Botswana: Keitumetsi Melato

During the workshop I attended I have realized that in life there is gender based violence, even though I did not realize that I am being abused. I was abused by my boyfriend who was constantly beating me and abusing me sexually.

I met Gender Links people in 2013, and attended all the entrepreneurship workshops. I saw it was necessary for me to attend these workshops as I did not know anything about abuse. All the lesson learned were of importance because they were related to what was happening in my life.

The challenges I met was to learn how to do business plan. I went to V.D.C to inquire about business that I can run.  I was selling some hot dogs during the night at the bars, but because I did not properly use the money I a now not doing anything. Gender Links have taught me a lot about business and how it is run. Council has helped me with paying my child school fees.

I was abused by my boyfriend, and I left him. I have a new boyfriend who does not abuse me. We can distance ourselves from abuse by opening our businesses. I intend to go and teach other people that abuse is real. People are now seeing the difference in me because I can now visit people at the homes teaching them about abuse.

I have learned about how I can start my own business, and also to visit place like CEDA, LEA, Youth, Poverty eradication and others.

I would like to see myself having opened my own business, so that I can feed both myself and my family. I would like to see my business grow, having a big house of my choice. If it was not for Gender Links I Could not be where I am. Thank you very much Gender Links. May God Bless you.