South Africa: *Mary

When I joined the Gender Links training I was a member of the ward committee.  I joined the Gender Links programme last year and attended all three phases, most of which were very helpful. Educating us on entrepreneurship and being able to take charge of our lives and manage a business was very helpful.

My biggest challenge was that I was unemployed for years but now I started a business of food gardening. I was just a house wife and now I am involved in the projects that are happening in my community. I am now able to put food on the table for my children and I have more confidence in myself and the future looks brighter than before. I am hoping I will succeed in my business.

The training has helped me a lot to be where I am today. And the council has assisted me by give our community a small piece of land where we grow our vegetables. I was experiencing physical and emotional abuse from my husband but now things are better than before although I wish we could live in peace in my house and that he would treat me as his equal partner.

I have seen a lot of change in my community, the way the community is seeing the change in me. Before I was just a house wife who was sitting at home waiting for the husband to come back from work to abuse me and I am taking charge of my life. I am my own woman now. And by doing so have I influence about 20 women and men in my community to join me in the food gardening project at least we are not having nothing to do, now we have food for our families and we also sell.