By Duduzile Nyathi
On Tuesday, the 23rd of October 2024, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Luveve-Emakhandeni constituency Honourable Decent Bajila, organized and hosted a Practical Skills Training Session targeting women in the constituency.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Bajila emphasised, the importance of women having access to life skills opportunities that can improve their sources of income and livelihood.
“Esikuzamayo yikuthi lapho okuhlala khona umama akubekhona okwenzakalayo okuyinzuzo” (what we’re trying to do is to ensure that where there are women, there’s always something happening that is productive or financially beneficial to them.)
At the beginning of the training, Councillor Sithole from Emakhandeni constituency encouraged women to do Self-examinations for breast cancer and to seek screenings, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Participating women were provided with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills on how to make petroleum jelly (Vaseline), body lotion, washing powder, dishwashing liquid, and a Juice similar to Zimbabwe’s popular Mazoe brand.
Honourable Bajila highlighted that the main purpose of the skills training was to promote self-sufficiency and empower women to meet their household and domestic needs. He noted that these skills could also enable women to sell the products they produce, generating additional income.
Furthermore, he pointed out that improving a woman’s financial situation in this way could help diminish debts, including those related to school fees and city council bills.
The trainer, Ms. Siqinisweyinkosi Mhlanga, supported this initiative, stating that the skills provided are primarily intended to help women produce products for domestic use. However, she anticipated that many of these women might later venture into
largescale production for sale. Ms. Mhlanga also emphasized the importance of hygiene and safety measures during the production process.
Accounts from the women participants reveal that the skills development training holds great potential to improve the lives of women, both economically and mentally, as it may help distract them from their struggles and foster a positive mindset. This is particularly insightful, given that October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the participants noted that financial struggles often impact their mental health.
“Into esingizifundile namuhla, zinengi kakhulu, yinto, engangingakaze ngicabange lokuthi ngizafika ekuthini ngize ngikufunde. Sibonga lobaba Buajila onguye othe wasixhasa wabuya wazosinika this free education, wa-sacrificer lokuthi uzasincedisa for i-capital yethu…hhayi into enhle kakhulu esiyibongayo said Charity Dube from Luveve Constituency. (What we have learned today, there are so many things, it’s something I never thought I would come to learn. We thank Mr. Bajila who supported us and came to give us this free education, sacrificed to help us for our capital. it’s something very good that we are grateful for.”)
“Ama-programs lawa ayenzwa lamuhla abalulekile kakhulu kubomama ngoba uma sithe sakhangela,umuzi ngumama, nxa umama engelanto yokwenza ekhaya, liyakwazi ukuthi kunzima kangakanani kodwa ma sethole ama-skills lawa wokuthu laye athole ukuthi ayenze umsebenzi wonalowo wezandla ukuze abantwana bethole usizo, ngoba uzahamba eyepheka amasepa wakhe wonalawo, o-vaseline bake, whatever khonalokho akufundileyo, so laye uyathola okuncane ukuthi abantwana bephile. So yiyo into engibona kubalulekile ngoba kathesi yena sekwazi ukuthi i-sunlight iphekwanjani, i-vaseline iphekwa njani, i-surf iphekwa njani. Laye sezayenza laye ukuthi each and every… i-gedi likamama weMakhandeni or oweLuveve kuzabe kule-something ethengiswayo e-Gedini, akusafanani lakuqala ukuthi sasiphongukubona i-surf ema-shop kuphela, thina lathi sesikwanisa ukuthi sikwenze ngokufundiswa ssikwenziweyo ngalaba abathe babuya ukuzosifundisa. Sithanda ukubonga u-MP obone ukuthi omama baqakathekile empilweni yakhe, wabon'ukuthi laye aqale ukuthi abayenzise umsebenzi wezandla ukuze yibo abahleli labantwana emakhaya, so siyambonga kakhulu ngokusincendisa asenzele khona singabomama sinje.” Said Councillor Sithole of Emakhandeni Constituency.
“These programs being conducted today are very important for women because when we look at it, the home revolves around the mother. If the mother has nothing to do at home, it can be very difficult. But when she gets these skills, she can do manual work so that her children receive help, because she will go and make her own soap, vaseline, or whatever she has learned, and she will earn a little so that her children live well. That is what I see as important because now she knows how to make sunlight, vaseline, surf. She will make it so that every marketplace in Makhandeni or Luveve will have something being sold in the marketplace. It’s no longer like before when we only saw surf in the shops; now we can make it ourselves because we were taught by those who came to teach us. We want to thank MP Bajila because women are important in his life; he saw that they should use manual labor because they are the ones who stay with children at home, so we thank him very much for helping us as women.” (Councillor Sithole, Emakhandeni)
Another essential point made was that there is a noticeable concern about the low participation of young people in the training session, as very few young women attended. This highlights the need for programs that engage and attract the youth to participate in such beneficial initiatives.
Overall, the training was a significant step towards empowering the women of Luveve-Makhandeni, equipping them with valuable skills for socio-economic growth.
