textiles, and crafting decorative pieces using materials she found in her surroundings. Her creations were always met with admiration, but the reality of her life in Sinune—an area with few opportunities and limited resources—made it difficult to turn her passion into a sustainable livelihood.
One day, she heard about a vocational training program on handicrafts offered by the Aid Gate Organization in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the generous support of the Government of Denmark. The training was a lifeline—a chance to gain the skills and knowledge she needed to transform her craft into a business. Without hesitation, she signed up.
During the training, Basima not only refined her skills, learning to craft more intricate designs using locally available materials, but she also gained essential business management and marketing techniques. The program went beyond just technical training—it also included Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) sessions, which proved to be just as valuable. These sessions helped Basima rebuild her confidence, manage stress, and, perhaps most importantly, connect with other women who shared her dreams and struggles. The support and camaraderie she found among them ignited a new sense of hope.
With her newfound skills and knowledge, Basima took a bold step and opened her own small handicraft business right in the heart of Sinune. Her shop quickly became a local treasure, featuring a stunning array of handmade items: woven baskets, embroidered textiles, and decorative pieces that paid homage to the region's cultural heritage. By blending traditional techniques with modern designs, Basima’s crafts gained popularity, not just within the town, but in surrounding areas as well.
What had once seemed like an impossible dream was now a thriving business, providing Basima with a stable income and the ability to support her family. But her impact didn’t stop there. As her business grew, Basima created job opportunities for other women in the community, offering them training and employment in her workshop. Her success became a beacon of hope for many.
Reflecting on her journey, Basima proudly shares, “This training changed my life. It gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams and the skills to make them a reality. Now, I’m not just supporting my family—I’m helping preserve our culture and inspiring others to do the same.”
Basima’s story is a powerful reminder of how vocational training can unlock hidden potential and transform lives. It is a testament to the incredible power of determination, community support, and the ability to turn passion into purpose. Today, Basima not only provides for her family, but she also plays a vital role in preserving the cultural heritage of her region—one beautiful craft at a time.
It is worth noting that the handcraft vocational training program provided a range of vocational and business skills to the trainees preparing them for self-employment and entrepreneurship. These skills included professional gift wrapping, Fabric engraving to personalize gifts, decorating household items such as clocks and photo frames, creating models using wool threads, crafting and decorating traditional heritage items to preserve culture, and making wool rugs which is a valuable skill for home decor and sales. In addition to those vocational skills, the program also provided business skills to the trainees such as financial literacy, product pricing, profit and expense management, basic literacy training, marketing and customer engagement, and entrepreneurial skills for running small businesses
