The Swapo Party Women's Council (SPWC) has started a tailoring initiative aimed at helping women sharpen their skills and create opportunities for self-employment.

For some women, a needle and thread represent more than just a skill, but here the sound of sewing machines represents hope for the thirty women in this hall.

At the training sessions, held twice a week, women are learning the basics of tailoring, from cutting fabric to operating sewing machines.

The initiative is part of the Council's efforts to promote economic empowerment by providing practical skills that can be used to generate income.

Secretary of the SPWC, Fransina Kahungu, says the programme was introduced after recognising the need to strengthen existing skills among women and unemployed people.

"We realised that it does not help us just to talk about women's empowerment when we are not doing it ourselves. That is why we decided to come up with practical projects like this one, where women can acquire skills that can help them become economically independent."

Kahungu says the tailoring project is also part of plans to establish a Swapo Party Women's Council Training Centre, which will provide accredited skills training in partnership with relevant stakeholders.

For participants, the programme is a chance to turn a personal passion into a possible source of income.

Sevelina Kuugongelwa, a computer science student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), says tailoring has always been a passion, and she joined the programme to improve her skills.

"I have always wanted to do this since I was small. I have been training myself, but I joined this programme to gain more knowledge, improve my practice and eventually do something for myself. I want to start a business and become independent."

"I love sewing and I love fashion. I came here so that I could learn, gain knowledge and make a living for myself. My dream is to open my own boutique, for me and for my children," adds another participant, Naango Patricia.

The SPWC says it hopes the initiative will grow into a larger skills development programme that empowers more women to participate in economic activities.