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Economic empowerment project for women and youth receives major boost from Canada
Taurai Maduna, Kubatana.net
March 02, 2006

View Dzidzai Women's Technical College - picture story

Women from Dzidzai Foundation Trust welcoming Canadian ambassador Roxanne Dubé

Women from Hauna Growth Point, in Mutasa district in the Manicaland Province could not hide their joy, singing and ululating, when Ms. Roxanne Dubé, Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe arrived at Dzidzai Women's Technical College. The colourful welcome she received could have been easily mistaken for a new bride coming into the traditional homestead.

Ms Dubé was in Hauna Growth Point to commission the Z$ 2.3 billion economic empowerment project for women and youth being administered by the Dzidzai Foundation Trust (DFT), a community based skills training organization.

The project was funded through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) and involved the procurement of furniture and fixtures for a training and conference centre that is being run by the community to generate income. Part of the commissioned goods includes 25 beds and 10 conference room chairs.

Canadian ambassador Roxanne Dubé speaking to one of the cutting and design students at Dzidzai Women's Technical College

Speaking to the local community present during the commissioning, the Ambassador said she was personally touched and inspired by the formidable work being done by the community.

"This is a local initiative where founder members and the host community, with some level of external professional and financial assistance, have shown endurance in pursuing a vision for skills development among rural women and youth," said Ms Dubé.

The work being done by the women brought back memories for the Ambassador. She said when she left school in Canada there were no jobs and she opted to join a training centre where she learnt how to type and later worked as a secretary. She attributed her success today to having gone through a training centre.

Part of the commissioned goods included 25 beds

In her address to the invited guests, Shiela Nyabereka the Dzidzai president said the Dzidzai Training Centre had enrolled 200 students to date. She said only 89 had managed to graduate as some dropped out because of lack of financial assistance. She added that her organisation is now seeking funds to build a multi-purpose hall.

A representative from the Mutasa District Administrator's office commended the work being done by Dzidzai. "Dzidzai is not a profit organisation but a service provider," said the DA who pledged full support for the Dzidzai Training Centre. He also added that Dzidzai was now benefiting not only women and youth but also the whole ommunity.

The Dzidzai Training Centre was established in the 1980's by a group of women from Hauna Growth Point offering health education to the community and later expanded their services to establish a training centre when it was established that a large number of the youths were not being absorbed into the job market.

Some of the youth who are learning how to make shoes, sandals and handbags at Dzidzai Women's Technical College

Dzidzai Training Centre offers skills training in areas such as catering, cutting and design, among many others. It is a self-sustaining project by women that offers skills that help women to empower themselves.

To date, Dzidzai Training Centre has managed to produce 150 entrepreneurs who have started their own businesses creating self-reliance and employment in the community.

The Dzidzai Foundation Trust is just one of the many initiatives funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in support of women in Zimbabwe.

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