Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
IN the remote village of Simphane in Matobo District, a group of teenage girls and young women is rewriting its future through entrepreneurship, sport and determination as they fight to break free from poverty-driven sexual exploitation.
Armed with little more than determination and a shared dream for a better future, the girls formed the Hloniphani Group, a youth-led initiative that is helping members generate income through selling clothes, baking scones and poultry farming.
The project, which has 10 members aged between 15 and 25, is also anchored by a netball team that competes in local tournaments, creating both an income stream and a support system for vulnerable girls and young women.
Ms Lethukukhanya Mlilo (22), who chairs the group, said economic empowerment has become their protection against exploitation, early pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
“We are school dropouts and if we don’t have any source of income, we may end up being influenced by men with money. They can offer us money for basics in exchange for sex,” she said.
“This exposes girls to HIV, STIs and unwanted pregnancies. That is why we decided to stand up and do something for ourselves.”
Ms Mlilo said the group started modestly last year after each member contributed R50 over two months.
“We raised about R1,800 and used it to buy our netball kits. We entered our first tournament and won prize money. From there, we participated in several other competitions and managed to raise money to start our clothing business,” she said.
Their first stock of clothes was worth R2 300. The group later expanded into baking, producing scones which they sell at the local business centre.
“We buy ingredients and bake scones for sale. The bakery project has also become an opportunity for some members to learn baking skills,” said Ms Mlilo.
Using profits from the projects, the group recently bought 50-layer chicks as part of a poultry venture aimed at increasing their income streams.
“We have also managed to buy kitchen utensils from the profits and we share some of the money among ourselves to buy essentials such as sanitary wear,” she said.
Ms Langelihle Moyo (24), a young mother and member of the group, said the initiative has brought renewed hope and confidence.
“The motivation came after attending lessons under the Sista2Sista programme. We were taught the importance of economic empowerment as adolescent girls and young women,” she said.
“The programme opened our eyes. It taught us that even with the limited resources we have, we can still create opportunities for ourselves instead of depending on other people.”
Sixteen-year-old Pride Ndlovu said the initiative has transformed the way she views life and relationships.
“I have learnt a lot from interacting with older women and girls in the group. I now know how to make decisions that protect my future and avoid sexual exploitation,” she said.
National Aids Council (NAC) Matabeleland South provincial manager, Mr Mgcini Sibanda, said adolescent girls and young women remain among the groups most vulnerable to HIV infection, hence the need for targeted empowerment programmes. “Our efforts are focused on reaching vulnerable populations with evidence-based interventions that address their specific challenges,” he said.
“We have the Sista2Sista model targeting adolescent girls and young women, while the Behaviour Change Community Model (BCCM) focuses mainly on young boys and men.”
Mr Sibanda said the BCCM programme encourages positive behavioural change among males and promotes access to HIV testing and support services.
“These programmes complement each other because the young girls often interact with these males in society,” he said.
The Sista2Sista programme, implemented by NAC, provides safe spaces where girls discuss challenges affecting them while learning about sexual and reproductive health rights, financial literacy and ways of navigating coercive relationships.
Under the initiative, trained mentors work with groups of 50 adolescent girls and young women over a year, equipping them with life skills, health education and economic empowerment knowledge. — @DubeMatutu.
