“Some of my fondest childhood memories are of being barefoot, covered in dust, building things from whatever I could find. For me making things has always been more than a hobby. It is a way of learning and modifying my world,” said Chinongo, who leads more than 100 in wards 24, 25 and 26.
She is the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau coordinating committee, and has led 30 groups of women 26 in self-sustaining projects, with dramatic results. A savings culture is being built in these remote areas, with rural women gaining the confidence to set money aside for the first time in their lives – to save and make plans for their future.
In the past, when women needed credit, they were forced to borrow at rates often as high as 50%. But since the savings and loans group was established they have been able to borrow some money from the group. Some have borrowed to buy chickens and now earn money from the sale of eggs. One member of the group now saves 4% of her income, which she uses to pay for essential household goods and medical expenses.
Other members of the ZWB Women’s Group have borrowed money to establish small enterprises in tailoring, baking, brewing local beers, growing avocados, fattening goats and millet production.
“We pooled as little as $1 per women, to start off the projects. The husbands of many of the women work in distant places and don’t come home often. The women have been able to augment their food basket and send their children to school,” says Chingono.
Some of the projects have been adversely affected by accessibility problems due to poor roads. In many cases, proceeds from the projects have been bartered for grain and other essentials to counter marketing constraints. If the roads were improved a lot more could be done. One project involved the production of sorghum meal for a brewery in South Africa – but the trucks battled to get to the village to collect it.
Post published in: News