Create Training Opportunities For S. African Women

Summary

Rural women require skills and leadership training to participate successfully in the local markets. This project allows women to acquire the appropriate skills to provide for their families.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

In the KwaZulu-Natal many rural women are unaware of their rights under South Africa’s new constitution and are often undervalued in society despite the fact they are increasingly becoming their family’s bread-winners. Women are the strength of their communities and once they know their rights, begin to access those rights, learn business skills, become literate, engage in leadership development, and work to end stigma around HIV, their communities begin to transform.

How will this project solve this problem?

Hlomelikusasa provides business skills training to women for sewing projects, catering, and livestock raising they then bring to the marketplace. They train women to be community leaders, advocate for women’s rights and work to end HIV stigma.

Potential Long Term Impact

By providing skills training and a physical market run by rural women, the women of KwaZulu-Natal will open many doors to further empowerment and access to their rights. They will finally become successful citizens of the New South Africa.

Project Message

One member of Hlomelikusasa ran for and won a seat for her regional council: “I don’t speak for only one person now. I learned to speak for many, many people.”
- Virgina Zwane, Member of Executive Committee

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources