When TWAM visited their tool recipients at the Faith Orphanage in Kitwe, Zambia, we met a young woman whose determination and compassion left a lasting impression on us. This is the story of Choma.

Choma is a 16-year-old student on the orphanage's tailoring programme. Quietly spoken but full of purpose, when she sat down with us she shared a heart-rending story of hardship, resilience, and hope.

She first learned about the tailoring programme at Faith Orphanage through a friend. "I didn't think I could go because I don't have qualifications," she told us. "But this group accepts everyone."

Like many of the students at Faith, Choma's education was interrupted by circumstances beyond her control. She was forced to leave school in Grade 12 because her family could no longer afford the fees. Today she lives with her grandmother, while her mother suffers from sickle cell disease and is unable to work.

Yet financial hardship was only part of her struggle.

Speaking openly and courageously, Choma described a painful childhood. She spent much of her early life without the support of her parents, and experienced sexual abuse from a young age that left deep emotional scars.

"I struggled and cried every day," she said. "I had no guidance to get me through it."

Without encouragement, stability, or someone to turn to, she often felt completely alone.

"I can now stand on my feet. I can talk to people. I couldn't before. Faith has helped me open up."

For her, the opportunity at Faith Orphanage came at exactly the right time.

Faith Orphanage began offering skills training in 2004 after recognising a growing problem - many young people, particularly those from rural communities, were unable to continue their education or access college and university opportunities.

To help address this, the orphanage established vocational training programmes in tailoring and carpentry.

The model is simple but effective. Students spend one year learning both practical and theoretical skills, followed by a second year putting those skills into practice. During this project year, tailoring students receive materials and are challenged to create items independently. The clothes and other items they produce are then distributed to people living in nearby villages.

The programme removes many of the barriers that prevent vulnerable young people from accessing training. Food and accommodation are provided, ensuring that poverty does not stand in the way of learning. Every graduate also receives a toolkit to help them begin earning a living when they complete their course - between 20 and 30 such kits, sourced from TWAM, have been gifted since 2004.

Choma's classroom, with TWAM treadles being used by her and her adolescent peers.

As she reflected on her experiences, Choma spoke about other young people facing similar challenges. Many, she believes, find themselves trapped in destructive paths because they have nobody to guide them through difficult circumstances.

"When people are in situations like mine, some turn to drinks, drugs, or sex work because they don't have support," she explained.

For years, Choma faced her challenges largely by herself. But everything began to change when she joined the tailoring programme at Faith. There she found encouragement, purpose, a community that believed in her potential, and of course technical training.

Using TWAM-refurbished sewing machines, Choma and her peers were able to gain practical skills that can be transformed into sustainable livelihoods. What was once an old and unwanted machine in the UK becomes a tool for opportunity thousands of miles away.

For Choma, learning to sew has opened doors she never imagined possible. She has developed a particular passion for making children's clothing.

"I love kids," she said with a smile. "I want to open my own shop specialising in clothes for children."

"I want to do the same for people in my situation. I have seen how much people in my situation need guidance."

But her ambitions extend beyond tailoring alone. Choma hopes to return to school and complete Grade 12 before continuing on to college. Her dream is to use her savings from selling what she has made through tailoring to pay for a degree in guidance counselling. And the reason is deeply personal.

"I want to do the same for people in my situation," she told us. "I have seen how much people in my situation need guidance." She knows what it is like to face hardship without support -

"I didn't have a guide," she said. "With all that happened to me, I had to go through it myself and learn how to deal with it."

Now she wants to become the person she once needed. "I want to be there for people so that they can get through their difficulties," she says resolutely.

As her skills have grown, so too has her confidence.

"I can now stand on my feet. I can talk to people. I couldn't before. Faith has helped me open up."

The transformation is striking. The young woman who once felt isolated and unsure of herself now speaks with clarity about her future, and the difference she wants to make in the lives of others. With TWAM's help, the humble sewing machine has provided the journey from isolation to opportunity, from uncertainty to purpose, and from trauma to self-belief.