Five years ago a 15-year-old girl was accepted as one of the first students in the inaugural Training for Tomorrow class at Studio Samuel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She came from a single-parent household where Mom battled polio as she ran a dress embroidery shop. Betty, who often helped with the shop, was determined to create a brighter future for them all.
She excelled in school, both academically and socially, gaining valuable employable skills in technology, business and textiles. Upon graduation, she gave back to the community by tutoring younger students and applying her sewing skills to develop the business her mother began. With the money earned from the shop, Betty enrolled in University classes to pursue a medical degree and realize her dream of becoming a midwife.
Today the embroidery shop, which sells women’s dresses, men’s shirts and shoes, is thriving and Betty, now 19, runs it full-time, while her college classes have been paused due to the pandemic.
The White Feather Foundation was proud to support the first Studio Samuel class, which Betty attended, and is pleased to continue this partnership with our most recent Studio Samuel campaign, the HIV/AIDS Prevention Course, which was fully funded in February.
Hear more about Betty as she joins an incredible group of guests, including Julian Lennon (who will provide a special welcome), for the International Day of the Girl 2020. The virtual event costs just $10 to attend and will take place Sunday, October 11 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
