Mozambique- Rosa Pita- Bilene Municipality

Mozambique- Rosa Pita- Bilene Municipality

“I started with a small stool, where I sold candy, soft drinks, but no freezer, no glacier, but nowadays I have my establishment, two freezers, a glacier and four workers”

My name is Rosa Pita, I’m 54 years old. I am a native of Chimoio, but now I live in Bilene district, Gaza province. I did my studies until grade 10th. I am the mother of six children, the result of two relationships. My first marriage ended because my husband abandoned me with 3 children, and I was 4 children pregnant. My only source   of sustenance then, became the farm. I would make small meals in the farms, and a few extra meals, so that I could feed my children.

After a while, I met my second partner, with whom I stayed for 3 years. We broke up because he was maltreating me. He would not let me do it, and every time I went to do some work, he would insult me and beat me. I decided to separate because the history repeated itself.
I continued my life, doing my little things, in seminars that took place in hotels. I never had prejudice with the type of work, washed, cleaned, cooked … whatever work I did.

In 2014 there was a formation of Entrepreneurship and Violence based on gender, here on the beach of bilene, so the representatives of the municipality as they already knew me, put my name on the list. In training I learned how to start a business, business research.

In the same year, after the training, I went to the municipality and asked for a space, but they said that the market was already full, that’s when I started searching for a space where I could sell and my sister-in-law said that she could stay here.

I started with a small stool, where I sold candy, soft drinks, but there was no freezer or glacier, but nowadays I have two freezers and a glacier. And I intend to buy another glacier and freezer.
The products that I have, I can sell all the month, I can do stock, all thanks to the formation of Gender Links, where I learned how to make the sales, to register the exit and entrance of the products. I started the business by myself, but today I have 4 employees, 3 women and 1 man.

Women should be safe and courageous, they should not allow husbands to abuse them, as we have various forms of violence. The woman must research a business, to become an entrepreneur. I started from scratch but today I have a lot. It took me two years to have employees and set up my establishment (tent). I want to continue my studies, but time does not allow me. If there were 11th and 12th class here I would continue.
My dream now is for the municipality to give me a space to improve my sales and who knows how to get a hotel opened. Gender Links and the township were a father and mother to me, and the 7,800mt value that GL left at the time of training, continues to help many women.

Click here to read more about Bilene Municipality