Tailoring Skills Give Bwindi Youth a Trade to Stand On

New Tailoring Program Equips Nkuringo Youth with Skills

In a small training room in Nkuringo, on the southern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, sewing machines run all morning. At the tables are fifteen young women and men, learning how to cut fabric, stitch clean seams, and finish a garment well enough to sell.

This is the Gorilla Junction Foundation’s tailoring program, launched with support from Sewing Seeds Canada. The goal is simple: give young people in Nkuringo practical skills they can use to earn.

Most of the students have relied on seasonal or unpredictable work linked to tourism. Now they’re building a skill they can carry with them, wherever the market is. Over the first training block, they learned how to set up and maintain a sewing machine, measure and cut patterns, and sew uniforms, dresses, and everyday repairs.

“I used to think tailoring was only for people who studied in town,” says Annette, one of the trainees. “Now I can sew my own designs and earn from them.”

This first round of training was possible because Sewing Seeds Canada and the Lottery Club of Calgary donated sewing machines, fabric, and tools. That meant we could move straight into hands-on learning from day one — not theory on a chalkboard, but real production.

The connection that made this possible came through Rick Castiglione, a travel photographer and Patron of the Gorilla Junction Foundation. After visiting Nkuringo, Rick shared our story with his friends at Sewing Seeds Canada and the Lottery Club of Calgary, who soon stepped in with the resources that helped launch the program.

Rick’s belief in community-led progress — and his habit of linking people who can help — continues to shape how we grow the Foundation. We hope to welcome more patrons like him: advocates who use their creativity, craft, and networks to amplify community-driven impact in Nkuringo.

From Training to Enterprise

With Level One complete, the next phase will introduce more advanced tailoring and basic small-business management — how to cost materials, how to quote for a job, how to keep earnings.

The program has moved into the new Robert Brierley Community Centre for proper workspace, storage, and solar lighting so we can run sessions into the evening and train more people at once. Demand is already growing: more young people have asked to join the next intake than we can currently fit.

Why This Work Matters

Nkuringo sits on the southern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where tourism, farming, and conservation meet every day. For many families here, income still depends on seasonal tourism and access to the forest.

When young people gain skills like tailoring, guiding, or hospitality, they gain choices — steady ways to earn that don’t rely on forest resources or fluctuating visitor numbers. That balance — stable livelihoods for people and a healthy forest — guides every Gorilla Junction Foundation program.

The tailoring students may seem far removed from gorilla trekking, but they are part of the same system. A stronger community means fewer pressures on the forest, more stability for families, and a shared sense of ownership over conservation.

“Conservation doesn’t work from the top down,” says Mariam, the program manager. “It works when local families have the means to care for their home and their future.”

How You Can Support

The tailoring program shows how small, focused investments can create real earning power for families. But to keep these trainings running — and to host more courses in guiding, hospitality, and digital skills — we need a permanent, well-equipped space.

That’s what the Robert Brierley Community Centre is built for: classrooms, solar power, and the tools to keep learning accessible to everyone in Nkuringo. The structure is complete, and solar installation is underway — what remains is funding for equipment, furnishings, and management.

Your donation directly supports this work:

• Equipping classrooms and workshops at the Community Centre.
• Funding trainers and materials for the next round of tailoring and hospitality courses.
• Maintaining a safe, reliable space for ongoing community learning.

Donate to the Robert Brierley Community Centre →

Every contribution helps us keep training spaces powered, equipped, and open for the next generation of learners.

A Stitch Toward the Future

As the sewing machines fall quiet each evening, students gather their work and talk about what they’ll make next. Some plan to open small tailoring stalls, others to design uniforms for nearby schools. These are not distant dreams — they are the beginnings of self-reliance in motion.

With continued support — from our Patron Rick Castiglione, our partners, and individual donors — the Gorilla Junction Foundation will keep expanding access to skills and opportunity in Nkuringo.

Because when people thrive beside the forest, the forest thrives too.