Z’bar women sensitized on opportunities for income generation

ZANZIBAR: THE executives of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) have encouraged women in Zanzibar, particularly the jobless, to make the best use of opportunities for income generation so as they get rid of poverty.

This was emphasized during a sensitization visit for women entrepreneurship development and economic empowerment in different areas of Unguja Island.

FAWE is a Pan-African NGO founded in 1992 by five women ministers of education to promote girls’ and women’s education in sub-Saharan Africa.

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It is working in 32 African countries to empower girls and women through gender-responsive education.

FAWE- Zanzibar programme manager Ms Habiba Situmai Said said there were many opportunities brought by different institutions including FAWE that the girls and women should rush for, to get employed.

“While FAWE and other institutions have been working hard to support women, members of the society should also innovate and provide opportunities for girls, so that No-one-is left behind economically,” Ms Habiba said.

She mentioned that FAWE is now implementing a ‘women’s entrepreneurship development and economic empowerment’ project supported by Malala Fund.

Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani education activist and 2014 Nobel Prize laureate was the founder of the ‘Malala Fund’ to support girls.

“The project aims to help empower women in economic difficulties, and girls under the age of 21, who have dropped out of school due to different reasons including child pregnancy, to continue with their studies or vocational training for self-reliance,” Ms Habiba said.

Already there is a total of 31 girls benefited from the ‘back to school’ initiative at the Gamba and Mahinda training centres, and that additional 65 girls from villages of Kijini, Kinyasini, Matemwe, Gamba and Donge receiving entrepreneurship training in various fields including food preparation, and arts & crafts. The target is to support more than 120 girls.

The programme has been working with local leaders (Sheha) in Unguja North A & North B districts to identify the girls and women who qualify for the one-year project.

Coordinator for alternative education, Ministry of education and vocational training in Unguja North region, Mr Abdallah Juma Abdallah, thanked FAWE for the project to empower young women in the northern region.

“We are grateful to FAWE for choosing Unguja North region for the project. Studies and training for girls in culinary professions, and cosmetologist jobs, will help them get out of poverty,” he said.

Culinary profession trainer Ms Riziki Hassan Ibrahim said “We teach them different professional food preparation such as bread baking so that they establish their own small bakery and sale.”

Ms Samini Suleiman Makame, one of the beneficiaries, thanked FAWE for empowering them with skills, “We are confident that after the training we will be self-employed and generate income.”

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