RANAIVOSONINA Verosoa Patricia

This is the first time I have the opportunity to talk about what I have suffered. I have told my former friend or my husband, but none could heal my heartbreak except Gender Links, for which I thank God; and I still pray God that some woman will meet you in the same way as me. It is a great pleasure for me to be with Gender Links and to convince other women who are still suffering from domestic violence.

It was in June 2014 that I learned that women can do what men do; this is not about natural differences but indeed there is no job that is exclusively for men and women can take responsibility and decide too; yet one has to be self-confident in order to reach the goal, that is, to take charge of one’s livelihood and not to depend on other people. I really suffered from violence of all sorts in the past as either my husband, or the neighbours and even my family shunned me, gossiped about me, scorned me; when the household was running out of something, I would knock at the door of the neighbours to borrow rice or money; my husband would always grumble when I ran out of money and asked for help from him; he would reply “spent it all already?” And all the while, I was using everything very sparingly!!! But that was in the past!!

The Lord said: “Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase. » (Job 8: 7)World English Bible

During the first training I attended in Manjakandriana, the instructors advised us not to waste money (secondhand clothes, trinkets, etc) but use it on something that would last.

Anyway I was not keen on those things as I was used to life with a large family! So I bought two chickens. When we were paid our travel allowance on the following training I bought some again, and I went on doing that. In the first story, I suffered from some violence as my mother-in-law did not want me to use contraceptives; she died in 2012 and I was taken on as a health outreach agent and selected as a member of the committee against domestic violence.

Here in Manjakandriana, the COSAN[1] was set up as a committee dealing with domestic violence by the mayor, Mrs Eva RAVALORIAKA; I then realized that quarrels between husbands and wives, child abuse, rape are all cases of violence. I did not know that the main cause of domestic violence is the woman’s inability to think of ways and means of finding some work for herself: it is not an office work only that enables you to earn your living but the capacity to think out some activity that can generate an income; that is what we have learnt during the training and it is a powerful means for stopping domestic violence.

I found it difficult to select the work I was going to do during the training session because I had already been thinking of setting up a kindergarten in Manjakandriana; but that was beyond my means as it requires a lot of money immediately; that is why I chose to farm free-range chickens. I did that before but it was only a matter of letting the birds out in the morning and getting them in at the end of the day; but now they are cared for, monitored and vaccinated. And it is quite successful!

I no longer need to borrow money now as I can manage on my own; to prove it, I have money at the BOA bank. Mrs Eva made each one of the trainees open a bank account. I took it very seriously so the day after she told us that during the training session, I was the first to be at the BOA bank the following day. That was the first time in my life and I thank Madame le Maire for that. I was told at the bank that even if I deposited 1 Ariary every hour, I would be welcome at the bank.

I took part in the competition and was among those selected to travel to Botswana. I tell you that the travel allowance I had then allowed me to boost my activity: I bought a male duck and two Pomeranian ducks, and now I already have 7 ducklings, another duck that is laying eggs to hatch.

Still about the Botswana competition, I was again paid a travel allowance that I used to buy two pigs but one died on the way home and I am left with one only.

You may think “why not focus on chickens only!” Well! All the newly-hatched chicks died in July. I have not decided to stop chicken farming but I intend to improve the farming first with ducks and pigs, because they can sell very quickly. When something does not work, one has to think: what is required is result, there is no need to keep doing one activity if it does not bring in any profit.

That is a lesson learnt from the training, in case you are surprised when reading my life story.

The community and the family too, observe my life after the trips to Botswana: I am quite happy since they start helping, giving advice, asking for ideas; but the majority of people need help.

There are even people who have never spoken to me who want to talk now! Well, the Lord says “Love your enemies” so if they need help, I do help them, not with money but with advice.

I realize that the Gender Links training I have followed has had a tremendous impact on the community and I will not keep it to myself but I am sharing it with those women suffering from domestic violence. I explain to them that the cause of the violence is lack of money. But first, one has to identify one’s own personality and work on one’s way of thinking before looking into the business to undertake or making into an income generating activity. We should not waste time gossiping, which may end up in quarrels and does not bring in any money to live on. As for me, it is a pleasure to deal with my farming, care for my household and tend my garden too.

I realize that I have gained a lot and I can boast that I am better off than women working in an office.They leave their homes in the morning and get back in the evening whereas I can both deal with the housework and earn good money too (I apologize to you, reader, I do not despise anybody but only do a simple comparison).

Well! Long live to Gender Links and its whole team since you and the instructors champion this action: even if we worked on eradicating domestic violence but you were not giving us all this knowledge and skills, it would be in vain.

To end it all, this is the first time I have been into a Cyber café and learnt to use a computer. All the better! This is a good reason to go to Manjakandriana, 3km from my home, when I want to check my e-mail messages. We already have electricity in our village. I hope that in 15 years’ time I would have a big farm in this village providing large factories with chickens.

Long live to Gender Links and the whole of its staff, and all the facilitators, especially Mrs Ialfine.

God bless us all!

[1] Health Committee