Breaking Barriers: Meet the Girls Building Their Future with Aluminium Skills

First Published on October 19, 2024

At Friends of River Rare, we believe in the transformative power of skills training—and today, that belief was on full display. Our aluminium fabrication trainees, now in their fourth week, have made astonishing progress. What they accomplished in just an hour and a half proves that with the right tools, support, and opportunity, young women can not only match—but exceed—industry standards.

These windows, crafted by hand, are not prototypes. They are market-ready products destined for a real two-bedroom home. All that remains is installing the glass. The quality of their work rivals, and in some cases surpasses, what we see from established vendors.

Voices from the Workshop

We took a moment to speak with the girls as they worked:

• Rehema shared, “We’ve come so far. Alhamdulillah.”

• Pendo, who just completed Class 8, is already excelling and said, “I’m feeling really good.”

• Kazo, the last to join the training, declared with pride, “I came late, but now I’m the best in class!”

• Riki, our class prefect, said simply, “I’m happy today.”

These moments remind us why this work matters.

From Training Room to Real Sites

This morning, some trainees visited a client’s home to take measurements. The precision with which they translated those numbers into finished window frames was inspiring. As Elizabeth put it:

“Everything came out exactly as we measured. This work isn’t difficult—it’s exciting. We’re proud to be aluminium fundis.”

They also made a point we’re proud to echo: that women can not only do the job—they can do it better.

What’s Next?

These girls have mastered aluminium, and they’re not stopping there. Next up is tiling. They’re determined to become fully capable fundis—able to take over finishing work once structural construction is done.

Later this week, they’ll install their handmade windows on-site. It will mark a major step forward—from learning a skill to executing it in a real-world environment.

And today came with an even bigger milestone: their first pay. For many of the girls, this is the first time they've earned a wage through their own craftsmanship. It's a powerful moment—one that signals a future full of possibility.

Gratitude

We want to express our deep thanks to Eric and our partners in the Netherlands. Your generous support makes this work possible. Because of you, these young women are changing the narrative—about what they can do, who they can become, and what’s possible in their lives.

As one trainee put it:

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And here is our way.”

We couldn’t have said it better.

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