A New Heroine...Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe

Sister Rosemary is well-known throughout Uganda for her school that trains girls who are war victims. "Most of the girls arrive with little or no confidence," she told us. But after they go through one of her training programs, which include tailoring and hospitality, she sees a dramatic change in their confidence. No one fails a class or a program. They keep taking the class until they pass. They can remain at the school until they feel ready to be incorporated into society and are able to use their new skills to generate income. 

On the side, Sister Rosemary is a blossoming entrepreneur. On a visit to Hawaii, she purchased a purse that was constructed of pop can tops. She brought it home and reverse engineered the purse, teaching herself and then "her" girls how to create them. The sister sported one of her purses on a recent trip to New York and sold it off her body to someone who asked her where she got it.

War victims learning tailoring skills

Modeling Sister Rosemary's purses that are made from pop tops and are sold in U.S. markets

"Sewing Hope:" A documentary featuring Sister Rosemary is in post-production, featuring Forrest Whittaker as the narrator

Maddy's new "Sister..."

A student explaining pattern-making