Skills, Confidence, and Opportunity in Zanzibar
In many communities across Zanzibar, women carry the responsibility of caring for their families while trying to find ways to earn a small income. Opportunities for vocational training are limited, and many women rely on informal work that is often unstable.
Yet the women we meet every day show remarkable strength, creativity, and determination.
At Assalam, we believe that when women have the opportunity to learn practical skills, they gain the confidence to create new possibilities for themselves and their families.
Through our Vocational Training Centre (VTC) and Women Empowerment Camps, we provide hands-on training that helps women develop skills, start small income activities, and build a more secure future.
Your support helps make these opportunities possible.
Skills for Life – Vocational Training
At the Assalam Vocational Training Centre, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds — including many women — are given the chance to learn practical skills that can lead to real employment or small business opportunities.
For many participants, this is the first time they have had access to structured vocational training.
Our courses focus on hands-on learning, guided by experienced trainers who support students throughout the programme.
Courses may include:
- Carpentry
- Welding
- Pottery
- Wood carving
- Permaculture and sustainable agriculture
- Tailoring and sewing
Each programme runs between 6 months and 1 year, and participants receive certification upon completion.
More importantly, they leave with skills they can use to earn a living and support their families. To reach those who need this opportunity most, Assalam works closely with local community leaders and authorities to identify participants from low-income households
Women Empowerment Camps
Alongside long-term training programmes, Assalam organizes Women Empowerment Camps — short but powerful three-day workshops designed to support women who want to develop practical skills and explore small income opportunities.
Each camp brings together 50 women from different communities.
For many participants, these camps are not only about learning a skill. They are also spaces where women encourage one another, share experiences, and begin to imagine new possibilities for their future.
Women often arrive unsure of what they can achieve — and leave with new confidence, new ideas, and new motivation.
What Happens During the Camp?
Over three days, participants explore ideas that can realistically be implemented in their daily lives.
Day 1 – Learning and Inspiration
Women are introduced to skills such as small-scale poultry farming, simple crafts, or natural personal care products. Trainers demonstrate how these activities can grow into small businesses.
Day 2 – Hands-On Practice
Participants practice the skills themselves — caring for chickens, creating handmade crafts, or producing natural soaps. This hands-on experience builds confidence and creativity.
Day 3 – Turning Skills into Income
The final day focuses on simple business knowledge: packaging products, setting prices, marketing locally, and managing a small business.
By the end of the camp, women leave not only with new skills, but also with the belief that they can create opportunities for themselves.
What Your Donations Fund
Vocational Training Support
€100
per month
supports a student attending vocational training at the Assalam Vocational Training Centre during 6 monts to 1 years.
Women Empowerment Camp
€100
per person
to participate in a three-day empowerment camp. Camps are organized once full sponsorship for 50 women has been secured.
