Women Are Making Their Mark
From the double reality of poverty and unemployment, the women of Mzimba have learned a lesson, that of the strength that can be found in uniting their efforts to transform their villages into a social milieu where people live in dignity. When you get to the Kazomba crossroads about 10 kilometers from Mzimba, ask how to get to the village of Chinombatchaya; there, you will meet a group of courageous women.
A guided visit
These women, who have come from different villages, got together to start clubs that today stand proudly as living proof of their administrative abilities. I invite you to take a guided visit of the sites where their projects, products of arduous and conscientious work, are coming to fruition. The fish-farming project here demanded a great deal of effort, since these women dug the pond with their own hands!
We have more than 350 chambos here; we started with 150 fries that multiplied, and of course we have already had two harvests, says Sophirate Chirwa, president of the Tazingwa Women's Group.
The fish-farming project has not only provided the women with financial revenue thanks to the sale of the fish, but it has also become a source of protein for the families of the members.
These women are convinced that their initiative is bearing fruit. They started their projects after taking a training session Training For Transformation (TFT), organized by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MIC).
Mrs. Chirwa emphasizes that this training tries to make them aware of the problems in their milieu and to suggest possible solutions. They have identified several problems, such as illiteracy, deforestation the lack of money to buy fertilizer, and poverty, a direct consequence of the lack of jobs for their husbands. This awareness has led to the need to come together and take up the numerous challenges that stand before them.
At Chetemwabo, the Tipenje Women. Group, stands out by its dedicated work to save the fish after a serious drought. We had a lot of water here, says Caroline Phakati, but this year, the sun was too hot and the rain to rare. We had to save the few fish that were still alive. The women courageously transported well water to keep the water level high enough for the fish in the pond.
Needs are met
Nothing seems to stop these tenacious and determined women from moving forward. Let's stop in the main village where rabbit hutches can be found. Here again, the project required an initiation to rabbit maintenance. The interested women set themselves to the task and now these lovable little animals are providing them with a good source of revenue. The women are now looking for ways to maximize their production and profits. The sales earnings are allowing them to meet the basic needs of their families.
Gogo Lucia Nyirenda, who is 65 years old, is extremely proud of the project. She says that since its beginnings in 2001, it has given birth to a new hope for survival in the villages. Under the hot African sun, the women show us to some surprisingly lush vegetation in this rather desert-like place.
It's the Village Forest, says one of the women, the result of a reforestation project. The Tasingwa Women's Group is involved in planting exotic trees as well as trees of local origin over a vast expanse of land. The people, and especially the club members, can currently gain access to it for a small contribution to the group's revenue. This money is deposited in the group account so it can help support other community projects.
These projects are providing the women with the skills to use the available natural resources. For example, the art of composting has generated considerable interest, each group now has its own garden and can cultivate the vegetables it needs.
You can't get something without working for it
At the beginning, the projects concerned one group of women in particular, but with these positive results, several groups have been formed. The MIC collaborate more and more concretely in working with them to solve the problems facing the women of the region and to encourage them to persevere.
On top of the revenues generated by our projects, says Mrs. Phakati, we have also benefited from the training to develop our talents and our group solidarity. This initiative has taught us to become self-sufficient, and we are using all the resources available to improve our ways of making a living.
The project has also shown others that perseverance pays off and that the adage, YOU CAN'T GET SOMETHING WITHOUT WORKING FOR IT, is indeed true. In 2004, when a dozen women decided to start the Chitemwano Women's Group under the auspices of experienced persons, some believed that it would be very easy. There are only five of us left, and those that left now regret it, says the president of the group, Anita Theu. She has every reason to smile, since the Chitemwano project has turned out to be one of the best means of alleviating poverty among its members.
These women are now experts in hog raising. They have to feed the animals, as well as cleaning and maintaining the pig barn. We foresee that our six big hogs will help us meet our needs once we start selling them. The project also aims to inculcate a sense of self-sufficiency in the people and to help them discover the means to earn their living by using the resources available in their environment.
A continuous transformation
To allow the children to attend school, the women undertook an awareness campaign in their milieu and, through a broad based community project, joined together to build a school. They had a vacant lot at their disposal but access to it was difficult because the river often overflowed. So men, women and children all pitched in, some bringing sand, others rocks, water and cement, and now the bridge and the school are up and running to ensure the children's education.
From what Anita Thieu says, these projects we have undertaken together have had an immense influence in our transformation. We no longer have a mentality of dependence like we had before. Our collaboration, along with the support of the MIC Sisters, has helped us to become self-sufficient and to have hope for the future.
Marie-Theresa Katongo, m.i.c.
MIC MISSION NEWS
October - November - December 2006