In Mochudi, Botswana, four girls aged 14 to 16 are showing what can happen when young people have the chance to turn learning into action.
They call themselves the Arts and Crafts Girls. What began in an after-school programme has grown into a small craft business selling scrunchies, bracelets and keychains in their community and at the centre.
The programme supports young people from difficult backgrounds through psychosocial support, skills development and entrepreneurship training. For many participants, opportunities to explore business can feel distant, and confidence can be low.
For these four girls, the experience created a different path.
Using crocheting and beadwork, they learned practical skills: planning purchases, calculating costs, selling products and managing earnings. They started small, testing their ideas and improving their products as they went.
Their earnings have had a direct impact. The girls reinvested money in toiletries and school supplies—small but meaningful steps towards greater independence and choice.
Stepping Stones International is part of Aflatoun’s global partner network. Across the network, Aflatoun supports learning that helps children and young people build social confidence and practical financial skills they can use in daily life. In Mochudi, that meant moving from an after-school activity to an enterprise the girls could call their own.
The group’s progress was recognised when they entered a competition and were selected as winners by the Cummins Company Group. The recognition reached beyond their community and gave the girls fresh encouragement to keep going.
Today, the Arts and Crafts Girls continue to grow their business and inspire others to join them.
Their story is a reminder that young people do not only need information. They need opportunities to try, make decisions, learn from mistakes and see what they are capable of creating.
For collaboration opportunities, contact Stepping Stones International Botswana:
Beauty Mogasha
[email protected]