Lessons in lockdown: Life is a journey filled with lessons
Date: January 15, 2021
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By Ncane Maziya
Mbabane, 5 February: Over the past year I experienced rough and tough lessons through my journey. Facing so many challenges both at work and my life has taught me a lot. As the saying goes, “the road will not be always smooth, in fact throughout our travels we encounter many challenges some of these challenges will test our courage, strengths, and faith.”
The challenges did not stop me from implementing the most important activities. I have learnt that stress should not be a deterrent. Talking about your problems to someone helps you to relieve stress. Some of the challenges tested my courage, strength and faith. I am overcoming all challenges as I walk through the journey of my life. I took all the challenges I have faced so far as a test that I am determined to pass.
I have also learnt to be cautious about trusting unconditionally. My experience in trusting someone led me to stress and suffering. This affected my work and crushed all plans.
The COVID 19 pandemic crushed all programme implementation plans until September 2020 when we went into partial lockdown. I learned how difficult it is to strategise and plan for the “next move” to achieve one’s goal. Despite the challenges, we managed to implement a few programmes including the national summit and the launch of Women in Local Economic development (WLED) network.
We held an encouraging and fruitful Listen and Learn workshop with Gender Focal Persons (GFPs). They gave me encouraging advice on sustaining the Eswatini Centres of Excellence (COE) for Gender in Local Government programme. One could see that the programme has opened their eyes. Instead of focusing on one programme, the GFP have integrated these into one action plan. That has made their work easier. The COE programme has also expanded to include Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and entrepreneurship.
My journey has given me strength to keep pushing. As the saying goes: “Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations and special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life”.
(Ncane Maziya is GL Eswatini Local Action for Gender Justice facilitator)
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My learning school for gender issues at SADC is Gender Links. Angola government structures understood very little work on monitoring the SADC protocol on gender. THE WOMEN IN ACTION PLATFORM started the challenge in 2012 after the signing of the memorandum of understanding I remember well with Alice Banze who represented Gender Links south Africa. There were years of contradictions in terms of interpreting the arduous work with various state agencies and civil society. the results of the Barometro’s monitoring annually pointed out true situations that helped the country’s governance to look at the organization as a mentor of the gender approach based on the indicators of the various sectors presented. today we are called upon to review the reports on the situation of women that go to the CSW, UPR mechanisms, periodic universal review of the human rights of the UN. networking at the level of the region was followed by this great GL platform with a lot of sharpness, which challenges us as women. Our school is where I want to spend a little of my time to continue to make vulnerable groups of women lacking almost everything and to find better solutions for the well-being of women in African society and particularly in my country. VIVA Gender links well be your achievements, successes and prosperity, congratulations and the existence of this great family that AFRICA NEEDS is eternal. The Leaderships Mama Emma, Collen, Kubi Gender Links team, our great admiration for the affection and great work for done CONGRATULATIONS.