Amangwe Village self-help women groups are stepping up
Self-help groups run by Amangwe Village, based in KwaMbonambi, are focused on empowering the area's rural women
EMPOWERING women through mentoring and basic entrepreneurial skills, Amangwe Village‘s self-help groups are flourishing, with members of one recently having started their own baking enterprise.
Since 2009, the number of Amangwe’s self-help groups has grown to 190, all of which have a maximum of 20 members and are located within the Sokhulu, Ntambanana and KwaMthethwa communities.
The idea behind these income-generating groups is that each woman puts R2 into the kitty at each weekly meeting.
When the money in the kitty exceeds a certain amount, group members can start taking loans which must be paid back within one month, with 10% interest.
Each group member must submit a motivation before other members agree to the loan, and the member deemed most in need is loaned the money.
Depending on requirements, loans to a number of group members can be made at one time.
Women are urged to use their loans either for household necessities, such school uniforms or renovations, or to start a business, providing the business is not a tavern.
Most women use the money to start up vegetable growing businesses, sewing of school uniforms or baking enterprises.
Philile Sigwaza, Lindiwe Sigwaza, Martha Mkwanazi and Nokulunga Khumalo, who are members of the Ingomusa Lethu group in Sokhulu, recently attended a baking workshop hosted by uMfolozi Local Municipality.
By the end of the week-long course, the group walked away with the knowledge of how to bake bread and scones, and also received a baking wood stove and baking utensils to aid them in setting up a baking enterprise.
With the intention of setting up their own enterprise, the members borrowed money from their group and bought some ingredients to get started.
The women have since established themselves as bakers within the Sokhulu community and sell their items for prices affordable to fellow community members.
Amangwe’s women empowerment programme, under which the self-help groups fall, is currently funded by South32.
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