Small Business Development Empowers Women

For the average woman in Lidiwo village in Mozambique, life is normally a matter of taking care of the children and working on the farm with the rest of the family to ensure that food is available. Education, work outside the home, or investing in a small business, are out of the question because of her gender.

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EMPOWERS WOMEN
For the average woman in Lidiwo village in Mozambique, life is normally a matter of taking care of the children and working on the farm with the rest of the family to ensure that food is available. Education, work outside the home, or investing in a small business, are out of the question because of her gender.

This cultural practice began to change when World Renew partner IRM-RDD Small Business Staff (Sofia) started meeting with members of the Lidiwo community to help them begin to develope small businesses. Some of the women became interested, and they started a small group who started to save together regularly and then lend to each other on a rotating basis. They invest their loans in their farms to grow maize, potatoes, onions, and other vegetables. Then after the harvest, they buy and sell farm produce at neighboring markets. In addition to providing training in small business development, IRM-RDD staff has also been challenging women not to withdraw the money for farm needs only but to also use their loans to meet life’s bigger challenges and explore their potential to be more productive in the larger society.

Mercy Edson, a house wife and mother of four children, is one such women in Lidiwo village. She joined the small business group and received a loan that she invested in farm inputs. Mercy has been getting high yields from her farm. In 2011, she was able to save MK 50,000.00 (about 5,000.00 MT) with which she bought two cows and an ox-cart which she uses for transport. Mercy uses the animal dung to fertilize her crops for better yields and even gives some of the manure to other community members when they ask her.

Mercy’s life and family have been changed since she joined the IRM-RDD small business development program in her community. She now supports her family by providing some household necessities like salt and soap, supports her children in school, and even supports the church and other members of the community. Mercy’s profile in the community has changed from that of a woman with no voice in Lidiwo’s life to that of an ox-cart owner who is making her voice be heard and contributing to community life.

CONSERVATION FARMING STRENGTHENS THE VULNERABLE
When a woman becomes a widow in many parts of Africa she becomes exposed to different forms of hardship and neglect by the extended family and society. As a woman, she would not have access to land for farming and getting farm inputs such as improved seed, fertilizers and credit are out of the question.

Jacinta Sainane is a widow from Mphatsa community in Tsangano district Tete province of Mozambique, who found solace in conservation farming techniques which she learnt from World Renew partner in Mozambique IRM-RDD. Even though she is a widow without resources to buy improved seeds and chemical fertilizers, she has been able to work with her children to apply conservation farming techniques namely mulching, use of compost and animal manure and plant spacing. As a result she is hopeful that she will be able to get a good harvest so that she can get food for her family.

Mercy’s profile in the community has changed from that of a woman with no voice to that of an ox-cart owner who is making her voice be heard and contributing to community life.

CONSERVATION FARMING DISABILITY
Careva Amos, is young single cripple man in Mphatsa community of Tsangano district, Tete province of Mozambique, who lost his ability to walk since childhood. Careva who has been attending conservation farming trainings by World Renew partner IRM-RDD staff, in his community decided to apply some of the techniques he learnt on his farm especially plant spacing and use of animal manure (as he employs other youths in the community on his farm). This has made his crops look better and stronger giving him hope for a better harvest.

FIREWOOD ENERGY SAVING STOVES FOR COOKING EFFICIENCY
For women in Michelenje, Lago district of Niassa province Mozambique, cooking using firewood in the traditional way is a stressful way of preparing food for the family after hard work each day, until now that World Renew partner Anglican Diocese of Niassa has begun to introduce the improved firewood stove. The implication of the energy saving stove, is that women would be happier, healthier and would spend less time in search of firewood and it will be an additional step towards environmental protection.

The firewood energy saving stove is built with mud with chambers that keep the heat from the burning firewood from escaping so that most of it is directed to the pot for cooking food. Some of the benefits that users have mentioned include:

Cutting amount of firewood consumption drastically to 1-2 sticks for a few days
Shorter cooking time, as all heat is directed to the pot with minimal loss
Elimination of smoke
Clean kitchen surroundings

PARTNER TRAINING/CAPACITY BUILDING
IRM-RDD Trainings March 2013: As we started the year 2013, a two days training was organized by World Renew Program Consultant Mozambique on Sustainable Agriculture between March 5-6, 2013 at Vila Ulongue. The objective was to Increase the capacity of partner staff on the principles of Sustainable Agriculture and conservation agriculture so that they are better equipped to support project beneficiaries in the communities. A total of 13 (4 women 9 men) participants attended the workshop and each went back home with an action plan to implement some of the learning acquired.

GIVING OF IDEAS FOR MOZAMBIQUE
Is your Sunday school or small group looking for a giving project idea? Then you can support our work in Mozambique through the World Renew Gift Catalog. Items specific to Mozambique include:

Treadle Pump $230.00USD/Unit
Goats $35.00USD/Unit
Latrines $50.00USD
Exchange Visits $80.00 USD/Person
Bicycle $120.00USD/Unit
HIV/AIDS Stepping Stones Training $400.00 USD/Unit

PRAYER POINTS

Praise God journey mercies He granted me this year as I visited partners
Pray for the response currently underway to assist victims of the flood disaster that in Mutarara district in January 2013.
Pray for World Renew partner IRM-RDD as they continue with the remaining part of the seed distribution that it will be successful.
Continue to pray for the success in implementation of the CIDA Sustainable Livelihood projects started with World Renew partner in Mozambique (Anglican Diocese of Niassa and IRM-RDD)

Esther and I will again, like to conclude by expressing our deep appreciation to all World Renew supporters for your generous giving and prayers over the years. We pray that God will continue to keep and bless you all, as you labor to support His work at World Renew, in the coming months, of 2013. Always remember like the scriptures say, that your labor in the Lord is not in vain 1 Corinthians 15:58.

Yours in His Service,