Tawanda Bote recently in Chikomba
At least 86 women from Chikomba East have graduated after acquiring technical skills which will help them and their community .
The women underwent a three-month course which included, detergent making, poultry, baking, financial literacy, garment making (sewing).
The course was funded by Reaction of orphans supporting association (ROSA) and supported by the Canadian Embassy to help the women become self-sufficient in their community.
Speaking at the event ROSA care projects manager Joseph Mazenge said that the course targeted vulnerable women, female headed families and women living with HIV and AIDS in the community.
“Our organisation targeted the less privileged women in Chikomba so that we aid them with life changing skills.
“Primarily the course focused on skills training so that the women are empowered to become economically sustainable,” said Mazenge.
“We gave them five basic courses, for income generating projects that include cooking, poultry, financial literacy, clothing technology and financial literacy came in as a cross cutting issue so that they are able to manage their finances.”
Mazenge said that their target was 50 women, but due to the overwhelming numbers, they ended up training 86 and this was due to a plea from local leadership, churches and headman.
“It is our plea to our parent ministry that these vulnerable women are in dire need of income generating projects and skills, so we are requesting assistance from the ministry of Social welfare and Women affairs so that they chip in with funding.
“We have got the capacity to train these women, but our challenge is on funding,” said Mazenge.
A villager Patience Mucheche said that the initiative came at the right time since they are now able to fend for their families not to solely depend on their husbands.
“We are now able to do things and get money for our families and long gone is the time when we used to be ‘DCC’ — daddy chakati chapera.
“Women from our area have been lagging behind from some of these skills we acquired during training, but it’s a thing of the past now, because we can now also help the less privileged in our community since we were also helped in getting these skills” said Patience.
Community leaders present at the event also weighed in supporting the initiative, saying that it was going to reduce domestic violence in families that is sometimes caused by poverty.
“This training is a good thing because it is going to reduce domestic violence in families, because the women can now bring something on the table reducing the burden on their husbands.
‘It is a first of its kind in our area to have women being trained so they become self-sufficient,” said village head Ngoni Munyaka.