Advancing social justice, promoting decent work
ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations
English
A joint monitoring visit with SIDA
It has been only seven months since sixty women were identified as beneficiaries for the Joint Programme for Gender Equality (JPGE) from a total of 280 households in Ward 1 of Murewa District. Murewa is the fifth district to benefit from the Women’s Economic Empowerment ILO component of the JPGE programme after Chivi, Gutu, Nyanga and Mutoko.
MUREWA (ILO News) - Due to long distance problems between the households and water sources, the group was split into two, with thirty women each for the two sites. This arrangement alone has induced competition between the two groups, which has spurred the project into an impressive producer of maize, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, beans, butternut and leafy vegetables, namely cauliflower, kale and cabbages. There is almost palpable energy when the women narrate how the gardens have given them and their families a new lease of life.
"We used to walk long distances, crossing this crocodile infested Inyagui River, just to buy a head of cabbage. I never knew it would be this easy to grow my own cabbages".
The benefits from the gardens are multi-pronged: the families are experiencing improved nutrition and health as they consume part of the produce, they have a source of income – small as it may seem from an outsider; with the added confidence of knowing who to approach when they need to borrow some money.
Then - October 2015(Preparing the land)NOW - April 2016
From the sale of the produce, the women have established a joint bank account which they, and the community at large can borrow at little interest. Net income generated and banked by the Nyamukovera and Mutowa groups currently stand at $900.00 and $450.00 respectively– amounts the sixty women would never have collectively owned before the project.
Another interesting innovation by the group is that they are practicing the knowledge and skills acquired during a sensitization workshop on occupational safety and health (OSH) such as the safe disposal of waste and personal hygiene.
The ILO, UN Women and UNDP – who are jointly implementing the five year JPGE programme, together with the development partner SIDA, went on a joint monitoring visit. Together they listened to the stories of change from the beneficiaries, the community and district leadership as they toured the two project sites.
Beneficiaries with UN Women (Delphine Serumaga in white t/shirt and sunglasses) and ILO Director (Hopolang Phororo in orange t/shirt) and Embassy of Sweden, Second Secretary Development Cooperation, Lina Warhner (standing by the banner)
