Productive resources

Rebabonye Amos – Botswana

Rebabonye Amos – Botswana

I was very blessed to have encountered Gender Links, I had the opportunity to represent Bobonong at the national summit. That was the best moment of my life as it was the first time I had taken part in that competition. Even though I did not win, I received a certificate for taking part. It was also the first time that I slept in a hotel and got a chance to meet a Minister of labour and home affairs, Rre Bantshu. But most of all, I loved the way I was treated by Gender Links staff who gave me the opportunity to talk about my business in front of people.

I have helped a friend from my home village, Bobonong, and shared with her the knowledge I received from Gender Links to teach her how to make polish, which is the project on which I am currently working. Her wish is that when she is financially stable she could join my project and work with me. She makes an effort by contributing towards paraffin and candles for me to teach her and then we divide the polish and sell it. I have given speeches at different workshops and at poverty eradication, school and ward meetings. This was done to motivate and educate people about gender based violence and encourage women to be entrepreneurs. When I move around the shops I tell people about my polish to try and advertise it. This helps as people end up placing orders to buy the polish. People are really shocked and amazed that I talk freely about my life in front of people, and it really shows how I have accepted my life and have now moved on.

June 20, 2016 Themes: Economics | Gender based violence Programs: Entrepreneurship

Nyaradzo Masamba – Zimbabwe

Nyaradzo Masamba – Zimbabwe

Masamba joined GL in July 2014 after being introduced by Zvimba Rural District Council. She enrolled in the entrepreneurship training and was equipped with relevant business skills. The training taught her about all forms of GBV and how to fight domestic violence. Before the training she was thinking that she should focus on just forgetting her past experience of GBV. Later on she discovered that the only way to bury the past and continue with life is through occupying your mind with productive things.

Sithembile Ndlangamandla – Swaziland

Sithembile attended all of the stages of the entrepreneurship programme and was one of the most active participants during the training. She shared her “IÀ story with the group and had a small business of her own, operating it from her house. When she spoke she emphasised the tendency of women to be financially dependent on their spouses and this perpetuates gender violence at household level. She stresses that women should be empowered to be their own bosses.

June 2, 2016 Themes: Economic violence Programs: Entrepreneurship

Saima Shivolo – Namibia

Saima Shivolo – Namibia

Saima Shivolo, a resident of Oshikuku, originally from Umbalanhu village in the Omusati region, was married for three years and is a mother of six with four other children in her care. Although she is employed as a police officer, her monthly income could not sustain her monthly expenses like taking care of the children, paying their school fees and making sure there is bread on the table. Thus she opened a restaurant in Oshikuku to feed her community members and visitors, because she saw the need for cooked food in her area.

April 7, 2016 Themes: Business Programs: Entrepreneurship

Francisca Machayasimbi – Zimbabwe

Francisca Machayasimbi – Zimbabwe

Gender Links (GL) encouraged Francisca Machayasimbi to work hard and have the leverage to take care of herself. She responded positively and stopped relying on other people for survival. The decision she took saw her escaping from the abuse that was deeply rooted in her reliance on her husband for survival. She vividly recalled how she used to yearn for good food and trendy clothes but lacked the capacity to afford them. The training empowered her and she can now afford anything that she desires.

December 17, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Alvene Rhoode – South Africa

Alvene Rhoode – South Africa

Alvene Rhoode is a driver of change in a big way as she managed to walk away from the abuse and is now taking charge of her life. She says, “My most memorable moment was doing the initial I-stories with Gender Links with the support of the Mossel Bay council.À Following the initial I-story sessions, two years later she provided the logistical arrangements in Mossel Bay for the FLOW follow up sessions. Accommodation was booked at one of the hotels at which she now works. As part of the planning, she did the time table schedule and programme for the duration of the follow up sessions. Sadly, she could not join the follow up I-story focus group workshop, however, she did agree to do a driver of change interview and provide insightful feedback. Alvene was able to deal with the abuse and face it.

December 17, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Loveness Gandawa – Zimbabwe

Loveness Gandawa began a poultry project in 2012. She started with a production capacity of 50 birds per six weeks. She later increased the capacity to 100 birds in 2013. The upgrading of the business coincided with her encounter with Gender Links (GL). She invested the money she received as an honorarium for attending the workshop into the business and she increased the production capacity to 150 birds. The profit she realised after selling chickens enabled her to venture into cross border trading. She started purchasing clothing material and footwear from South Africa, Zambia and Botswana for resale in Zimbabwe.

December 9, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Thato Ntelekoa – Lesotho

Thato Ntelekoa – Lesotho

The beneficiary’s most memorable experience with Gender Links (GL) was being accepted for who she was. This was her first worry when she attended the “IÀ story meeting where she had to sit down and write her story. She said she was worried that she would be forced to pretend to be someone else for the sake of avoiding having questions asked, but to her surprise the GL team was very nice and welcomed her warmly

December 9, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Mathabo Mosese – Lesotho

Mathabo Mosese – Lesotho

My name is Mathabo Mosese and I am married with one child. My husband used to work at the mines and I had always been depended on him as I stayed at home and raised his child, so I did not go out to work as I was a house wife. As a result I did not have all those ideas that women have, especially single parents. Little did I know that my husband was going to change and I would have to go out and work for my child? My husband stopped coming home and supporting me financially, I was so frustrated because I was not used to such life. One day my councillor mentioned that GL wanted to train women survivors of gender based violence (GBV). I was very reluctant to go, but I thought I should go as it may do some good and give me new ideas.

December 9, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Maria Mboene – Mozambique

Maria Mboene – Mozambique

Maria Mboene is a woman who suffered verbal violence from her husband because she grew up believing that once a woman is married she has to respect and stay with the husband no matter what happens in the house. She did know about her rights, she could not do anything but stay at home suffering in silence.

In 1983 her husband left her with six children to take care of. From that moment Maria had to choose between getting another man to sustain her and her kids and finding a way to survive by herself. Because she did not want to go through all the things she had been through with her former husband, she chose to start a business

December 9, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Itai Makara – Zimbabwe

Itai Makara is a beneficiary of the entrepreneurship programme who resides in Tshovani Township in Chiredzi. Before her encounter with Gender Links (GL) she used to be a person who could not distinguish between right and wrong. She said that her status was a result of the lack of relevant knowledge and a clearly defined direction. She found it very difficult to be independent when it came to making important decisions. This was largely because she lacked confidence.

December 9, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship

Elizabeth Visagie – South Africa

I am still not sure why Juliana and Ntombi of Gender Links (GL) want to do this profile about me; I feel so shy right now, but if I am honest I am also feeling confident and happy with myself. I feel this way because I have had to deal with a lot in my life and it has not been at all easy.

I am not originally from Matzikama; I am from Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo. I came to live here when I was a young woman and I met my husband here. When I met my husband I was a very confident young woman and even though I was not educated I was very smart. We got married and had our children, then shortly after the birth of our second child the problems started. I think that was also the time when I had wanted to go back to school to finish my studies as I had left school early to help my family.

December 9, 2015 Programs: Entrepreneurship