The triangle area is home for many Sudanese families. The challenges that face the women have become clear from feedback of attendees at several Community Forums. The identified needs include ESL, daycare services, skills training, job readiness, micro-enterprise, and collaboration with other women's groups.
Language barriers continue to impede the Sudanese women from joining the market arena effectively. These women continue to be home-bound with their small children and thus the financial support to their families is minimal.One of the program’s objectives is to enhance the women’s communication skills in order to improve on their job readiness.
Many Sudanese women have skills and talents that are not easily transferable to American society and the SSF Women's Program ill assist women to develop the resources and skills necessary to preserve their skills and talent and share them with the larger community. The other objective of the Women’s program is to identify and develop their handicraft skills and package them into an income generating entity.
Responding to these concerns SSF women’s programs runs two projects: the Microenterprise project and ESL training.
The Microenterprise Project
The Microenterprise project started in 2007 with financial support from a grant from ZR Smith Foundation. The initial phase of this project was to identify various skills and to establish a suitable meeting venue. Through a second grant from ZR Smith, the Microenterprise project continues to promote:
Production of garments and knitted items for sale by the women.
Production of tailor- made items and garments by order.
Production of ornaments, artwork and basketry for sale.
Market survey and promotion for the items produced.
Setting up a revolving fund for the project for sustainability
ESL Training
Because of cultural considerations, many women need additional help in learning to navigate American society. Stay-at-home mothers with pre-school age children need assistance with learning English. The ESL training includes:
Once a week ESL training workshops for the women.
Basic computer training sessions for job readiness
Training in other topics that may promote faster community integration
Accomplishments
The Women Program has held open house forums and community events to identify the community needs and to enhance community cohesiveness.
The Women Program has established a display room where visitors can view the garments and handicrafts produced and place orders.
The Women program has established an ESL and computer training room where women meet for workshops.
The women program has expanded its membership to other Africans in order to increase on the variety of items produced and broaden the base of cultural integration
How you can help
Please visit the Support SSF page for information on the many ways you can support our Women's Program. The Women’s Program welcomes donations of the following:
Sewing machines
Knitting machines
Rolls of Fabrics
Computers
Printers
Writing materials
Gently used story books
ESL software
Cash donations
Please designate your donation to the Women’s Microenterprise Project.
