Challenging Heights, on Friday, September 25, 2026, graduated 11 young women from its vocational training programs at its Mother and Child Recovery Centre. Nine of the graduates completed the two-year Fashion and Design Training Program, while two completed training in cosmetology.
The Mother and Child Recovery Centre provides a comprehensive recovery program for young mothers and girls, most of whom are survivors of abuse, exploitation, domestic violence, and rape. Alongside their recovery, the centre equips them with the skills to build livelihoods and care for their children. While the mothers train, their children receive daycare education at the centre, giving them a safe and nurturing start in life.
Over the two years, the fashion design students trained in garment making, textile design, craftwork, and business management. They learned to make items ranging from simple garments to school uniforms, traditional Kaba outfits, menswear, and custom dresses such as wedding gowns and suits, along with hats, bags, and sandals. They also trained in traditional Ghanaian textile techniques, including batik and tie-and-dye. To help them run their own businesses, training included basic math, reading, pricing, and market planning.
The cosmetology students acquired skills in braiding, wig making, makeup, and nails, among others, preparing them to offer a range of beauty services to clients in their communities.
All the graduates also took theory classes that prepared them for their national certification exams, as well as lessons in budgeting, business management, and computer skills. Together, these give them a strong foundation to work professionally and manage their own enterprises.
This brings the total number of young women who have graduated from the centre to 26 across two graduations, following the 15 who graduated in the first cohort. Some of the graduates have already received employment opportunities, while the rest plan to set up their own businesses after graduation. They now have the skills and business knowledge needed to earn a living, provide for their children, protect themselves from exploitation, and support their communities.
For more than two decades, Challenging Heights has worked alongside children, families, and communities across Ghana to break cycles of exploitation and build pathways to safety, opportunity, and resilience. Alongside rescue and recovery, it reaches several thousand women and young people each year through livelihood programs in communities across Ghana.
Challenging Heights is grateful to the donors, partners, and families who stood with these young women and their children through their recovery and training, and helped turn opportunity into livelihoods for them and their communities. For its part, Challenging Heights remains committed to recovery, skills training, and economic empowerment that break cycles of exploitation and open pathways to safety and opportunity across Ghana.
