Reference to the story We are proud to study welding – female students,The Sunday Times, November, 2, 2014

Editor, The girls who were interviewed should be emulated by other girls who don’t give value to vocational education. These young girls are creating a future for themselves in a field that is dominated by men. It would be good to see more women join the informal sector because it is widely assumed that the informal sector has a positive impact on women’s livelihood. These women have gained access to finance through financial institutions and this has reduced poverty levels.

The result of this is that they eventually lead to higher income that helps women to better perform their reproductive role as brokers of the health, nutritional, and educational status of other household members. It also increases women’s employment in micro enterprises and in improving the productivity of women’s income-generating activities, and lastly, it enhances their self-confidence and status within the family as independent producers and providers of valuable cash resources to the household economy.

I encourage young girls to join vocational training because the formal sector is not enough for all of us and it will make them productive members of our society.

Jacqueline Umwali