Hellen Hamis is a 23 years old young woman who lives in Kibamba, Dar es Salaam. She has a Diploma in Clinical Medicine and she is among PANDA programme beneficiaries.
Before she joined the programme, Hellen was working as a skin care consultant supporting her clients against the use of harmful skin whitening chemical creams. Whilst she was working in this consultancy she was at the same time a student of clinical medicine.
As a result, this brought challenges to her which include lack of time in managing her studies and working. It was tough in handling both tasks which were equally important to her for her income and learning. In a bid to find time to proceed with her education she decided to leave her work and getting one which would give her flexibility and more income.
As she was thinking on a way forward, one day Hellen saw Her Initiative’s posters about PANDA programme through WhatsApp group belongs to Girls Fire shared by, another group member, Sarah Ngonyani. It was about how Her Initiative through PANDA projgramme supports young women empowerment to reach their full potentials. Commenting on why she joined the agriculture value chain cluster she says;
“I quickly decided to join in agriculture category, because I thought that it was an opportunity for me to learn more from others and also others to learn whatever little I had to share in undertaking business’’.
During the PANDA Programme the beneficiaries were exposed to different trades such as catering, agriculture value chain, baking, and beauty and style. Thus, young women participants were taken through practices and theories of doing business which covered imparting skills in branding, saving, budgeting, digital marketing etc.
After joining the Programme Hellen received important learnings which include the fact that you can actively engage in agriculture value chain and gain income without directly farming. She has learnt how to value add agricultural produce such as fruits through simple processing procedures to produce juice of which she packs and sale.
Moreover, Hellen’s participation in PANDA programme has helped her to gain improved income which has contributed to positive life change.
Talking about that experience of what she learnt she adds; “First I stopped consulting people about skin care because I had no enough time to meet them physically. But digital marketing has come up to me as a genuine solution for this challenge. Due to digital marketing I have managed to market my business and receive a lots of orders from various offices for juice delivery.”
The training offered by Her Initiatives helped Hellen to improve her business and have more customers. In turn successful business has helped her life improved.