Makonde, 11 July 2016 - At the age of 11, Sibongile Majaura (14) was at risk of dropping out of school facing a future of early child marriage, teenage pregnancy and a life of poverty. Fast forward only three years, Sibongile is excelling in her school studies and running a thriving chicken rearing business to support her education and her family thanks to the support of a unique programme designed to empower and invest in adolescent girls in Richmond in the rural district of Makonde, in north-western Zimbabwe.
As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Population Day, we focus on the this year's theme of "Investing in Teenage Girls". Too many girls like Sibongile face this fate due to deep povertyand harmful religious and cultural practices in rural Zimbabwe. But with knowledge and self-awareness, and the support of other girls and women through the Sista2Sista Club, a girls’ empowerment programme implemented by partners supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Zimbabwe under the Integrated Support Programme, funded by the governments of Britain, Ireland and Sweden, this young entrepreneur has been able to transform her life and that of her family.
At risk of school dropout
Sibongile lives with her family in Richmond, where the community largely depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Sibongile’s family survives on subsistence farming.
In 2011 Sibongile’s mother fell seriously ill with chronic ulcer problems and her father also began struggling with asthma preventing them from working on the land to fend for the family. This dashed Sibongile’s chances of continuing with her education. She was regularly turned away from school due to non-payment of fees.
“I was very upset because in my early primary schooling I was always 1st and 2nd in the class now I was coming last, sometimes 20th place because I was not learning enough,” said Sibongile.
Inspiring intervention
In 2014, at the age of 12, Sibongile joined a Sista2Sista Club. Launched in September 2013, the Sista2Sista club offers a safe place where vulnerable adolescent girls can speak with mentors and each other about their problems. Girls in the club learn about sexual and reproductive health and rights, the importance of education, financial literacy, and how to navigate difficult social situations, including coercive and abusive relationships. The programme also aims to give girls the confidence and self-esteem to stand up for themselves.
Sibongile became part of a group of 16 other vulnerable girls mentored by Makaita Maoyise. The group went through various themes on gender, health, education and financial awareness, which was of particular interest to Sibongile given her family’s financial situation.
I realised there was something I could do to get myself out of my situation," Sibongile.
“Traditionally there has been high rates of school drop outs among girls in our community due to poverty, child marriage and teenage pregnancy. That is why we encourage the girls through the Sista2Sista programme to begin income generating programmes and help them where we can,” said Sista2Sista mentor Makaita.
“When we went through the ‘Wants & Needs’ budgeting session in the club I realised there was something I could do to get myself out of my situation,” said Sibongile.
Entreprenurial Prowess
She talked to her mentor about starting income generating project to raise money for school fees. Makaita was impressed by her display of maturity and determination, particularly as she was the youngest in the group. They discussed different types of projects she could embark on and Sibongile indicated that she preferred the poultry project as her mother used to keep chickens and she had some prior knowledge of it. Her only stumbling block was capital to kick start the project.
Makaita informed her programme officer of Sibongile’s story and they provided her with a packet of corn snacks (jiggies) for resale to get her started. She showed great entrepreneurial prowess as she exchanged the corn snacks with maize which she later sold for $15 and bought two indigenous chickens [a hen and a cock] for $10. The hen laid eggs producing more chickens, which Sibongile then sold for $5 each. This enterprise allowed her to pay for her school fees and buy a uniform and stationery.
“What our daughter has done is a miracle to us; our lives have been transformed through her hard work,” Lidia, Sibongile’s mother.
Due to her thriving chicken rearing business, Sibongile has never been sent back home for non-payment of school fees and is even covering her younger brother’s (11 years) school fees and purchasing basic commodities for the family.
Sibongile’s parents are absolutely amazed by their daughter’s innovation and high level of maturity, “What our daughter has done is a miracle to us; our lives have been transformed through her hard work,” said Lidia, Sibongile’s mother.
Mrs Chitana, one of the teachers at Richmond secondary school, put her weight solidly behind the Sista2Sista programme, highlighting that it was contributing immensely towards the empowerment of vulnerable girls in the community.
“We have witnessed a dramatic decrease in the number of school drop outs among teenage girls in the community since the Sista2Sista clubs started operating. For example, in 2012 we had 8 girls sitting their O-levels, this year we have 37. The behaviour change is also noticeable, the girls are now mature and empowered.”
“We have witnessed a dramatic decrease in the number of school drop outs among teenage girls in the community since the Sista2Sista clubs started operating," Mrs Chitana, Sibongile's teacher.
Sibongile’s goal is to pursue further studies up to Advanced Level and continue on to University to one day become a nurse, enabling her to fully look after herself and her family.
She is encouraging other girls in her community to join the Sista2Sista clubs in order to gain valuable knowledge and life skills. “In the club I learnt about self-awareness, especially as a young girl not to rush into marriage and sexual relationships until I am older. It is common here to marry young but this puts us at risk of HIV & STIs, and as we are still young we don’t have the decision making skills and can suffer abuse within the relationship.”
“In the club I learnt about self-awareness, especially as a young girl not to rush into marriage and sexual relationships until I am older," Sibongile.
By Victoria Walshe
