DR Congo: From Skills to Self-Reliance: Sephora Rebuilds Her Future Through Tailoring
In Bukanga Lonzo, Kwango Province, World Vision DRC is helping vulnerable families strengthen their livelihoods and build more resilient futures. Among those benefiting is Sephora, a single mother living with a disability, whose journey from economic hardship to self-reliance demonstrates the transformative power of skills training and inclusive support.
Before receiving support, Sephora was raising her three-year-old daughter, Dimercia, on her own under difficult circumstances. Limited mobility made it challenging for her to access stable income-generating opportunities, leaving her struggling to meet the needs of her family.
Reflecting on that period, Sephora recalls the emotional and financial pressure she experienced:
“I was going through a lot of hardship. I had no one to help me take care of my child or myself.”
Despite these challenges, Sephora remained determined to acquire a skill that would enable her to earn an income while working from home. She saw tailoring as an opportunity to become financially independent, but the cost of vocational training was beyond her means.
“I wanted to learn tailoring, but I did not have the money to attend vocational training.”
Skills training opens a path to self-reliance
As part of its livelihoods strengthening programme, World Vision DRC, in partnership with the Association of Youth for the Fight Against Malnutrition in Bukanga Lonzo (AJLMB), selected 25 single mothers, including Sephora, to participate in a two-month tailoring skills training.
For Sephora, being selected marked an important turning point.
“When I was selected among the 25 single mothers, I felt that my situation was being recognised, despite my disability.”
The training equipped her with practical tailoring skills while strengthening her confidence in her own abilities.
“The training helped me learn how to sew and believe in my abilities.”
From training to income generation
Completing the training was only the first step. To help participants turn their new skills into sustainable livelihoods, World Vision provided Sephora with a start-up kit, including a sewing machine, fabrics, scissors and thread.
The support allowed her to immediately put her training into practice from the comfort of her home.
“With the sewing machine and materials I received, I was able to start working from home.”
Recognising that mobility can be a significant barrier to economic participation for persons with disabilities, World Vision also provided Sephora with an adapted tricycle. The support has made it easier for her to move around her community and reach potential customers.
“The tricycle really helps me to move around and look for clients.”
A more secure future for her family
Today, Sephora runs a small tailoring business from home and earns a regular income. Her business has enabled her to provide for her daughter and meet the family’s basic needs with greater confidence.
“Thanks to tailoring, I earn an income and can take good care of my child.”
With her confidence growing, Sephora is now looking beyond meeting her family’s immediate needs. She hopes to expand her workshop, acquire additional sewing machines and serve more customers.
“My dream is to grow my workshop and serve more customers.”
Restoring dignity through inclusion
For Sephora, the support has brought more than a source of income. It has helped restore her sense of independence and dignity while creating new opportunities for her daughter.
Looking back on her journey, she expresses her appreciation for the support she received.
“I sincerely thank World Vision for supporting our community and for what they have done for me. Through the training, the sewing machine and the tricycle, I am now able to care for my child and myself with dignity.”
Through the initiative, 25 single mothers in Bukanga Lonzo received tailoring training and start-up support to establish income-generating activities. By combining livelihood skills with targeted assistance for persons with disabilities, the intervention is helping women overcome barriers to economic participation and build greater self-reliance.
Sephora’s story illustrates how inclusive livelihood support can create lasting change. From struggling to provide for her young daughter to running her own tailoring business, she is building a more secure future—one stitch at a time—with renewed dignity, self-reliance and hope.