Liliane Martingale

Liliane

When I took the course at Gender Links, I was very pleased. I have learnt various things. The entrepreneurship training held in October 2014 was very useful to me. It taught me how to make a business plan, how to start up a business and how to make savings. I’m very thankful to Gender Links for giving me the opportunity to learn how to move forward in life.

I did not know anything before; I would just stay at home and look after my children. Since the death of my husband, I started to go to social community centers where I took many courses and learned several things. It made me glad to know that I was able to do something with my own hands. I have learnt to do various things like handicrafts, bunch of flowers, embroidery, knitting, paintings on household items for example, glasses, plates. People usually buy these things from me.

Furthermore, I did have a little knowledge about sewing. One day, I sewed a dress for myself and when I went out many people complimented me asking me where I bought the dress from. When being told, they suggested and advised me to start taking orders. Since my husband was a tailor, I learned from him little by little. It has been sixteen years that my husband passed away. I was married at a very young age. I did not want to but my step father forced me.

Before the training I was already doing all these. The only problem I’m encountering now is I do not have a place where I can expose my articles. Moreover, I need a place where I can make my sewing business more efficient. If I had a tailor’s shop, more people would be aware of my business and would come to me.

I was not experiencing violence from my husband. He was sick for a long time. However, he was very strict. We usually did not have food to eat, but he hated to ask and did not let me ask anyone either. My children do not live with me anymore. They are married now and live on their own but they are proud of me.

There was a lady in the training whom I became friends with. When she came to know about my sewing skills, she gave me the order of her daughter’s wedding dress. I was out of words but accepted it. I made it and she was very happy. I felt honored to be given such an opportunity.

My dream is to make my business a successful one and for this I need to find a place to set up my business. I firmly believe if I had enough money, I would already have found a location.