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SWAZILAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE SUMMIT AND AWARDS 23-25 APRIL 2012 KOPANONG HOTEL - JOHANNESBURG
EMPOWER WOMEN
Three Years (2010 2013) The savings and Credit for the women will continue even after the lifespan of the partnership from PACT (An American Organization) So far the project is piloted in 20 communities and afterwards it expected that the project will sustain itself.
WHO IS THE KEY TARGET? WHO IS INVOLVED? ARE WOMEN AND MEN EQUALLY INVOLVED?
PROJECTS: WORTH- ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT Programme
Community based child protector or Lihlombe Lekukhalela/ Caregivers, however, ever non child protectors are allowed to join the WORTH group.
The community is involved, however most active participants are women. Empowering women directly plays a major role in children, as they are traditionally assumed to be the caregivers in their households and communities. Men are involved but they are not participating in the savings. At the moment males are involved in community dialogues aimed at raising awareness on GBV, HIV and AIDS and child abuse. They have shown the need for getting involved in the WORTH project through this dialogues.
EMPOWERMENT Programme
Partnerships developed are; PACT for capacity building, Techno Serve mentorship and entrepreneurship skills (ToT for the empowerment workers and Support Staff) and Tintsaba Crafts for crafts work skill and marketing.
Support and relationships are also formed, for sustainability of the project with existing government structures through quarterly stakeholder meetings. Thus far there is; Swaziland Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (SWADE), Social Welfare, Education, World Vision, Community leaders, Women in Development, Regional Development Administration, Gone Rural and Timbali Crafts.
PACT conducts capacity building workshops and trainings to the staff members and field support officers, who in turn train the volunteers, who then go to the field to train all women in WORTH groups. These volunteers are selected within the parameters of their communities for sustainability of the project.
CREATIVITY: ARE YOU USING ARTS, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO POPULARISE THE ISSUES?
Utilization of Save the Children Radio slot on SBIS 1, a platform where all programmes, including the WORTH Gender Programme, are marketed.
Newspaper Articles in the local Print media (field visits are normally covered)
Through organized Child protection Community Dialogues (for the wider community)
Through Quarterly stakeholder meetings to popularise the project and child protection issues.
Involving existing traditional or cultural structures as entry point to involving community leaders, e.g. Chiefs, community herdsmen, inner council, and community think tanks (bucopho)
Community based volunteers (empowerment workers) visit each and every group each and every week, and carry designed tools to record the savings, success stories, address technical issues and train the women on record keeping and basic business skills.
Also, frequent field visits are conducted by the programme officer, the monitoring and evaluation officer, as well as other field support staff to check if groups are meeting and tackle their immediate issues.
LESSONS LEARNED
It has been evident that, if more Swazi women would be empowered financially, e.g. join WORTH they could move to bigger businesses, more children would attend school and be fed and clothed, there would be a decrease in cases of gender based violence, decline in the spread of HIV/AIDS Most of all, this project has and will transform the lives of the most destitute to have access to resources and afford the basic needs. It has automatically created forums for addressing important issues. For instance, they have started discussing their problems and other community issues with other women instead of sitting at home. The women are also able to share information on business ideas, make plans and action them in a short space of time. As a result, some of them have already nominated their own committees for development and other agricultural projects. Therefore if the men initiatives start on group formations, they will be more forums and healthy homes as well as peace will gradually develop in the Swazi communities.
ANY QUESTIONS?