Self-help projects cushion women from poverty
By Antonette Ganyani
Sukoluhle Sibasa (48) says vocational training is critical for women to run productive income generating projects that may help them to support their families.
She says the interest, plus the training she got from a vocational training centre helped her to become an accomplished dressmaker.
“When I was growing up, I enjoyed watching my mother working on a small sewing machine. I pretended not to care about sewing when my mother was around. This is because I knew she would not allow me to use the machine because I was still too young. However I would secretly use the sewing machine in her absence,” says Sukoluhle.
Sukoluhle says this is the reason why she opted for Fashion and Fabrics as her practical subject in secondary school. Sukoluhle dropped out of school after three years in High School because her parents could not afford to pay for her education.
“In 1999, a local church in Nkulumane started a campaign to encourage women to undergo training so that they can do income generating projects to support their families.
“Ngathi ngo 1999 yikho lapho enga encouurejwa khona ngabanye echurch eNkulumane ukuthi uma ungumama kufanele ube lento by oyenzayo ngezandla zakho so yikho engathi kungcono ngenze okokuthunga ngoba okokuthunga bengivele ngikwazi lomtshina bengiwazi ukuwusebenzisa so ngabona ukuthi ukuthunga akusoke kungihluphe” — In 1999 l was encouraged by others at church in Nkulumane that as a mother you should have something to do with your handsand that is when i decided to do sewing because l knew how to sew and how to use the machine, so l saw that sewing will not be a problem to me,” says Sukoluhle.
Sukoluhle says when she started training in cutting and designing, she was pregnant with her second born, but this was not a problem for her because of the love she had for sewing. She says she got her motivation from her cutting and design teacher, who shared with her class how he overcame a lot of problems to become a successful dressmaker.
His story was that he once lived in the streets after he had visited one of his relatives in Bulawayo metropolitan province. The relative was not keen on having him in town so he gave him to go back to the rural home. He lost the money to corn artist and started living in the streets from where he was later helped and trained.
Sukoluhle lives in the suburb of Queens Park in Bulawayo Metropolitan province in Zimbabwe. Her current projects include sewing African attires school uniforms, masks and general clothes amongst other items for sale. She has four children. Although her husband provides for the family’s needs, Sukoluhle uses the money she earns from sewing to help his husband in providing the basic needs for the family. She also assists with paying for her children’s fees.
Sukoluhle says gone are the days when women would depend on men for support. She says being able to contribute to family income reduces pressure on her husband and builds mutual respect between her and her husband and family.
