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Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
ONE of the country’s most successful rural-based women empowerment and emancipation organisations, Lupane Women’s Development Trust (LWDT) is seeking US$58 000 through the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development loan facility as part of its efforts to enhance the capacity of its wide range of enterprises.
LWDT manager Ms Hildegard Mufukare said the organisation has applied for US$58 000 under the OPEC Fund, which is administered by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprise Development to grow the production capacity of its enterprises notably its poultry project.
LWDT has a membership of more than 4 500, out of these about 400 are weavers while the rest are into other projects such as crop farming, livestock production, gardening and poultry.
“We increased our poultry from 1 000 birds when we started to 2 800 birds and we intend to further increase to 10 000 if we get a loan facility through the OPEC Fund. We are expecting US$58 000 most of which will be channelled towards our poultry project with the rest going towards capacitating other agricultural projects, craft and hospitality facilities,” said Ms Mufukare.
The facility is a loan agreement between the Government and OPEC Fund for the International Development relating to a US$7,6 million line of credit to support the Poverty Alleviation Project in three provinces, namely Masvingo, Manicaland and Matabeleland North which was signed on 17 August 2016.
LWDT successfully weaned itself from its main donor, Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) of more than a decade-and-a-half last year.
“From 2002 to 2018 with the help of LED we have been planning for self-sustenance. Our focus has been developing women that can run their own businesses and move away from donor dependency and be able to support their families. During that period we were training women and equipping them with skills to run small businesses. We focused on small livestock production, which are goats and chickens, soap and candle making, nutrition gardens, craft and bee keeping,” said Ms Mufukare.
Apart from LED, the organisation also received technical and financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In a bid to build its members’ capital base, LWDT also facilitated the formation savings and lending clubs. Savings clubs are a self-funding micro-finance model. Basically these clubs consist of 10 to 15 members, but can also involve more members, who agree to meet once every month to save small amounts of money. Once the members have saved enough, they start lending to themselves.
The organisation’s craft sales have since last year experienced a significant growth largely due to its members’ innovations, which has seen an introduction of new products.
“Our sales have increased from a point where we used to sell about 2 000 to 3 000 crafts a month and now we are selling about 7 000 a month both locally and internationally. This is due to the fact that there has been a lot of innovation. We are no longer producing traditional crafts only. We now do contemporary crafts such as interior decorative crafts such as vases, lamp shades, mats, office trays among others.
“Craft sales have really done well and we have even engaged other organisations to build their capacity. We have even engaged other organisations to build their capacity, we are working with Zubo Trust in Binga and Sabona Trust in Hwange. We have also approached other groups in Tsholotsho and Nkayi that are involved in craft with intentions to establish a centre for fair trade and in crafts in the region,” said Ms Mufukare.
LWDT exports its craft products to countries such as Australia, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Turkey, UK, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
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