Zimbabwe – Tecla Hove

“The ongoing journey to community leadership.”  

Tecla Hove views the encounter with Gender Links (GL) as a fortunate incident that came too late in her life. She always prays to God to give her the ability to turn around the hands of time and make her younger so that she will start applying the knowledge she no has and change her history. She is always grateful to the Zvimba RDC Gender Focal Person who identified her and offered her an opportunity to participate in the Entrepreneurship programme.  

Hove is a widow who suffered violence in the hands of her late husband. She is always ready to narrate how her late husband took another wife into her matrimonial home while she was at her home village attending his brother’s funeral. After returning from the funeral she failed to reclaim her house and she was left homeless. All properties including cattle and furniture were forcibly taken away from her and sold by the husband and the second wife. 

She endured the pain of living under the scorching sun and cold weather for a short period of time and returned back to her parents’ home. Hove arrived at her parents’ home empty handed because even the children she carried for nine months in her womb were forcibly taken away from her. Since that day she lived life like a pauper. GL came to her rescue and equipped her with entrepreneurship sills. 

“I attended all phases of the training where l benefited relevant skills on how to start a business and how to run it. Everything l learnt from the three phases of the GL training was very useful in my personal life and in my business. In the first training l was taught how to present a business plan which l did whole heartedly for l was made to understand that it is the only route to success in business. I followed all the instructions which were given and I drafted and submitted my business plan which l am using today,” said Hove. 

After the first training Hove started selling fish in her community. She quickly introduced barter trade after realising that there were cash challenges in her community. The maize grain she acquired from selling fish was sold and used in introducing a new product that is clothing.   

“I managed to save US $200 from my fish business which l then used to start a flea market. My children also played a pivotal role in the expansion of the clothing business because they were bringing second hand clothes from Mozambique.  

Hove’s flea market business flourished and she became a successful business woman. After the entrepreneurship backstopping stage she joined a cooperative that specialises in selling hardware roducts ranging from building materials and agricultural inputs.  

“I am currently taking care of 17 grand children who are still at school going age without any challenges. I recently bought 6 cows and I am living a decent life,” she boasted. 

Hove’s life has changed dramatically and the situation changed the way she relates with close relatives. Those close to her who are witnesses to what transpired in her life now view her differently. They accorded her the “financial adviser” status and she is efficiently discharging that duty within her family circles.  

After assuming the new status in society as a business woman she recently contested in the primary elections to be elected a ward councilor. She lost the election but she is determined to continue working hard until she won. 

“I lost in the primary elections for the ward councilor but the experience taught me a good lesson. I now know how to do it better and I am convinced that during the next election I will win,” said Hove.