Women turn new skills into life-changing business

Women in the Zimbabwe East Conference are using their hands to transform their lives.

With the skills they gained at a garment-making workshop earlier this year, several women from the seven districts of the conference are providing a better life for themselves and their families.

Constance Nyanungo, a retired pastor’s spouse, participated in the workshop sponsored by United Methodist Women. She said she is overjoyed to be able to contribute and support her husband’s income through entrepreneurship and garment making.  

“When I acquired knowledge and skills, I always seriously put them into good use for the benefit of my family. … I am a living testimony of a result of the work of my hands,” she said.

“I have stopped being a crying baby who would wait for the full support from a husband, but through my determination in using my hands, I have managed to contribute significantly to the household in complimenting to my husband’s income as well as supporting him to raise the family.”

Evelyn Musewe, a member of United Methodist Women and lecturer on fashion and fabrics at Mutare Polytechnic College, praised the women for their efforts and industriousness in running their projects successfully.

“I was impressed on the high standards of their work, considering that some of the women were pioneers in the field,” she said.

“The idea of garment making plays a critical role in poverty alleviation and especially if on a large scale. Empowering women has economic importance to the nation. If you empower a woman, you have empowered the nation, so is the objective of (The United Methodist Church).”

Nyanungo urged other women to take action, noting that poverty is a state of the mind.

“I encourage women to change their mindset and be innovative through the use of hands to transform the world (and) to also consider any opportunity that comes to life as a vehicle to transform lives. … My wish is to have more clergy wives participating in activities organized by the church earmarked to transform the livelihoods of women and their families.”

Talent Marange, co-dean/chairperson for United Methodist Women, said the garment workshop equipped the women with a wealth of practical and actionable strategies for problem solving.

“The workshop accorded them an opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills to enable them to make a good and right decision on choosing garment materials, design, cutting and sewing,” she said. “My strongest desire was to see their lives fully transformed as they successfully execute their projects at home.”

Edith Mushunje, a beneficiary from the Marange District, said she is grateful for the garment-making project, because the work is not dependent on the weather. Marange District is prone to dry spells, causing crops to fail to thrive. The result is perpetual poverty.

“For decades,” said Mushunje, “we have been investing all our efforts and resources in farming, but due to poor rains, we ended up harvesting nothing and continue to live in abject poverty,” she said.

“Now that I have ventured into garment making and my customers are paying in monetary form or barter trading, all these help me to sustain a better living than before. I have managed to pay school fees for my children, who had dropped out of school. My life has fully transformed in all its aspects.”

Chingwe is communications coordinator for the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference. News media contact: Vicki Brown at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.