For many young people, graduating from a vocational training program is only the first step toward a brighter future. The next challenge is often the hardest: finding the tools and resources needed to turn newly learned skills into a reliable source of income. Without that opportunity, even the most determined graduates can struggle to find work and support themselves or their families.
In Rwanda, our Salesian missionaries are helping vulnerable youth bridge that gap. Through three Don Bosco Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools in Gatenga, Muhazi and Rango, students are receiving entrepreneurship training along with professional startup toolkits that allow them to begin working immediately after graduation. Depending on their field of study, graduates receive equipment for tailoring, plumbing, welding, masonry and other skilled trades, giving them the confidence to put their training into practice.
Among those benefiting is Patience, a young single mother who received a sewing machine after completing her tailoring training. Like many students in the program, she had the determination to build a better future but lacked the resources to take the next step. With the equipment she received, Patience can now begin earning an income while providing greater stability for herself and her child. Her story reflects the experience of many young people whose lives are changing through this initiative.
Approximately 420 students between the ages of 16 and 24 have benefited from the project, including many young people from low-income families and a growing number of single mothers. Beyond teaching technical skills, the program equips students with entrepreneurship training that prepares them to manage their own businesses and create sustainable livelihoods. As graduates begin earning an income, they are not only supporting themselves but also strengthening their families and contributing to their local economy.
“Education opens the door to opportunity, but having the right tools allows young people to walk through it,” says Father Michael Conway, Director of Salesian Missions. “By investing in these graduates, we are helping them transform their talents into meaningful work that provides lasting stability for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
For these young adults, a startup toolkit is far more than a collection of equipment. It is an investment in their potential, empowering them to build independent lives, create opportunities where few exist, and inspire others to believe that a brighter future is within reach.
Learn more about our work in Rwanda.
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