SA: Avhasei Netsitangani

“Being empowered is not only me who gain but my whole family and my community”  

I started with the training from August 2013, when we were writing our stories, since we started getting help from TVEP. We wrote our stories and submit them to Gender Links.

Since we started I have learned a lot from Phase one, two and three. I learned about how to start a business, how to use computer for business, how to write a business plan, how to involved in the tender business, and there is no specific work for men that woman cannot do. 

Most of what I have learned I have implemented because I started my own business and is registered even thou there are some small things that I need to finalized, I wrote my business plan. I have a land that I plough my veggies and cell them. 

In August 2015 we started with writing our stories on what happened to my life. I attended all the three courses. Those courses have helped me a lot, I have learned not to say yes to things that are not good. All the courses were important to me because I know about the marketing and pricing and are helping me on my business.  

My challenge was self-esteem because I did not have self-confidence at all, until I joined the group and we help each other as a group and give each other advice as to how others are doing it on their business. By learning from others I was able to overcome all the problems. 

Before I started with the training there was nothing that I was doing, but now I’m in the business field. I cell veggies and Tupperware’s, I’m also staring another business. I’m where I am today because of the trainings, before I did not even care about myself. Now I’m a responsible person and I know my rights. 

I’m where I am today with the help of TVEP and Gender Links, I never get any help from the Government councillor or any government structure. There was come women who stated cleaning people’s houses and windows, those women has encourages me a lot, and women at church who were encouraging me on how to develop myself. 

Before I started those trainings I was experiencing violence from my husband and my mother and sisters in-law. Now my husband is no longer abusing me, it only left with my in-laws. There are a lot of changes now because now I’m empowered and I can buy what I want for myself. I don’t talk much with my in – laws, when they start fighting me I just keep quit. If my husband is angry with me I just wait for him to calm down and then talk to him. This days my husband can also sit down with me and tell me what he is planning to do with the money and we agreed together.  

There is a relationship between economic empowerment and reducing Gender Based Violence, because if you become independent financially you earn the respect from the people you stay with. There are changes because now I can help my neighbours if they are crying about the abuse by their in-laws. I talk to them through my experience and I share with them how I overcome all the problems that I was going through.  

I have change because I can be with people, sit with them and build each other. I can cow stand in front of women at church and preach without shivering. There is change even thou I can’t law, policies and practices, but I give advice to other people that if they are being beaten they can go to the police and report. 

I have learned that there is no one who deserves to be abused, people must be empowered, work for themselves so that they may be respected and stop all types of abuse. I’m going to work more on my business, I want to see my business running in three coming month. I want to have all the electricity appliances, workers and my own place for selling electricity.  

I want to be a well-known business women around the world, with four business places in different areas. I thank Gender Links, I wish if they continue working with us until we get the funders to start our own business.