Published: Tuesday, 13 November 2018 10:21
By Lungile Moyo and Sethulo Moyo
Young women from Bulawayo were last week equipped with entrepreneurship skills by a local organisation, Jekesa Pfungwa Vulingqondo (JPV). The training was held to assist young women between the ages of 20-35 years and interested in business with business skills so that they are able to access capital for their businesses and ultimately contribute meaningfully to the Zimbabwe’s economy.
Speaking during the workshop one of the trainers Mrs Dorcas Moyo said young women should not be afraid of the challenges and obstacles they face when doing their business.
“What usually happens is that young women are afraid of challenges, when they encounter challenges they tend to give up on their business without considering the fact that challenges are part of trade”, said Moyo.
Moyo also advised young women to stop seeing their effort as useless and also to take criticism as a learning process when doing their business.
Dominic Muringi, an official from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development encouraged young women to be courageous and to know their worth in business.
“As young women you should learn to be courageous in whatever work you do, be confident and know your worth”, said Muringi.
She also added that when doing business, young women should be sure about their capabilities, strengths and weaknesses.
“Business ideas are born. As you give birth to your business ideas, know your capability and focus on it,” said Muringi.
Speaking to Amakhosikazi Media Marvellous Nkala (21) an aspiring entrepreneur said she benefited a lot from the program as she has learnt how to be a business woman and how to present herself in front of others.
“l benefited a lot today especially on the issue of how l should present myself as a lady who is doing business. I learnt that l should always check myself before moving out of the house also l learnt that l should make use of resources around me when doing businesses.”said Nkala.
A young entrepreneur Nosizo Moyo (22) said that this program has shed light on how she can manage her business.
“As a young woman who has a business start -up, this program has helped me a lot as l have learnt how to manage my business and my funds. I have also learnt that the economic situation should not supress me in doing my business”, said Moyo.
Noline Mujati (29) said she is now ready to do business even if the economic situation is not good.
“Attending this program today has given me courage to carry on with my business of selling perfumes and roll ons even if the economic situation is sinking, l believe that from here as l go back to do my business l am a completely changed woman. I am now empowered and ready to take up the challenge”, said Mujati.
Slibani Ndebele (31) said that the program did not change her alone but is going to benefit many young women from her community who did not manage to attend the program.
“Today l learnt that it is not right to be selfish with knowledge so what l have learnt today l will make sure that l share with other women from my community”, said Ndebele.
This program began in 2016 and was funded by Zimbabwe Works, targeting about 1500 young women who are in business. In 2016 to 2017 about 1000 women were trained on how to manage their businesses including those from grassroots communities. The JPV worked with stakeholders such as councillors and churches who gave them permission to carry out their activity. Young women were trained on business management, management of funds, leadership, record keeping and how to handle themselves when doing business.
Local NGO, Heal Zimbabwe stepped in to support JPV with monitoring the program this year, after it was stopped in 2017 due to various challenges and those who had been trained disappeared into their own spaces. So this time around the organisation is trying to make a follow up to see whether young women are applying what they have learnt in the past years, said Mable Moyo National Deputy Director for (JPV).
