This is the motto that encourages the Kimlea Technical Training Centre students. One Kianda Foundation project that aims to provide quality and personalized education to women and girls who otherwise would not have access to it.
Kimlea Training Center was founded in 1992 with the support of the EU in order to offer technical training to women and their daughters working in tea plantations in the Tigoni area.
The majority of them hardly have any education and are trapped in a vicous circle of poverty that is difficult to break free of. They depend on tea or coffee crops, a temporary job that pays 5 shillings per collected kilo. This means they earn less than one euro a day, working from dawn til dusk. Such income does not suffice to meet basic family needs, let alone cover healthcare or education costs.
The Kianda Foundation developed Kimlea in order to help resolve the problem of these women and their families. Its primary goal is to provide women and girls with technical knowledge so that they have an alternative source of income and can improve their family’s quality of life and, therefore, give back to society.
Kimlea started in a prefabricated room, where a group of women who worked in the tea and coffee plantations were taught housekeeping and sewing skills. Thanks to donors, in 1992 Kimlea could build the necessary facilities in order to keep up with the increasing demand.
Every student has the goal of creating a better future for themselves and their families; This motivation encourages them to work hard and well. Kimlea offers two ways to study: full-time and part-time studies. The training includes literacy for adults, English, computers, farming, cooking and textiles, and housekeeping. Once the students gain such skills and are awarded with the certificate they can start their own business or be employed with a good salary.
Montblanc Foundation for women promotion
Muntaner 341, Planta 3 - 08021, Barcelona