Skills the market asks for
We teach trades that people in local markets pay for, so what a woman learns here can earn her money.
To enhance skills development training through tailored training based on local market needs.
See the coursesVocational training in Somalia
Learn a skill.Build your future.
Practical training for Somali women, built around the work local markets pay for.
Founded by Somali women, for Somali women
TailoringOne of nine courses
- Founded
- 2016
- Skills taught
- 9
- Scope
- National
Organizations that work with RTVTI
Partner with RTVTI
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
COOPI, Cooperazione Internazionale
UNICEF
Our mission
We train women in skills that local markets need, so they have better social and economic choices in their lives.
Our vision
We want to be a capable, lasting institute that helps Somali women become economically independent.
She was told the ocean was not hers. She made it home.
“That is who I fight for. So, no girl has to bury her dream to please someone else's fear.”
Sagal Abdirizak, on the girl from a coastal village who wrote her a letter
Read her storyNine skills to learn
We teach nine skills, each one chosen because local markets need it.
Beauty and fashion
Beauty Salon (Henna and Make-up)
Henna, called cilaan in Somali (also known as mehndi), is the art of decorating hands and feet. It is part of weddings, holidays and other celebrations in Somali communities, and we teach how to apply it.
Practical skills, real opportunities
Nine trades. Tailoring, henna and make-up, plumbing, fish nets and five more.
Rooted in the community
Somali women started RTVTI at the grassroots, and we work close to local communities across the country.
RTVTI says it has a good relationship with local government, including the authorities in Mogadishu and its districts.
About RTVTI
More than training
We also work with communities on women's rights and on health awareness.
Training is the main work, but not the only work. RTVTI speaks up for women's social and economic rights, and from time to time runs awareness sessions on reproductive health, including child spacing, and on the harm Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) does to women's health.
Get involved
How to start
Pick a course, then send us a message about it.
- See the courses
Step 1: Choose a course
Look through the nine courses and pick the one you'd like to learn.
- Send a message
Step 2: Send us a message
Use the contact form and tell us which course you're interested in.
Partner with RTVTI
If you'd like to partner with RTVTI or support its work, get in touch.
- Events
- Consultative forums
- Regional and international network
Tie and DyeOne of nine courses
Questions people ask us
What is RTVTI?
Ruweyda Technical Vocational Training Institute (RTVTI) was founded in 2016 by a group of Somali women who were worried about how many women in their communities lived in poverty. It trains women in skills that local markets need, so they can earn a living and build better economic lives.
When was RTVTI founded?
In 2016.
Who founded it?
A group of Somali women from the grassroots.
What does RTVTI teach?
Nine skills: tie and dye, beauty salon (henna and make-up), tailoring, plumbing, fish nets, packaging, decorations, charcoal making, and homemade shampoo and soap.
Who is the training for?
Mostly Somali women, including women affected by the conflict and women from marginalized groups.
- Beauty Salon
- Tailoring
- Tie and Dye
- Plumbing
- Fish Nets
- Packaging
- Decorations
- Charcoal Making
- Homemade Shampoo and Soap