Women groups receive training

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
CLOSE to 100 women drawn from 11 empowerment groups in Hwange and Victoria Falls have received training on self-help projects.

The projects include detergents, drinks and floor polish making with a view to empowering them to become self-reliant.

On Tuesday, 86 of them went through a refresher course named “Lebeleka nhukaji” in Victoria Falls.

The training programme was being conducted by a Hwange-based talk show host Ms Patience Kashiri in partnership with an organisation called Progressive African Youth Network (Payn) and the Government.

Trainers were from Payn and the Ministries of Industry and Commerce, and Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development.

Those who have been trained make juices, floor polish and detergents which they sell to the public in line with the Government’s empowerment programme meant to empower small and medium enterprises.

There are calls for women groups to standardise their products as well as register as co-operatives or companies.

Speaking on the sidelines of the training at Chinotimba Community Hall recently, Ms Kashiri said she uses talk shows to promote women empowerment, both economically and socially.

“I have been having talk shows in Hwange and now we are spreading around the district through the programme Lebeleka nhukaji (Speak out Women).

“Our aim is to reduce gender based violence and sexual abuse and we are glad that women and youths are embracing opportunities,” she said.

Ms Kashiri, who uses her own funds to capacitate women, noted that women in Matabeleland North were facing challenges of access to capital to start projects.

Speaking on behalf of the groups, Ms Annete Sithole appealed to local authorities to allocate women groups land to operate from.

At present, they make their products from their homes.

“We have 11 groups now which are meant to empower women and now that we have received training we know we can expand,” she said.

A district officer from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Mr Innocent Ncube encouraged women to take up opportunities availed to them by Government and its partners.

He encouraged women groups to register as co-operatives and also to open bank accounts especially with the Women’s Bank to be able to access loans to finance their businesses.

Mr Ncube said the Government was elated that women were taking up empowerment programmes.

Some of the women’s self-help groups include Hands Together, Together as one, M and T Investment and Women of Virtue. — @ncubeleon.