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Meet the local nonprofit working with victims of domestic violence to provide them with the practical training they need for economic independence.
Who Are They?
Fundacion CEPRODIH is made up of a team of local social workers, psychotherapists, vocational trainers and fashion designers, united in their passion to empower victims of domestic violence with a brighter future. They offer year-long vocational training programs for local women, designed to help them achieve independent employment and take charge of their own lives.
Why is their work so important?
ECONOMICS
Many women who leave an abusive partner are unskilled and have little opportunity for work, especially mothers.
(CEPRODIH, anecdotal)
CULTURE
Whilst a 2007 law made domestic violence a criminal offence, it remains socially acceptable in much of the broader community.
VULNERABILITY
Domestic violence victims are often trapped by a complex web of social, cultural and economic factors.
SUPPORTING STRONG WOMEN
Explore this Nonprofits amazing work first-hand.
What do they do?
CEPRODIH offers a wide range of services to vulnerable women, ranging from formal psychiatric support to vocational training, their ultimate goal being for victims to acquire the power and independence to dictate their own futures. They operate a training centre in the nation's capital where women are enrolled in daily workshops to develop practical skills that will help them achieve long-term employment.
Training for an Independent Future
CEPRODIH offers the opportunity for 50 women each year to join its training program. Every student attends for three semesters, each three months in length. This timeframe is designed to balance the rigours of intensive training with the time women need to recover from abuse, build new social relationships and get their legal affairs in order. Training is offered in sewing, cooking, hairdressing and textile making, and is accompanied by a broad range of psychiatric and social supports designed to help women adjust to life without their former partners.
Women's Cooperatives
After completing their training, women are grouped together into skills-based cooperatives in order to maximise their capacity and business leverage. Under the guidance of CEPRODIH's administrative team, the collectives reach out to local businesses to secure large-scale contracts. Upon securing a contract, the cooperatives can then begin producing items in bulk either at the CEPRODIH workshops or at home. The CEPRODIH women's cooperatives currently have ongoing contracts with over 20 businesses within Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay, providing employment for nearly all of the projects most recent graduates.
What do locals think?
Liz
CEPRODIH Beneficiary
"I have been able to grow my own business and make my own money."
Suzanne
CEPRODIH Beneficiary
"I can attend workshops whilst my son is cared for in the free nursery here."
Jennifer
CEPRODIH Beneficiary
"I learnt to sew at CEPRODIH and now make tote bags for a local business."
