You helped Roshni discover a new future
When Roshni walked into The Salvation Army’s barista and hospitality training programme, she wasn’t just hoping to learn how to make coffee. She was looking for a way forwards for her family.
For 10 years, Roshni and her husband had run a small family business while raising their two children. But when business slowed dramatically, the family faced an uncertain future. ‘This is the first year our business has been really quiet,’ Roshni says. ‘For the first time, we had to go on a benefit. We have two children and a big mortgage, so it was a hard time for us.’
Thanks to generous donors like you, Roshni was able to access The Salvation Army’s six-week barista and hospitality training programme, designed to help people build skills, confidence and hope for the future. Learning to use a commercial coffee machine was a completely new experience.
‘I had never used a coffee machine in my life before’, she says. ‘Learning those skills has opened so many more doors for me.’ But your support provided much more than practical job training. Through the programme’s Positive Lifestyle component, Roshni gained valuable tools for problem-solving, communication and building healthy relationships.
‘The problem-solving tools were really helpful,’ she says. ‘You learn that if you have a problem, you can work through it step by step. It’s okay if you can’t solve everything at once.’ Those lessons have made a difference not only for Roshni, but for her family as well. ‘The relationship lessons helped me understand how to work through issues with my children. It’s made a difference for our whole family.’ Perhaps most importantly, your generosity helped restore her confidence. ‘Everyone was so supportive. They believed in me, and that helped me believe in myself.’
Today, Roshni is turning that renewed confidence into action. She is working towards launching her own mobile café business from her property, converting a vehicle into a coffee and food caravan for travellers passing through.
‘I’ve got my goals planned,’ she says. ‘Before the course, I didn’t have the skills or confidence to do that.’ The Salvation Army’s wraparound support continues long after graduation. The team walks alongside participants for up to six months, providing support. ‘The Salvation Army has given me real hope,’ she says. ‘It has shown me that there is a way forwards for my family.’
Because of your kindness, Roshni is building a more secure future for her family and dreaming bigger than she ever thought possible. ‘If I achieve everything, I want to come back and help others the way I’ve been helped.’ Thank you for investing in people like Roshni. Your support is helping create lasting change, one family at a time.
Photo: Roshni putting her barista skills to work.