Empower 100 SHEpreneurs in Rural Zimbabwe...

Training in this period was for the two active groups we are currently running - Simukai (meaning 'arise') and Chiyedza (meaning 'light'). Forty seven SHEpreneurs are currently receiving the business management and financial literacy training using the Street Business School curriculum.

One of the key modules in the curriculum is Finding Capital and Starting Small. One of the major reasons the SHEpreneurs gave for not establishing business ventures during the baseline survey was a lack of finance or start up capital. In this module, the women are encouraged to start with what they have, explore their gifts and talents to get started. The training shows them that businesses can start small and they expand their customer base and product offering as their income increases. We have women like Lorraine and Felistas who are now making various crafts such as hats, bags, aprons and tablecloths and selling to their communities and in nearby towns. From zero income, these women are now earning on average USD120 per month which allows them to cater for school fees, food, education, healthcare and other family needs. The women testify how earning an income has brought so much peace in their homes through reduced cases of gender based violence and disagreements with their husbands.

In addition to the on-going training, the women had an opportunity to showcase their products at a regonal marketplace during Segal Connect 2024 which was held in July in Lilongwe, Malawi. With a table at the marketplace, the women were able to showcase various products to the regional audience and secured customers and opportunities to network with other women entrepreneurs in the region.

From the dusty valleys of Chiweshe to the regional marketplace in Lilongwe - we demonstrated how the lives of women in Zimbabwe are being transformed through the positive power of entrepreneurship.