"Incredibly successful" Program brings Skills, Direction and Hope to Pakistani Christian Women

Young Christian women and girls learn professional sewing and cosmetology skills to help protect them from human trafficking, drug trafficking and abuse, and violence.

(Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan)—A program, which began in June of 2011 that teaches Pakistani Christian girls and young women skills that will enable them to provide for themselves and their families, is proving to be very effectual.

The Women Development Program in the Toba Tek Singh region of Pakistan ended its first session providing 14 girls with free professional training as a beautician and seamstress that enabled some to become self-employed, while others continued their training into the next session.

The program's second session saw even more interest with about 35 young women wanting to take part in the training. Because of limited funds, however, only 17 were enrolled and the rest were put on a waiting list for the following session.

The Women Development Program in Toba Tek Singh is the only Christian project that provides professional training courses to Christian women and girls free of cost.

The program exists to teach women a skill so they will be less apt to become victims of human trafficking, violence, or have to become a domestic worker or house cleaner.

According to a Women Development Program report, all equipment, quality training and materials are provided for each student in the sewing and beautician sections, and all students receive training under the supervision of qualified and professional instructors.

In the Sewing section, girls learn to sew many different fashions including the Pakistani national dress, the Shalwar Qameez.

In the Beautician section, the girls learn to apply cosmetics, bridal make-up, haircuts, and hair color, along with other basic subjects relating to cosmetology.

One of the beautician students, "Aqsa"—a completely dedicated, intelligent and sharp girl—reportedly learned everything "energetically and with full of heart."

Thanks to her excellent training at the Women Development Program, she immediately landed "a job in Dubai for her beautician skill."

"She is very much thankful to [the] Women Development Program [for] helping her and providing her professional training," says a program representative.

"She claims the position she holds now is from God, through [the] Women Development Program."

In addition to the professional training, the program also provides several activities to help girls and young women deal with domestic affairs; making them aware and helping to protect them and their families from the influence of drugs.

According to the staff member, there has been an increase in the district of Toba Tek Singh, of drug addictions and drug dealing in children and teens, even in the Christian community.

The Women Development Program hopes to counteract that, and other forms of persecution against the Christian girls and women in the area, teaching them skills and giving them the hope of Jesus.

The Women Development Program is a division of the Jesus My Shelter orphanage, which cares for orphan children in the district of Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan.

For more information, log onto: http://jmsorphanage.org/womendevelopmentprogram.html

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