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which they accuse of fleecing them of their cash under the guise of empowering them.
The 20 women who feel hard done by the NGO, Community Health Empowerment Network based in Harare, claim they were duped of their money.
A woman who spoke on condition of anonymity yesterday said the money they had paid so far for opening bank accounts, doing a course and submitting project proposals was close to $75.
She said they did the course in April last year and had not heard from the NGO ever since. The NGO was conducting lessons in business skills that last for 45 minutes to an hour and cost $25.
“Indaba le ingizwisa ubuhlungu bhudi. We paid $25 to do the course and we were told that when we graduate we would receive a grant from a donor to fund our projects,” she said.
Her “business partner” who also spoke on condition of anonymity said they were told to come up with project proposals so that the NGO could source the money from a foreign donor.
“We paid a further $15 for the project proposals. Furthermore, we were told to give them all our project proposals and they would combine them into one. We questioned how they would do that as we had different projects and they said they could do it so that it would benefit all of us,” she said.
She added that the NGO forced them to open a bank account at a local bank where to open an individual account is $200 while a company account is $500.
“We opened an account and contributed $25 each for a company account. Imagine the time we have waited from April until now, we need answers,” she said.
However, the executive director of the NGO, Mrs Tebitha Kambiro, said her NGO had nothing to do with what was alleged.
She said she had heard about the issue and the women were probably conned.
“I heard rumours about that. Last year, I had to come personally to attend the graduation of the women to show that the NGO was legitimate,” Mrs Kambiro said.
She urged all those who had been conned under the name of her NGO to call her and she would come to Bulawayo and find an amicable solution to their problem.
“They can contact me on the following cell 0772 282 104 and I will try to help them,” Mrs Kambiro said.
She said there were two co-ordinators in the city who were responsible for teaching women.
Online Reporter