Fiskani: March 2009 Archives

During a micro-solar business training session with the Women Business Groups last week, I met Edess Mhoni, a courageous woman who narrated to me the moving story of her life.

Fiskani Msutu (left) chats with Edess Mhoni

Edess is 40 years old and has four children. She comes from Magoda village near Elangeni in Mtwalo region. Her husband passed away a couple of years ago. She revealed that he died of AIDS related diseases. After her husband's death, she decided to go for voluntary counselling and testing. Edess tested HIV positive. She did not feel ashamed to reveal her HIV status to the public.

"I knew this was not the end of the world so I had to accept the reality and carry on. It would have been a waste of time sympathising with myself instead of planning to do something to help myself and my children".

Determined attitude
This positive attitude is unusual considering the stigma associated with such issues and the society's negative perception of HIV-positive people.

The relatives of Edess's late husband were angry and accused her of promiscuity that led to her contracting the virus, and accused her of killing her husband.

"They said many bad things against me. I could not defend myself. God knows the whole truth. I was cruelly chased from the village and nobody wanted to associate with me anymore. Life became really tough as I had to take care of my four children alone.

I had no choice but to go back to my father's village and settle there. They welcomed me and I have since built my house there in which I live with my children".

Over the past years Edess has been sickly and could not fend for herself or her children. Luckily, she started taking anti-retrovirals and now she feels much better.

A new start
"Since I started taking anti-retrovirals, I feel much stronger and have resumed doing my normal household chores as before. I was told that I should be eating a balanced diet but have problems finding money to buy necessary food supplements

I thought of starting up a small-scale business but had no capital. Luckily, I got accepted to join a women's business group in my village set up by Micro Loan Foundation and managed to get a small loan to start my business".

Read more of Edess's story in my next blog, later this week.
Fiskani

In a dramatic twist of events, things are taking a different path at Ungweru.

Ungweru is a community-based youth organisation. It has a broad range of activities under its umbrella including education, agriculture and environmental issues. The total number of registered members of the organisation is over 50. Some members just come to read at the library while some come to learn computer skills.

When the micro-solar business opportunity was dangled in front of them, some enthusiastic members quickly requested training and have proved to be very hard-working.

Since the first training session back in April last year, the group has evolved into a Micro-solar Assembling and Sales Business Group and has since linked up with money-lending institutions like Finance Cooperative (FINCOOP) for access to business loans.

Most of the members are school-aged children. This makes daily participation in project activities limited as they have to attend classes during the day. Others are school leavers who are full-time. The varying degrees of participation has meant some people are more serious about it, while others have become casual.

Some dedicated members have therefore decided to breakout from the main group and set up their own independent solar group. They have also agreed to open and manage their own assembling shop away from Ungweru, in Luwinga.

Some members of Ungweru, discussing setting up an independent micro-solar business

They have opened a bank account with FINCOOP where sales profits will be deposited. In return, FINCOOP will give them business loans.

Some young ladies are hesitant to join the group apparently, as they reckon the proposed contribution fee is way beyond their means. There is however a proposal that whoever cannot afford to become a shareholder in the business will be offered the chance to become an employee responsible for assembling and selling of solar products.

The revolution has just begun. Or is it the evolution? Any more room for participant within the group? Let us wait and see.

The site at Luwinga market that will be renovated to become a micro-solar shop and assembling centre.