By Banele Magongo
MBABANE – World Vision Eswatini (WVE) and the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund (YERF) have used vocational training and financial literacy to take women and caregivers out of poverty.
This took place at Bethesda Church in Nhlangano, where 103 young women and Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) caregivers were recognised for completing a six-month vocational skills training programme.
The women and caregivers were not only given vocational skills, but were also taught about financial literacy. This was done by YERF.
The ceremony marked the end of a successful initiative that provided participants with valuable job skills and economic opportunities. The program has been a shining example of how investing in vocational training can make a real difference in the lives of people in need.
In an effort to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and provide people with the means to support themselves, World Vision funded the vocational skills training program through its Likusasa Ngeletfu project, in collaboration with the Livelihoods Technical program. The six-month training focused on four specific skills: electrical, plumbing, sewing, and welding. The training was designed to give participants the tools they need to be independent.
Speaking at the ceremony, World Vision Eswatini National Director Tinah Mukunda emphasised that the organisation’s overall goal was to end poverty. “As you graduate today, you are fulfilling the goal of the organisation which is to move communities out of poverty.” Mukunda said.
One of the graduates under plumbing, Nokwanda Dolly Simelane, expressed her gratitude for acquiring a lifetime skill that will transform her family’s life
“I will now be able to support my parents as they are old and also support my child by taking him to a better school. I wish to open my own business through the skill I learnt here instead of working for someone,” she said.
A special thank you was extended to the organisation’s partners who helped make the training program possible. Sebenta National Institute provided the training, while YERF taught the participants financial literacy skills. Without these partners, the program would not have been a success. The National Director expressed gratitude for their support and emphasized the importance of partnerships in creating positive change.
