SECOND CHANCE FOR 300 TEEN MOTHERS IN NYAMIRA

A two-day Financial Literacy Training for teen mothers was conducted at Bukarati on 4th and 5th August 2026, bringing together 30 teen mothers. The training focused on equipping participants with practical skills in budgeting, saving, debt and credit management, record keeping, risk management and personal financial planning.

A key part of the training focused on helping the teen mothers understand how they will use the financial support they will be receiving from HFAW for income-generating activities. Staff shared with them that following HFAW conversations, each mother will be supported with a grant of $100 “following todays training.” Additional funds will be provided depending on progress and determination, staff emphasized.

The girls walked through an important process of developing income generating project plans. Each of the girls began to think of business ideas that they could pursue based on their interests, skills and opportunities available within their communities.

Several business ideas emerged from the group’s exercise, including small food kiosks selling chips and affordable meals, salon and beauty services such as hairdressing, manicure and pedicure, poultry farming involving the sale of eggs, chicks and hens, fashion and design, tailoring and dressmaking, general retail shops, cereals and household goods businesses, shoe and clothing sales, and the sale of fresh produce such as tomatoes, onions and cabbage.

 The exercise demonstrated the participants’ determination to become economically independent and their ability to identify businesses that respond to everyday needs within their communities. One participant expressed the aspiration shared by many of the young mothers, saying, “I want to be my own boss and build something that is mine.” Another participant emphasized her desire to grow gradually, stating, “I want to grow from a small business to a big brand.”

The training also reinforced the importance of developing a saving culture, keeping proper financial records, managing expenditure, avoiding unnecessary borrowing and reinvesting profits. Participants were encouraged to take practical steps towards implementing their ideas while continuing to learn and improve their financial management skills.

The session concluded with renewed commitment among the teen mothers to begin working towards their economic goals. HFAW will continue to explore opportunities for skills development and linkages to appropriate economic empowerment opportunities to support the participants in turning their ideas into sustainable livelihoods.

We sincerely appreciate our generous donors and partners for making this important engagement possible. Your support is providing more than financial literacy is giving teen mothers an opportunity to regain confidence, develop practical skills and believe again in their ability to build better futures for themselves and their children. Today’s training is capturing 30 of the girls out of the first 100 teen mothers. Today’s teens are starting income generating projects. There are a good number who were not here today who have opted for joining primary, secondary schools and village polytechnics. Mentorship plan is in place to ensure that every contribution is helping transform small ideas into possibilities for sustainable livelihoods. We are grateful for your continued trust in HFAW and for walking with us on this journey of empowerment.