Under this program,SOFERES works primarily with single parent with multiple children, no family or other support networks, and no skills that they can rely on to make money. When a woman or a girl is qualified to join our program, She learns a marketable job skill such as tailoring, soap making, bread baking, hairdressing or poultry farming, as well as business training (the basics of starting/running a small business, working in groups and groups’ management) to turn her chosen skill into a stable income so she can support herself, her family and her community. After she has completed our training program (upon graduation), we continue to support her journey to empowerment and self-sufficiency through advanced trainings and the provision of tools and start up grants to effectively utilize the capital for productive ends and transition into independence. She and other trainees also receives guidance in forming or joining self-organized and self-managed savings and loan groups , each consisting of 10-20 members so that they can make the most of their earnings, save and grow together to forge new paths for themselves and their communities. Group members meet weekly to make decisions that impact the group, participate in life-skills training, discuss issues of mutual interest and pool their small funds into a common fund. From that common fund, members take loans and repay with interest. By saving their earnings, group members are able to pay their own rent, feed their families, cover household expenses, and eventually launch their own successful businesses The savings groups become a platform for members to not only raise awareness on important topics, but also to join together, share experiences, learn critical skills such as sexual and reproductive health, sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response, HIV/AIDS prevention, peace building, leadership, human rights, community collaboration etc.