1 500+ women in Masvingo get loans
MORE than 1 500 women have benefited from job starter packs provided by the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches Women Empowerment (ZIWE) in partnership with the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMF).
The launch of the partnership in Masvingo last week saw 304 groups of five women from all the seven districts of the province getting starter packs to equip the women and girls to start projects and turn them into businesses.
The launch comes after ZIWE had trained women and girls across the country in the making of detergents and confectionery, a programme that was initiated by the Zanu-PF Women’s League and ZIWE at Mbungo Estates last year. ZWMF head of retail and banking Ms Clarah Mukosera said the starter packs are loans from the bank to help women in which they are supposed to pay back after three months.
“We have over 300 groups of women who are benefiting from various starter packs which include detergents and foam baths. The groups that are benefiting today are in 5s and so we have over 1 520 women from all the seven districts. These starter packs are loans from the bank so that they are able to start their projects and are supposed to pay back after three months. We expect this project to go beyond just the starter packs and we would want women to come with their own individual ideas but they will be working in their groups,” she said.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Ezra Chadzamira said as Government, they will work towards creating a market for the women groups.
“We want our Government through our Permanent Secretary to ensure that you get markets for your product and be able to sell to retailers and we don’t want a situation that you produce your products and end up not having retailers for those products. Government through the programme of devolution has empowered local authorities and they are building clinics and schools and also these councils use the detergents that you will be making. We want to see you selling your products to these new clinics and schools,” he said.
Ms Pauline Machaya from Gutu who was awarded a loan by the bank encouraged women to take advantage of the programme to empower themselves and be able to sustain their livelihoods.