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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
MS Truth Malandu (60) was busy conducting her normal household chores in June last year when she heard a loud hailer inviting women to take up short courses that were being offered at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) in partnership with the Angel of Hope Foundation (AOH).
While other women of her age have given up on education, Ms Malandu from Gwanda made a bold decision and registered with ZOU. She did courses in Basic Counselling and Agriculture.
She is among the hundreds of people from Matabeleland South who graduated last month after benefiting from the ongoing partnership between Angel of Hope Foundation and ZOU.
Ms Malandu, a former accounts clerk, has a strong passion for farming. She has a small orchard at their family house in Bulawayo where she grows some fruit trees and sells the produce to vendors.
Ms Malandu also has a garden where she grows a variety of vegetables. She said the knowledge that she has acquired during her training will help her to improve her farming skills.
“I obtained certificates in Basic Counselling and Agriculture after I underwent training at Zimbabwe Open University in partnership with the Angel of Hope Foundation. I vividly recall sometime in June last year when I heard an announcement that women were being invited to register for various courses that were being offered under the programme,” she said.
Ms Malandu said she enrolled for the two programmes and underwent two weeks of training.
“I have an orchard which gives me fruits that I sell especially to vendors. I also have a vegetable garden,” she said.
Ms Malandu said she received training on small livestock rearing and crop production and has also acquired in-depth knowledge of poultry and piggery.
She said she hopes to revive her poultry project and start a piggery project.
Ms Malandu said the course in Basic Counselling has helped her to deal with social issues affecting members of the community.
“People go through a lot of challenges and some end up taking their lives hence they need counselling.
Some choose to suffer in silence and we were taught how to identify such people and how to engage them,” she said.
Ms Malandu said counselling is crucial in fighting drug and substance abuse, a scourge that is prevalent among the youth.
A Bulawayo Polytechnic College graduate, Ms Malandu retired from formal employment in 2004 on medical grounds.
She worked for a number of institutions as an accounts clerk. – @DubeMatutu.
Online Reporter