By Thelma SITHOLE | Project Leader
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for your continued support of this project. Together we are transforming the lives of disadvantaged rural women. We coudnt have done it without your help! In these rural areas women play a variety of roles ranging from subsistence farmers trying to feed their families to lynchpins holding their communities together. Yet the vast majority of the women are disadvantaged educationally and economically and they rely solely on subsistence farming as their source of income. Sadly this area is affected by recurrent droughts. These droughts are the most serious hazard to the crops. When they occur the women usually end up without any crops which means no source of income. Lack of income results in the households having to rely on outside help otherwise they drift into poverty.
This project focuses on providing disadvantaged rural women funds to help them start income generating projects. Our goal is to lift them out of poverty by providing them the opportunity to build lives of self-reliance and dignity. This holistic approach ensures that these women and their families have proper shelter and enough food to eat and they dont have to rely on outside help in perpetuity. During my annual visits to Zimbabwe I usually get a chance to sit down and talk to different groups of women who participate in this program. When I ask them how this project has impacted their households the answer is universal. The women usually say, "My children/grandchildren now have food to eat and I am able to send them to school". None of these women ever focus on their own needs; to them family is priority.
1. Goat Rearing Project
In keeping with the focus of this project we have a goat rearing project currently underway. Eight women participate in this project. To date we have donated $525 to the project. The women used the money to purchase goats. Here is what some of the women who participate in the project had to say:
In Her Own Words By The Project Leader Tsitsi
"I would like to thank the Tekeshe Foundation for helping us launch the goat project. Eight women participate in this project. To date we have a total of 35 goats. This project has helped us tremendously. We sell the goats periodically to get money to pay our kids' school fees and buy groceries. This past Christmas we slaughtered a few of the goats for meat. We thank you again for sponsoring this project."
In Her Own Words By Lillian (Beneficiary Of the goat project)
"Thank you very much Tekeshe Foundation for lifting us up. I live with my two grandchildren who are orphans. This project has helped me a lot. My desire was to provide decent shelter for my grandchildren. I have managed to sell 4 goats. With the money I was able to buy building matreials and pay the builder. I also used some of the money from the sales of the goats to launch a duck rearing project. So far I have purchased 4 ducks. This project also helps me with the school fees for my grandchildren. I want to thank you again for all your support! "
2. Bakery Project
We are pleased to announce that the bakery project is doing very well. Five women participate in the project. To date the Tekeshe Foundation has donated $250.00 to the project. The women used this money to buy flour, cooking oil, yeast and firewood. They used the profit they made from
selling bread to build a bigger shed with a bigger oven that holds up to 48 bread pans. They used the remaining funds to buy groceries for their families and to pay their kids' school fees. This past Christmas the foundation supported the project by purchasing 100 loaves of bread. Our team distributed the bread to needy families and the elderly on December 24. In the attached pictures you can see our team in the field distributing the bread. Here is what the bakery project leader had to say.
In Her Own Words By The Project Leader
"Thank you Tekeshe Foundation for sponsoring our project. We used some of the profit we made to build a bigger shed with a bigger brick oven. The oven can hold up to 48 baking pans at a time. This past Christmas we were able to cater to the bread needs of the community. We thank the Tekeshe foundation for placing an order of 100 loaves from our bakery. The Tekeshe Foundation team distributed the bread to needy families the day before Christmas. This year we would like to take this project to the next level. There is a building in the township that was once used as a bakery and now it is dormant. We plan to speak with the community leaders to see if they can allow us to operate from this building. Some of the challenges we are currenly faced with are scarcity of firewood, lack of proper pot holders and insufficient bread pans. We are very grateful for all your support. Without your help we coudnt have brought the project this far. "
3. Irrigation Project
This project aims to adress food insecurity that plagues households headed by disadvantaged rural women. In keeping with the focus of this project we launched an irrigtion project. After consulting with subject matter experts we have decided to adopt the canal irrigation approach. Since there is no river nearby our strategy is to dig a borehole that will be used to provide the water for the irrigation. Having an irrigation system will address food insecurity caused by recurrent droughts. The goal of the project is to empower disadvantaged rural women so that they will have enough food to feed their families. They will sell the surplus crops to get money to run their households. So far we have identified a company that will drill the borehole for $2,500. In my next progress report I will update you on the progress of the project.
As you can see from the attached pictures and from this progress report you are playing a major role in transforming the lives of disadvantaged rural women. Thanks again for all your support!
Best wishes,
Thelma
By Thelma SITHOLE | Project Leader
By Thelma SITHOLE | Project Leader
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser