Sandra from rural Zimbabwe is becoming financially independent, supporting her family and not marrying young.
Sandra is a young woman living with her mother and 5 siblings. As the oldest child, Sandra assumed the role of the family breadwinner and was determined not to be married off young to boost her family’s income and take care of her siblings.
Looking for ways to generate an income and become financially independent, Sandra decided to attend a training course where she learned how to produce soap and detergent.
Vocational training develops self sufficiency
“I see myself rising high in life.”
Sandra
“I see myself rising high in life. I am confident that I can now independently prepare petroleum jelly, hand sanitiser and hydrogen peroxide though I still need to polish my skills on the making washing bar and liquid soap”, she said with a smile.
When asked why she participated in the training, she said, “Life has not been good to me and my family. It is not easy to get a dollar per month in the rural community and that makes life very hard.”
Coupled with the effects of COVID-19 on household income, life had dealt Sandra and her family a heavy hand.
Looking to a positive future
Sandra indicated that as a group, they plan on starting to produce petroleum jelly which is always in high demand in her part of the country and will provide an income she can use to take care of her family.
She says, “Promiscuity is not a good option for female youths. It is as a result of desperation but with start-up kits given to us, I am confident that life will never be the same for me.”
How Plan International helps
Opportunities for girls in the rural area of Kwekwe, Zimbabwe, are limited. In some instances, girls resort to arranged and forced early marriages as an avenue to escape poverty. In response, Plan international Zimbabwe is providing young people with income generating projects so they are able to earn an income and increase their power to decide when and to whom they marry.
The soap and detergent production training programme that Sandra attended, was part of the Plan International Kwekwe Youth for water project. The training was facilitated by lecturers from Kwekwe Polytechnic College with support from the Ministry of Youth, Art, Sports and Recreation.
Skills and work, Lifeskills training
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