Over 500 women, girls set to graduate

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter

The first group of over 500 vulnerable women and girls from Epworth, who were enrolled for various programmes by the Zimbabwe Open University in partnership with the Angel of Hope Foundation, is expected to graduate in November as the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa’s initiative continues to garner interest in local communities.

The sprawling settlement of Epworth is infamous for vices like prostitution and drug and alcohol abuse, and the First Lady decided to start the programme to help the residents overcome them.

Over 3 000 women, girls, people with disabilities and orphans, among other disadvantaged groups, are expected to be empowered with skills to create self-sustainable livelihoods.

Lessons began in earnest on October 1, and currently, three programmes are running while three more will commence next week.

The entrepreneurship and business enterprise development programme in the Faculty of Commerce has raised a lot of interest with more than 150 taking the course. Other programmes include the Early Childhood Development (ECD) and the programme under the faculty of Agriculture.

The Epworth local board has come on board to provide the facilities where learners are doing their lessons.

Beneficiaries of the free university courses expressed their gratitude to Amai Mnangagwa for affording them the chance to get skills that will help them change their lives for the better.

Sex workers, who were part of those targeted by the initiative, said they were willing to leave the oldest profession to start businesses which would earn them a decent living.

“I am thankful for Amai’s programme which has given me a chance to get the knowledge of how to start a business and to know how to run that business once I have it. Before this, I was a sex worker working in the Avenues area and I am hoping that some of my colleagues who are in the same trade will get into the programme so that we can start our own businesses and be better people. 

“I encourage other sex workers out there to come and take advantage of the opportunity to learn and change their lives,” said one of the beneficiaries who preferred anonymity.

People with disabilities were among the beneficiaries and they hailed the programme. Said Mr Douglas Matatani (53): “I am grateful that I could participate in this programme that was introduced by the First Lady to uplift the lives of women, girls and other vulnerable people living here in Epworth. 

“This is a good initiative which has given us the life skills. I am doing entrepreneurship, which teaches us how to grow our businesses so that they can help our community develop. I am into mushroom farming and I hope to be able to grow and sustain my business so that I can employ other people as well.”

The initiative has been inclusive, gaining the interest of both young and participants as old as 70.

Ms Violet Mandigora, one of the young students, said entrepreneurship thrives when individuals approach business with an open mind to be able to develop themselves and the economy of the country.

Mrs Emma Makaza (55) said the programme had given her a chance to get university education, which would not have been possible without the First Lady.

Mrs Miriam Moyo said the programme had given them a chance to make a decent living for themselves and their grandchildren. “We run a catering business as groups with other ladies and we have learnt how we can make our business thrive. 

“Such ventures will rebuild Epworth which had all but died but because of the initiative by the First Lady, we hope to see it grow,” she said. 

Zimbabwe Open University faculty of Commerce coordinator, Dr Gerald Munyoro, said the overwhelming response to the entrepreneurship programme showed that many people were keen to start their own businesses.

“The modules we offer for this programme were tailor-made to meet all the expectations of a business person. We did not structure it for small businesses because we realised that businesses have not been growing due to this small business mentality and they were not meeting the standards. 

“Amai identified these people and they are now ready to start their business. We have some who are already running businesses and they have the potential to become big businesses so we are teaching them to think outside the box and come up with businesses that can last and make sure they look after their families and also grow the economy,” he said.

Dr Eurita Nyamanhare, director in the Vice Chancellor’s Office, said some of the students had already expressed interest in furthering their studies to get diplomas and even degrees.

“Students are coming in of various ages, qualifications and some are even coming with their children and all are engaged in what is happening. 

“ZOU has indicated that it will have more intakes after the first group graduates. We will not leave Epworth before reaching out to everyone in the community so those who did not make it in this intake will be considered in the next,” she said.

She said the Epworth programme, which is in line with Education 5.0 policy where one of the pillars is community engagement, was a pilot project in preparation of launching the initiative in all 10 provinces across Zimbabwe.

“We have brought the education to the people to demystify the myth that university education for the selected few. We want them to know that it is for all,” said Dr Nyamanhete.