Women Entrepreneurs Prevent Dangerous Migration

Since we ran our tremendously successful Entrepreneurship programme in July, the women have been working with their new mentors and have begun settling into their relationships. Three women have started work on their ideas for business ventures – including a cleaning company, a cake selling business and a temporary tattooing service (original idea for a party. Any takers). Others have embarked on the education programmes they thought they had missed out on – this year we have three women working towards their life’s ambition to become nurses, and several others starting childcare and social care qualifications.  Two women already have job offers.  

Last year’s women also continue to go from strength to strength – several are still lucky enough to be working with their mentors.  One woman passed her Access to Psychology course with two merits and a distinction, and has now started University.  Another has just started her Access to Medicine course, an incredibly competitive route, only open to the most academic amongst us!  This is a woman who told me she had ‘messed up her life’, and had no hope of ever doing anything meaningful.  

With your support, we have been able to support a small number of women’s projects with small grants – to invest in business equipment, driving lessons, course fees – all really practical things which will 100% help to change that woman’s life.  So thanks enormously for your donations – it really makes a difference.  

Since September we have been offering monthly student events, where we invite a guest entrepreneur to talk to the women about their own business experiences. So far we have had three events, helping the women to focus on their own routes forward, and giving them the chance to hear from entrepreneurs in a very informal environment, and ask questions relevant to their own needs.  The women have really enjoyed the opportunity to come back to the business school. The events reignite the motivation from the entrepreneurship training, keeping them inspired to reach their goals.  Very importantly also, the chance to meet regularly reinforces the new support network which HERA offers these women – something the rest of us can easily take for granted.  

HERA are always looking for guest speakers who can offer a range of experience to talk to the women. If you were interested in volunteering your time, we would love to hear from you.  

Thank you again for your support.  This is what one student said about us:

“Hera is an amazing organization that helps women who have had bad experiences to believe in themselves—that they can do anything they want with their lives. “

Links:

• The HERA website

July saw us back at Imperial College Business School, London, for our annual teaching programme in Entrepreneurship.  The programme is taught by some of the best professors in this field, and they inspire our women to believe in themselves, understand their core strengths and attributes, and give them the confidence to move on with their lives. 

This year we had our biggest ever group of women – 36 in total, most of whom were aged under 25.  Truly global in composition, many were from West Africa, and from a whole range of Eastern European countries.  The women have experienced many types of trafficking, from sexual to domestic labour slavery including some from vulnerable situations here in the UK.  They are all referred to us by the primary care charities who have looked after them.  Some of the women are still in danger from their traffickers, whilst others may have been out of their situation for several years before they feel ready to come to our programme. 

Our only requirement is that they are ready to listen, to learn and to think about moving forward with their lives, with the help of HERA and our team of mentors. 

The programme takes them through a progressive schedule of teaching from self-awareness and team work, through negotiation skills, and financial planning for small ventures.  It builds on the individual’s own priorities for their lives, and gives them the self-belief and encouragement to take this forward.  Each woman is given a mentor, who is a professional person who understands the workplace, educational pathways or small businesses, who supports her in working on her plans. 

This is what some of the women said about the programme this year:

“Thank you so much for this opportunity.  I have learned a lot and have enjoyed every day.  It is an experience I will never forget, and I am honoured to have taken part.  “

“I really appreciate all the effort the HEA team put into me as an individual and other aspiring business women”

“I promise to make use of all the resources and assistance that HERA has granted me and make it into a success”

And already we have women starting up their ventures in a small way – let us know if you want a temporary tattoo, a delicious cake in the South East London area, or a brilliant cleaner in North London.  Others are embarking on their life-time dreams of becoming nurses, or bookkeepers. 

And of course this is not to forget our existing community of HERA women from previous years, who are studying Criminology, Psychology or applying for Access to Medicine.  They are doing work experience, or volunteering to make themselves more employable.  Some are still working with their mentors after three years, still on track, and finally able to see a useful, independent life ahead of them. 

Thank you so much for helping us to make this happen!

Links:

• Take a look at the website!