Help entrepreneurs worldwide on Small Business Saturday

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday. It’s definitely the time of year for giving.

We now basically have an entire week dedicated to either buying gifts for our loved ones or giving gifts to help others. And tucked right in the middle of it is a day you might not be quite as familiar with — Small Business Saturday.

If you don’t know, Small Business Saturday is movement dedicated to supporting independently owned companies and shops, usually right in your own town.

But there’s another way you can celebrate, too. You can help an aspiring entrepreneur on the other side of the world jumpstart a business with the gift of vocational training or a sewing machine.

If you own your own business, you know just how expensive it can be for a start-up. You need training. You need supplies. And you need equipment.

Many people in developing countries feel like they could never dream of starting a business. They can’t afford it if they live in poverty, especially if they never even finished school.

But you can empower someone by help him or her learn a trade through vocational training. And when you actually give that person the tools to succeed, you open up a whole world of possibilities.

Take it from Linda.

Linda is like a lot of women in Uganda. She grew up with very little and had no reliable way to provide for her family. But sewing gave her a purpose and a path out of poverty.

Before the pandemic, Linda was able to go to a vocational training center and learn how to sew clothing she could sell for an income. But once the coronavirus sent the country into lockdown, Linda wasn’t able to go to the center anymore.

She worried it might be the end to her budding tailoring career.

Thanks to generous donors, though, Linda received a sewing machine that she was able to take home. Now she can sew without having to leave the house and can begin to grow her own business.

And Linda’s sewing machine isn’t just helping her.

She’s also using it to make protective face masks for the other people in her community during the pandemic. If they can’t afford one, she gives them one for free!

You see, when you help someone like Linda, your giving becomes a ripple effect. Generosity is contagious! You can help spread it when you give a sewing machine or vocational training.

“We have been empowered through these machines,” Linda said.

Will you empower another aspiring small business owner today? You can help create a ripple effect of generosity around the world.

Give job training and tools