- The programme will facilitate six-month internships and industrial attachments with established local fashion companies.
- The training pilot was launched in May 2022 with two cohorts in Ghana and Kenya made up of young women with a passion for the fashion industry.
Image: COURTESY
Fifteen women from Kitui are set to benefit from a six-month training programme from giant fashion brand, Prada.
Prada Group has partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to come up with 'Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears', which will see the women get knowledge and practical skills relevant in the fashion industry.
In a press statement, the partners said the pilot programme will leverage the social and economic power of fashion as a vehicle to promote women’s empowerment.
“They will get skills in fashion design and production, with a focus on local traditions and styles, recycled and upcycled fashion, traditional textile design and financial literacy, including bookkeeping, budgeting and business management,” they said.
The partnership, which began in 2021, started developing the training programme in collaboration with local partners, including the Kitui county government and the Kitui County Textile Centre.
“The six-month programme will also facilitate six-month internships and industrial attachments with established local fashion companies to establish long-term work opportunities for the women,” the group said.
The pilot programme was launched in May 2022 with two cohorts in Ghana and Kenya made up of young women with a passion for the fashion industry.
“In addition, it seeks to foster a deeper understanding of sexual and reproductive rights and reduce participants’ vulnerability to gendered inequalities and harmful practices in their communities,” they said.
Mariarosa Cutillo, chief of strategic partnerships at UNFPA, said they were working with creative industries to find innovative ways to support young women from underserved communities access rights and choices in order to unlock their full potential.
“Fashion is a powerful platform to provide long-term, sustainable education and development opportunities across the world,” she said.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group marketing director and head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said the programme reflects Prada’s belief in fashion as a force for good.
“We are honoured to partner with UNFPA on this unique project to leverage the social and economic power of our industry to create more inclusive and equal societies,” Bertelli said.
Malika Savell, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer at Prada, The Americas, said that it is a privilege for them to play a role in expanding the opportunities available to aspiring young designers from around the world.
At the end of the six-month industrial attachment, the trainees will showcase their works in an end-of-year presentation in Ghana or Kenya.
(edited by Amol Awuor)