eSwatini: Sibongile Nhlabatsi

Date: September 9, 2019

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Name	Sibongile
Surname	Nhlabatsi
Country	Swaziland
Give a short history of the leader	I started as a caregiver in 2008 for Mangwaneni community cooking for beneficiaries and in 2017 I was elected as a Social centre supervisor for Mangwaneni, Mabovini and Mankayane town social centres. One of Gender links employees visited the AMICAALL office for a gender equality workshop and that is how I got involved in gender work.
Objectives	To ensure that vulnerable families are taken care of on daily basis by ensuring that they get at least one balanced meal a day.
Key activities	-To cook for social centre beneficiaries – To teach beneficiaries life skills like growing vegetables on backyard gardens as well as in their homes – Teaching preschool children from ages 0 to 5 years – Caring for the sick at Mangwaneni community
Key challenges	My organization is male dominated so it sometimes hard for the female voice to be heard.
Results
Change at the individual level	At first I was shy to disclose my problems with people, but now I confident to share any bad experience I’ve had with anyone I feel comfortable with. Being a caregiver has brought change in my life.
Evidence of change at the individual level	Your motivation has changed my life as well as my family’s for the better, now more people from the community come in large numbers to buy the sweets, chips and biscuits that we are selling. These quote came from Celiwe Dlamini, who is now a Mangwaneni caregiver.
Change at the household level	All my family members both male and female now fully understand that we are all equal and involve themselves in all duties done.
Evidence of change at the household level	One of my boys has managed to go for a catering and decoration course. “I am now able to earn a living through your advice to go for the catering and decoration courses you advised me to go for,” said Ncamiso Dlamini who is my son.
Change at institutional level	As I started working in this institution in 2008, I have seen a huge change in terms of gender equality as more females have been employed including the accountant Lunga Malinga.
Evidence of change at institutional level	As I started working in this institution in 2008, I have seen a huge change in terms of gender equality as more females have been employed including the accountant Lunga Malinga.
Change at a policy level	I have seen more females being employed.
Evidence of change at a policy level	Municipalty AIDS Programme manager Khanyisile Mamba is a female.
Capacity building	I have attended up to 20 trainings including gender mainstreaming , early childhood development, TB and AIDS training and other health related programmes.
Lessons learned and shared	Fighting for equal rights, gender equality, social and economic development and entrepreneurship.
Next Steps	Empowering local women to own and register their own businesses and advocate for women, children as well as people living with disability for equal rights and continue to serve the local neighbourhood carepoints/social centres.