Sewing Skills. Home Décor Skills. Business Skills. A New Beginning.

The Urugero Programme is Dukataze’s flagship vocational training initiative designed to help teenage mothers achieve economic independence through practical, market-driven skills. Established in partnership with AHF Rwanda, the programme was created in response to a critical reality: many teenage mothers have the motivation to rebuild their lives but lack the skills, resources, and support systems needed to generate sustainable income.

Poverty remains one of the strongest drivers of vulnerability after teenage pregnancy. Without stable income, many young mothers struggle to provide for their children, return to education, or access opportunities that could improve their long-term wellbeing. The Urugero Programme responds directly to this challenge by equipping participants with skills that translate into real income-generating opportunities.

Why Sewing and Home Décor?

The Urugero Programme focuses on sewing, tailoring, and home décor production because these sectors offer accessible and realistic pathways to entrepreneurship for young mothers.

Sewing and tailoring provide flexible work opportunities that allow women to balance income generation with childcare responsibilities. At the same time, home décor production—such as decorative items, interior design products, and handcrafted household pieces—opens additional income streams that are highly marketable in both local and urban settings.

Together, these skills enable participants to build small businesses, work independently from home, join cooperatives, or find employment in tailoring and creative industries. Dukataze chose these fields because they require relatively low start-up capital, are in consistent demand, and allow young mothers to begin earning shortly after training.

Most importantly, these skills support long-term economic independence, which is essential in reducing the financial vulnerability that often contributes to repeat teenage pregnancies.

What Participants Learn

The programme combines hands-on technical training with entrepreneurship and business development to ensure participants are fully prepared for real-world work and self-employment.

Participants are trained in:

• Professional sewing and tailoring
• Garment construction and finishing
• Pattern drafting and machine operation
• Home décor design and production
• Product quality assurance
• Customer service and client relations
• Pricing and costing
• Financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship and business development
• Business planning and management
• Marketing and sales

Alongside vocational and business training, participants receive comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) education. This includes family planning, maternal health, healthy relationships, consent, gender equality, and informed decision-making. This integrated approach ensures that young mothers are equipped not only economically, but also with the knowledge to make informed choices that support their health and future.

Supporting the Transition to Independence

Dukataze understands that skills training alone is not enough to guarantee economic independence. Many young mothers face barriers such as lack of equipment, workspace, and financial stability immediately after training.

To address this gap, the Urugero Programme provides structured post-training support. Upon completion of the programme, participants receive a sewing machine to begin their work immediately. Dukataze also covers the cost of a workshop space for six months, ensuring that graduates have a stable and professional environment in which to establish their businesses.

In addition, participants receive a monthly stipend for six months to support basic needs as they transition into self-employment. This temporary financial support reduces pressure during the early stages of business development and allows young mothers to focus on building sustainable income rather than survival alone.

This combination of tools, workspace, and financial support transforms the programme from simple training into a full economic incubation model.

Creating Lasting Impact

The Urugero Programme is more than vocational training, it is a pathway out of poverty.

By combining sewing, tailoring, and home décor skills with entrepreneurship education, SRHR knowledge, and post-training incubation, the programme equips teenage mothers with everything they need to rebuild their lives.

Participants leave the programme with practical skills, income-generating tools, business knowledge, confidence, and the support necessary to start earning. As they become economically independent, they are better able to support their children, make informed life decisions, and build stable futures.

The impact extends beyond individuals. When teenage mothers become financially independent, families become more stable, children grow up in improved conditions, and communities become more resilient. This contributes directly to addressing the root causes of poverty and the conditions that increase the risk of teenage pregnancy and repeat pregnancies.

The Urugero Programme demonstrates that when young mothers are given skills and real opportunities to apply them, they do not just survive, they thrive.