MBH empowers women through arts

Rutendo Karuva
THEREa��S nothing that beats a a�?home, sweet homea�? moment as such the My Beautiful Home (MBH) Annual competition in Matobo district always outdoes itself.

Started in 2014 with 30 competitors from two wards of the Matobo District, this year saw over 400 entries from nine wards.

The competition has brought about a strong sense of pride in local culture; it has seen women, who do the paintings, instilled with a sense of empowerment, communities working and collaborating and some incredible artists realise their hidden talent.

Last weeka��s competition saw winners getting prizes of economic value that help them in their everyday lives like wheelbarrows, bicycles and ploughs to honour their talents.

Among the competitors who were there, Peggy Masuku managed to astound the judges with her sense of style of a full outfit (a hat, dress and pumps), all stunningly magnified with the elusively-shaped mopane seed pods.

Butholezwe Nyathi, who is the programmes manager of Amagugu Heritage and is also an organising committee member of MBH said that the objective of the competition was to recognise artistic practice and empowering women through arts.

a�?MBH is looking for practical ways to benefit the communities and artists that are participating in order to encourage this artistic practice and give much needed assistance to the ladies participating so that they can be socio-economically empowered.a�?

a�?We are trying to create an economy through arts and retaining young people so that the creative economy has no disconnection from young people to the elderly as the skills are nowA� passed from mother to daughter shielding our culture,a�? said Nyathi.

Kango, Halsteds, Fortwell, Ekhaya, Arenel, Icrisat, Lobels, PPC, Forster Irrigation and ePap, Alliance Francaise, the Matobo Conservation Society, the National Gallery and Nust were this yeara��s sponsors.

For the best homestead looking at how all the structures are laid out Sithandisiwe Nyathi was the winner scooping an ox plough. Thulisa Ndlovu won the best exterior where judges looked at how the patterns embodied outside and won a solar cooker. Sibonubuhle Ndlovu won the best interior design and received a bicycle. Irene Dube won a wheelbarrow for the most innovative design.

Nyathi said the event was a success considering that last yeara��s competition had only 30 competitors from two wards of the Matobo District and this year there were more than 400 competitors from nine districts.

a�?From this yeara��s response it shows that women are now realising their talents can earn them money for a living,a�? said Nyathi

The Amagugu Heritage director Pathisa Nyathi also alluded to the importance of the creative industry.

a�?We are trying to make the Matobo people culturally relevant. Culture should put food on the table for those practising it. Ita��s also another way of making the elderly people economically productive,a�? said Nyathi.