MAKANANELO RAPULENG

MAKANANELO RAPULENG

I had apprehensions about writing about myself as I thought my story was going to be read in front of other people in the room. I asked those who came in before I did and they told me that my story will be looked at in Maseru. I then got free to relate my story. I started in 2014. I was able to attend all three sessions of the training. The training was important to me as from it I acquired confidence and to stand firm in all my plans. All issues that I have been trained on have been of great importance both for me and my family.

I had a great challenge of people who were discouraging me, asking what I was going to gain from the training. I fought this challenge; taking solace in the fact that my husband supported me anyway, and therefore I didn’t care what other people said. I knew I had gone for this training to learn more about business so that my life could change for the better.

Before I joined the training I had nothing to do. I was just waiting on my husband to bring food into the house; and at times it would be pretty bad. I’m so proud of myself as it is now; no longer looking upon my husband to do everything. We assist each other now; and I’m so thinking ahead and was able to establish a small cafeteria. The training helped me a great deal. I’m like other women now, and there’s also noticeable change in my family.

My Community Council has not helped me in any way so far.The family helped me very much when I went for this training. My sister-in-law encouraged me to go for this training and was also able to look after my child when I was at the training.

I suffered some element of abuse at the hands of my husband, which would, I guess, affect our children.

There is a change. We are now living in harmony and I know where he is. Even when we talk over the phone it becomes very evident that it is a couple talking. Even my eldest son is comparatively free.

The change in my life has been effected by Gender Links. Some think that I’m not telling truth about this fact; and that Gender Links is offering me some financial reward. We have changed a great deal. So much so my neighbours think I’ve given my husband some muti to get soft on me. There’s absolute peace prevailing in my family. There is change especially by Gender Links through its trainings. There’s been change in other people’s lives. They had an urge to go into business like me.

The community notice the change in me; as I’ve been staying with them in the same village and they’ve been joining societies without saying anything to me. They are now coming to me to ask me to join their societies. I have told my husband about this and he is also urging me to join the societies and that he will pay for me.

I have learnt that perseverance is the mother of success; otherwise I would not be staying with my husband. In business I have self-worth and confidence. I am also thinking towards selling clothing in my village, and my husband promised to assist me.

I am hoping to have erected my own house by 2030, and that I would have been able to take my children to school. I loved school very much, but due to financial constraints I was not able to go far. My recommendation is that Gender Links should step back a little, and take some of the women I live with in the village and train them. Then we can be able to win the battle against abuse.