By One Billion Rising | 2024-05-09

In a world where empowerment knows no bounds, a remarkable success story from a youth community circle supported by MTN Foundation and One Billion Rising a group The girls embarked on a journey to realise their dreams by turning to agriculture by starting a mushroom business.

To ensure inclusivity the girls welcomed a group of young men who are also experiencing unemployment challenges. MTN Foundation sponsored income generating projects at community level are a huge success.

At Vuvulane, the newly-established Gender Based Violence Community Youth Circle has been able to establish an oyster mushroom enterprise.

The women have established linkages with the Vuvulane Town Board for space and also the Vuvulane Farmers Market where they have been able to sell their produce. Through the project, the women received capital of E10 000 to commence their enterprise.

The Enhanced Community Engagement to Empower Women, through Creation of Safe Spaces for Community-Based Protection Strategies on Ending Gender-Based Violence in Eswatini is a project with a total budget of SZL300 00 per year since 2022 that is implemented by One Billion Rising through Journey of Hope Eswatini.

The overall goal of the project is to strengthen support in already established community circles and new community-based protection strategies on ending violence against women and girls.
Currently 15 communities have benefitted from the MTN funded project.

The project emanated from previous community projects where Community Gender Based Violence Circles were established successfully.

Despite the accomplishments attained through previous projects, feedback from communities revealed that there was a lot that had to be done with the target beneficiaries.

Some of the critical issues the communities reflected strongly on was the need for women and young women being strengthened on economic empowerment; the need for more dialogues especially on women issues such as women’s rights, GBV targeting women, men and youth; and the need for strengthened referral networks and sustainable continued engagement at community level through enhanced training to volunteers at community level.

Success
“MTN and One Billion Rising has helped us a lot for the startup capital and we are looking forward to helping other youth groups in different communities to start their businesses. Our intention is to grow stronger in our business in order to inspire other young people in different communities.

‘‘This project was tailored to empower young women who are unemployed to start the income-generating project and we have identified mushroom farming as  the best business. As we continue doing the business we realized that young men are also facing the same challenges of unemployment, hence we welcomed them in the business,” said Pinky Zikalala.

“This type of business has a potential of high profits hence we decided to take this opportunity in order to achieve our financial independence and be able to support ourselves without relying on men. Most young women find themselves in abusive relationships because of poverty.

‘‘I believe being financially independent will help me to make informed decisions, so that I don’t regret on choices I have made in the near future. Thank you to MTN Foundation and One Billion Rising for this opportunity” – Mandisa Matsenjwa.

Speaking during the interview Sakhe Sihlongonyane and Colani Nyambi said as young men this project has benefitted them to be able to contribute something for their parents.

They also believe that the high crime rate and abuse in the community is due to the high rate of unemployment, hence by being part of this project as young men they believe it will lessen cases of abuse and crime.

The youth in Eswatini forms a large part of the country’s population representing 70 per cent (UNFPA July 2020) out of which 22 per cent are adolescent girls and young women (AGYW).
AGYW in Eswatini form the largest part of the population i.e. 10-14yrs, 15-19yrs, 20-24yrs. Although Eswatini is classified as a lower middle-income country, it has high levels of income inequality.

There are high levels of poverty with a large proportion of the population dependent on food aid. Unemployment is at its highest level, with the majority of the unemployed being women, and over 40 per cent being youth.

According to UNFPA, in Eswatini, gender-based violence is a persistent challenge, disproportionately affecting women and girls with approximately one in three females having experienced some form of sexual abuse by age 18 and 48 per cent of women reporting to have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.

Every young person will one day have to make life-changing decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, yet research shows that the majority of adolescents lack the knowledge required to make those decisions responsibly, leaving them vulnerable to coercion, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Further in Eswatini, adolescent birth rate remains very high.

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