Mix Mould & Earn- A bar Soap Making Workshop

The hands- on skills project brought together 54 community members for a Bar Soap Making Workshop designed to turn a practical skill into a real pathway for income generation and self-reliance. The session was hands-on from start to finish — participants did not just observe; they engaged. They asked questions, shared ideas, and worked through the soap-making process together, building both knowledge and confidence along the way.

For many, the experience went far beyond the technical. It was a moment of possibility. A realisation that a simple skill, learned in a single day, could be the beginning of something lasting. Mr. Ssempala, one of the participants, captured it beautifully: “I have learnt a skill that I can use to start something of my own. I am grateful because this training has shown me that I can turn a simple skill into a source of income.” said Jida a particiapant.

What made the workshop particularly powerful was the environment in which the learning took place. Participants came from the same community, shared the same everyday challenges, and left with the same practical knowledge — creating a natural foundation for peer support and collective growth. When neighbours learn together, the skills do not stay locked away at home. They spread. They inspire conversations, spark ideas, and in many cases, lay the groundwork for small businesses that strengthen the wider community from within.

Making the day even more special was the presence of CHiQ, the workshop’s sponsor, who joined the community not just as a funder but as an active participant in the day’s activities. CHiQ went a step further by celebrating participants with gifts and offering words of encouragement — reminding everyone in the room that the opportunity to learn is one worth taking seriously, and that the real impact of a skill comes from putting it to use. We are deeply grateful to CHiQ for their continued belief in skills-based empowerment and for standing with Aitenga and our communities in creating pathways to self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.