Business development training for rural women

AIMING to train 200 women by the end of the year, Amangwe Village successfully completed the first in a series of workshops dedicated to training women on business development and HIV/Aids awareness.

In partnership with the South African Business Coalition on health and Aids, Amangwe Village trained the first 21 women in Sokhulu.

Participants are identified by the self-help groups in Sokhulu, Ntambanana and KwaMthethwa under the mentorship of Amangwe Village and are trained by Amangwe’s Home-based Care Co-ordinator Amose Mtshali.

The two-day workshop is designed to help small business owners, particularly women, manage their business profitably and also be prepared for health-related emergencies.

At the end of the workshop, each participant will understand how to run a business, know about assets and liabilities, create an Aids policy for their work place, understand the impact of HIV on a person, family and business, protect the assets in their business and manage the risk in a business.

These are some of the topics covered at each workshop, which will also help small business owners expand their business and focus on the well-being of employees.

When interviewed, the trainees said they look forward to applying the course’s content to their businesses and that they learned the importance of record keeping and customer relationships.

‘The training will not only help trainees build their business but the knowledge will help their families understand the value of the business and how healthy lifestyles will have a positive impact on the business,’ said Amangwe Village Manager Erna Steynberg.