Mauritius: *Marlene

I can best describe my one week experience at the Gender Links training in 2014 as simply memorable. It brought considerable change to my personality. I was a very introvert individual. I had quite important impediments to open up to people. I was in fact scared to speak to people in general. After the training, I realised that I have the ability to express myself just like anyone does. I considered this course as an opportunity to assert myself. I had a very troublesome childhood. All this time up to the training, the painful memories and trauma of my childhood was to some extent stuck within me. I was very disturbed morally by my past. Attending this training enabled me to meet people in an environment where we were taught our self-worth. It helped me overcome my pain since I finally felt ready to share it with other people.

I was very enthusiastic to attend the sessions the whole week. The prime lesson I learned was how to become an independent women. Being able to be your own support is very important because we cannot always rely on others. I started working as a babysitter when I was fourteen years old up to the age of sixteen. At eighteen I married my current husband and lived as a housewife until very recently. After my training I started to work with my sister-in-law who owns a snack. Being a working woman helped me to assert myself and overcome shyness. I can now share my life experiences with others. It is a great achievement for me because I was not able to do that before the training.

I have not started my own business yet but I have the strong intention to become an entrepreneur as soon as my financial and overall circumstances become stable enough. It may take some time to gather the sum of money required given that I did not receive any financial help. I do not want to take a loan from the bank, I prefer to wait as much as necessary to save the needed amount. I aspire to start a food business because I love cooking and currently work in a snack. I am learning all the aspects of the job from my sister-in-law. Before the training I did not understand financial basics at all. I had no notion of how to keep count of how much money is earned and spent. However it was not really challenging for me to start working because I am strong willed, love what I do and have a supportive husband.

My husband is neither physically nor verbally violent but it was difficult for both of us to have a normal and peaceful conversation. There was always some kind of tension during the dialogue. Since I started working and became more assertive, his opinion and behaviour changed.

He nowshows more respect towards me and is developing the tendency to treat me as his equal. My family is proud of my decision to start working, they are happy about the fact that I have become ambitious and that I have goals. I am confident that I will indeed succeed to set up and manage my food business. I am aware that I will have to work hard for myself and my family.My dream is to see my sons grow and aspire to join me in business. I wish to be able to help others by creating jobs in my enterprise and by extension expand my business as much as possible. I also wish and believe that God will help me in my endeavors.