From Dropping Out to Standing Out: Grace's Journey

Umugwaneza Grace comes from a very poor family, the kind of hardship that makes staying in school feel like a luxury you can't afford. When the fees became too much, she had to leave, walking away from formal education long before she was ready to.

Then the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) stepped in, and with them came a second chance. Grace heard that Mwananshuti VTC was offering free training, so she went to the school herself to find out more. She was admitted in April 2025 to train in hairdressing.

What followed was months of real, hands-on work, theory and practice side by side, and then a two-month internship where everything she'd learned finally met real clients and real pressure. Grace didn't just get through the program. She stood out in it, finishing among the very best in her intake.

That kind of performance doesn't go unnoticed. The school brought her on to work in its own production unit, Mwananshuti Salon, putting her right to work with the skills she'd just built. Since then, Grace has been earning her own living and helping support the same family that once couldn't keep her in school.

For a girl who had to leave the classroom because there simply wasn't enough money, the path ahead looks nothing like it used to. Her future feels wide open now, in a way it never did before.

In her own words: "I never thought I'd come this far after leaving school. Mwananshuti VTC and MCC gave me a chance I didn't expect to get again, and now I'm not just earning, I'm building something for myself and my family."