Rural women need skills and leadership training to participate successfully in local markets. This project allows women to acquire the appropriate skills to sell their products in a female-run market.
Though South Africa has great wealth, the majority of the population still lives in poverty. Those most affected are rural women and their families. Economic apartheid still exists and is now exacerbated by the HIV crisis, and most rural women are unaware of their rights under the new constitution. They need skills and leadership training to successfully position themselves within their family in a way that encourages open dialogue about HIV, and brings in money for basic goods.
Hlomelikusasa provides skills training to women for sewing projects, catering, vegetable gardens, and livestock raising they then bring to the market. They train women to be community leaders, advocate for women’s rights and work to end HIV stigma.
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.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
