The NONA Empowerment Center mainly consists of teachers and experts who teach the girls a profession/trade or train skills. In the NONA Empowerment Center, we provide education and training in Beauty Culture, English classes, Handicraft and Teddy Bear Counseling. This will be expanded in the short term with training courses in finance, management and entrepreneurship. The NONA Empowerment is located in Kuliyapitiya, a town in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka.
In the NONA Empowerment Center, approximately 60 girls receive education or training. We take these courses and training very seriously. That is why an annual graduation ceremony is held in a grand way in the city hall of Kuliyapitiya.
After the graduation ceremony, the products made will be exhibited at an exhibition in this town hall. At the graduation ceremony, the Minister of Women Empowerment is always invited to show him or her how strong these girls and women are and what they are all not capable of.
The NONA Empowerment Center is in touch with the local authorities and represents the interests of girls and women where desirable. The NONA Empowerment Center also helps the girls to find a job, as NONA has a large network in Sri Lanka.
Since May 2014, NONA Foundation has been offering the Beauty Culture training. In our NONA Empowerment Center, a special area has been set up for this, with professional inventory and tools.
In Sri Lanka, the grooming and beauty industry is very popular. Especially with couples who are getting married, it is very important to look their best on the wedding day. And many female guests also like to visit the beauty salon before a wedding.
With the NONA Beauty Culture, a class of about 15 girls is trained in nine months in the field of facial, hair and skin care, but they also learn, for example, the composition of bridal bouquets. The girls are taught by a professional teacher who is an authority in the field of Allround Beauty Culture. The girls learn everything they need to know as a future beautician. After nine months, if the training has been successfully completed, the girls receive a diploma and they can eventually start working at a beauty salon or, if they wish, start their own beauty salon. After graduation, the next group of girls will start their nine-month training. De meisjes krijgen les van een professionele docente die een autoriteit is op het gebied van Allround Beauty Culture. De meisjes leren alles van haar wat zij moeten weten als toekomstig schoonheidsspecialiste. Na negen maanden, als de opleiding succesvol is doorlopen, krijgen de meisjes een diploma en kunnen zij op termijn aan de slag bij een schoonheidssalon, of indien zij dit willen, hun eigen schoonheidssalon beginnen. Na de diplomering start de volgende groep meisjes met hun opleiding van negen maanden.
A former Government School teacher, who has since retired, provides the girls with English lessons, both speaking and writing are covered. After completing the training, the girls receive an official certificate. After the training, the girls can start work with a good understanding of the English language or progress to a higher level English course at a college or university.
The girls learn how to make various jewellery from beads, but also, for example, how to make household tools from textile, such as pillowcases. As with the Teddy Bears Course, the girls' creative skills are very stimulated and trained. Once a year, the products made are sold at an annual exhibition show organized by the NONA Empowerment Center.
We have a very experienced teacher who teaches the girls to make "teddy bears". This is particularly special because the intensive guidance is also aimed at healing the trauma that many girls have. We started this training / therapy in 2015 and many girls have benefited greatly from this.
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