For many people, the barrier to earning is not ability but time and distance. Caring for children or relatives rules out work that is far away or fixed to someone else's hours.
A practical skill such as tailoring can be used at home or close by, picked up and put down around the rest of the day. The first garment sold to a neighbour is a small thing; it is also proof that the skill has value.
The course itself is only the beginning. What matters afterwards is pricing work fairly, keeping track of costs and finding customers — and having others to ask when something goes wrong.
Livelihoods work is often judged by how many people complete a course. A better test is how many are still using what they learned a year later, and whether they are passing it on.
