Ms. Opani Judith Story
Opani Judith is a South Sudanese Refugee living in Imvepi settlement. She is a 21-year-old single mother of one child.
She says: “When I informed my boyfriend that I was pregnant with his child, he ran away. We call such men ‘abujere’. But I could not give up on my child and so I was skilled by AVSI for six months. I wanted to do something so that I can provide for my kid”
When WENIPS placed adverts in a call for youth and women who had attained vocational skills in the four trades of tailoring and garment cutting, building and concrete practice, catering and hotel management, and carpentry and joinery, she was one of the youth who applied and was successfully taken for upskilling in tailoring attached to God is There Tailoring Workshop in Imvepi for three months where she was able to address her skills gaps – how to make round full dress with gather, shirts ( long and short sleeve), Nigerian fashion and trousers.
Before upskilling, Ms. Opani who was operating her business in the Imvepi Point J market using a hired sewing machine. When she received a sewing machine as part of the business booster grant, she could not contain her happiness and gratefulness.
Now I am going to be a senior Tailor in Point J market
Ms. Opani is now a happy mother who is taking care of her family and making a sales income of at least 45,000 per day from where she saves five shires per week in her VSLA called Together We Can formed by a group of tailors in Imvepi who are beneficiary of the project and with the help of WENIPS project officers.
