Self-image

“I would like to thank Gender Links for the work that has been done in empowering women with business skills, not only in Mandlakazi, but also in other councils. Although I recognise what GL has done and is still doing, I encourage GL to extend the programme for more councils because, based on my experience, there are many women out there who need to be trained in order to grow socially and economically. GL should continue training, monitoring and evaluating as it is doing now to see and listen to the changes happening in women’s lives”.

During these workshops she learnt a lot about gender based violence and as we speak she is aware and assertive about issues of gender and human rights. It was unbelievable, but with grace she won the battle and even now quite a number of women ask her how she managed to survive that abusive relationship. She is always delighted to testify how GL helped her out of that miserable life. She is now a self-assured woman with dignity, all because of GL and she constantly provides guidance to these women on issues around fighting GBV at both a personal and community level. Currently the women consider her as their role model and some of them now live positive lives, free from GBV.

“My life has really changed, so much so that I am able to encourage other women to change their lives. I have been sharing the knowledge I gained from Gender Links about business plans and how they work with the women from the community. With this knowledge I was encouraged to go out there and ask for funds from the government to start my business. I have gained high self-esteem and that makes me believe in everything I doÀ says Olebile Moesi from Serowe in Botswana.

“During our first training with Gender Links, we were encouraged to share our experiences as a way of healing. One woman told us her experience, it was very touching and funny because she said her husband would beat her for allowing her parents to visit them but when the parents were there he acted as if everything was fine and he complained to them about not visiting. This made me realise that my life’s challenges were not as bad as I learnt that other people are more abused, especially by their boyfriends or husbands. Money is always the main cause of this,À says Kelebogile.

When she finished her entrepreneurship training, she met different people who were abused and some believed that drinking alcohol was a solution. She shared with them her experiences and how she got help and she also shared with them the knowledge she gained from Gender Links. She saw a lot of change in some of them because they stopped drinking and they are getting help from social workers. She is helping others to learn how to do beading because that is the business she is currently doing.

“My journey with Gender Links was quite interesting. I met them through a neighbour; she was very worried about how much alcohol I drank. She told me about the workshops that were to be hosted by Gender Links. Previously I attended counselling at Lesedi Counselling Centre but I was not committed, I attended Gender Links training just to see if it was interesting. During this training they talked about the dangers of alcohol abuse. I was motivated and felt encouraged to change my life. In 2014 I decided to take action and change my life. I stopped going out drinking with the group of girls I used to hang out with. I have learnt quite a lot from the training so I decided to stop drinking and start building a brighter future for myself,À Thapelo confides.

The first time I was called to attend a workshop with Gender Links I was shocked and happy at the same time because I had never heard about this programme. I thought that it was only for people living with HIV and AIDS. Since then I have become a young woman who is a pillar of strength who managed to escape from an abusive marriage. So many women are in abusive marriages like me and I have helped many of them through sharing experiences and advising as I was encouraged to do by Gender Links. Mostly I advise the women to seek help because am not trained to give advice. Although some criticised me saying that I am a failure in my marriage, I am still standing proud and happy

I started the entrepreneurship programme in 2014 at Good Hope and I attended all the phases of training starting with “IÀ stories workshop. My best moment was when I took part in the Botswana national summit in Gaborone where I represented my council Good Hope. I came second in the existing business category. It was very exciting and it was my best moment. I also remember the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Rre Batshu, who awarded the prizes, saying he would like to do his hair at my salon and everyone laughed.

I have learnt that many women are abused and I also learnt a lot from Gender Links about abuse. I encouraged women from our community in Good Hope who can do hairdressing to form a group of three and we opened a salon. With the knowledge gained from Gender Links I taught them about record keeping, budgeting, management skills and how to handle money. I also taught women who were interested in learning how to do hairdressing. Since we started from nothing I have done everything in my power to keep the profit and use it for growing the business.

The day Chipo Makoni met Gender Links (GL) in 2013 marked the genesis of a violence free life. She was trained to become a successful business woman and be able to compete in a world dominated by men. The skills she attained helped her to stop relying on her husband for survival. Before she met GL she was a victim of a hand to mouth scenario as she lacked the basic knowledge on savings and budgeting. Lack of basic knowledge on how to manage income and expenditure forced her to live like a slave as she was forced to beg from her husband on a daily basis. Whenever she begged him for money he took it as an opportunity to insult or assault her. Her partner viewed her as a useless mother of female children whom he did not have care for.

Ms. RAMININA is among those who have been chosen by a representative of the municipality of Ambatondrazaka, Ms. RASOAMANIRY, to participate in the entrepreneurship training proposed by Gender Links (GL) in 2014. She was present at the different stages of training except phase three during which she gave birth to a stillborn baby. Despite this tragedy, she wanted to follow the fourth and final stage to finish properly what she had started.

Lucia Zulu had always been an entrepreneur but had nothing to show for it because there was no remarkable progress as far as the business was concerned. Each time the business generated profits she would spend the money without keeping a capital reserve. Consequently, her business was on and off because, after misusing the funds, she had to go back to square one and borrow capital in order to get back into business. She had no bank account to keep her money safe.

On the first day of the entrepreneurship workshop I was quite stressed. I had left my sick daughter at home and it was the first time that I would be attending a workshop so I was not sure what to expect. I was feeling nervous as my thoughts were still back home with my daughter, despite being physically present at the training. But I am glad I stayed. Had I not stayed, I would have missed the time of my life.

As an existing entrepreneur Jasmin has set an example; she has proved to be a very courageous woman and is making her way in the entrepreneurship field. Jasmin explains that her most memorable experience with Gender Links (GL) was attending the Regional Summit 2015 in Botswana. This was Jasmin’s first ever trip to a foreign country and she has learnt a lot from the other participants at the Summit. Jasmin explains that the summit experience has helped her to grow in her business and in her personal development.