February 20, 2024
If you walk along the drainage channels in Wakiso after a rainstorm, you will see the problem immediately: an endless river of discarded plastic bottles and bright polythene bags choking the environment.
Most people look at this and see garbage. They see an environmental disaster.
But at Fecane Child Foundation, we are training a new generation of young women to look at that same pile of plastic and see something else entirely: Raw materials.
This month, we are celebrating a massive milestone in our skills development program. We have just graduated our first cohort of 10 teenage girls from our “Upcycling Artisan Project”—specifically focused on creating high-value artificial flowers and home decor out of discarded plastics.
Why Crafts? Why Plastic?
We are often asked why we chose this specific skill. The answer is rooted in the economic reality of our girls.
Many entrepreneurial programs fail because the barriers to entry are too high. If you need expensive machinery or imported raw materials to start a business, a 16-year-old girl in a slum cannot participate.
This project is different. The raw materials are free—they are literally lying on the ground outside their homes. The tools needed are simple: scissors, wire, candles, and creativity.
By teaching them how to clean, cut, reshape, and assemble these plastics into stunning, vibrant floral arrangements, we are giving them a business model with almost zero overhead costs. It is pure profit from day one.
The First Ten Success Stories
These 10 girls, aged 15 to 19, were previously out of school and unemployed, facing the high risks that come with idleness in the slum. Over the last six weeks, they have not only learned a craft; they have learned dignity.
The results are already tangible. They aren’t just making flowers to look at; they are selling them.
They are selling bouquets to local salons that want cheap, bright decorations. They are selling centerpieces for low-budget weddings in the community. For the first time in their lives, these 10 girls are holding money they earned with their own two hands.
“We aren’t just teaching them how to make plastic petals. We are teaching them to see value where others see only trash—and more importantly, to see value in themselves.”
A Double Victory
This project is a win-win. Every flower they make is one less piece of plastic clogging the drainage systems of Wakiso. We are cleaning our community while simultaneously building an economic future for our young women.
The pride on their faces when they made their first sale was unforgettable. That first 5,000 shillings wasn’t just currency; it was proof that they are capable of being economically independent.
These 10 girls have proven the model works. Now we have a waiting list of 50 more who want to join the next training cohort.
The raw materials are free, but the training tools are not. We need scissors, pliers, wire, and cleaning supplies to expand this program. Just $25 equips a new trainee with a full starter kit. Sponsor an Artisan Starter Kit Today
