Namibia: *Laurencia

My name is Laurencia; 70 years  old women and i was born here  at Berseba village by  a single mother of two children. I joined Gender links entrepreneurship  workshops in the year 2012 and I could not miss all the workshops I was invited to because I found them every useful to my personal growth and the fact that I did not have to pay for these important information. I have never attended a workshop where you are provided with transport money to and fr the venue of the workshop. we were given food during the course of the workshop.

Because now I have confidence, I am now more involved in community development today I am free, active and happy in all activities. It changed my attitude and my living standard. The Councilor assists us with fundraising when we had a beauty contest in our community to keep us busy and entertained.

My husband used to abuse me  physical and emotional, there was no peace in my house and now we live in harmony. I feel like me attending the workshops has help in the situation in my house. He respect me more now because I am a business women now, I also put food on the table for the family. I know longer depend/rely on him. I started a business after attending the Gender Links workshop, whatever we were taught I managed ti put it in practice and it is working well for my business. I have started a business of selling ready made products, which is going well and hoping to see it grow.

My advice to my fellow young women is to start working for themselves, be independent, open your own business and be your own boss and men in your life will respect knowing that you don’t need him and they won’t in a position of being abused. My vision for 2030 is reducing gender base violence, zero infection zero aids  community.