From nothing to something

“Life is hard when no one cares”

Mutale Victim Empowerment Programme changed my life for the better .I can now say that I have gained may self-confidence back. I thought no one was going to help me.

I met Mutale victim Empowerment Programme in 10 November 2020 at our village chief`s house hold. It was said that there is going to be a campaign for women`s only and I went there with my friend. When we get there we not so many people and I felt like this event is going to be a waste of my time so I told my friend that I am leaving and she told me to just wait for them to start.

I am a 23 years old women. I have matric. I lost both my parents in 2009 and I have 3 siblings. I did not even further my studies because of lack of money. I have tried to look for piece jobs but they pay is not to enough to feed my siblings. I have become the head of my family for 12 years and life have not been easy no one in the community is willing to help us because sometimes we go to bed hungry. We only live on hands out.

At the outreach they were educating us about how to start our own income generating projects and when I went home I also realised that I can start my own income generating project. I saved some money from my piece jobs and bought flour, sugar and cooking oil and started making vatkoeks (amagwinya) and I started to sell it house to house in the community and I have made a lot of profit that I start to sell fruits and vegetables in the community.

Ever since then I can feed my siblings and buy them cloths. The Mutale Victim Empowerment programme have also help me apply for a Foster care grant for my siblings at SASSA. And they have put me in a learnership programme from HWSETA for Child and Youth Care for 12 months and we get stipends each months. I would like to thank Mutale VEP for helping me when everyone has abounded us.