Zimpapers Logo

isolation that is life to either, will die.”
According to one commentary this sort of connecting is done “without bitterness until all men (and women) are brothers (and sisters).”
Zimbabwean women connecting continues as I bring the piece that I promised last week while reflecting on International Women’s Day. I write about some of Zimbabwe’s leading ladies whose accomplishments should not only be celebrated, but are lessons for today and tomorrow’s woman, with their experiences put together spanning over half a century, in the fields of politics, commerce and industry, business, the pulpit, the kitchen and the bedroom.
On February 2, Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni, banker and Woman Excel co-director Ms Priscilla Munyeza and Pastor Nomasonto Tuturu of Harvest House International shared nuggets at a fundraising dinner for ladies at a local hotel in Harare on how women can outshine in their prayer closets and in the marketplace without necessarily compromising their roles.
The dinner was organised by Maximised Lifestyle International (MLI) whose main thrust is “Building balanced, competent women of excellence” and the theme was: “Empowering a Godly woman is empowering the whole nation”.
Just like the quote above, the “sermon” from all three was, “only connect”. In her introductory remarks Pastor Tuturu said, “We believe that small to medium enterprises (SMEs) can greatly contribute to the fiscus and turnaround of the economy . . . We want as MLI women to be enlightened and exposed to new ideas, engage and seriously participate in small businesses rather than the four corners of the church per se”.
Minister Nyoni, a demure, regal and exuberant woman who is also a fashion trend setter has a passion on women empowerment, which has cascaded through decades. She spoke on the following areas: What opportunities exist for women in business, what are the funding opportunities available for women in business, what is the process of accessing funding? what opportunities exist for women in the political sector?
Minister Nyoni started off by defining concepts that have become buzzwords: “Empowerment implies somebody who has no power. Once you say that, you then have to ask yourself, ‘What is power?’
“When we are talking about empowerment, we are talking about the void of power — (meaning that) power is not there. “What is power for us (as women)? I looked it up in the dictionary (and got this definition), power is (the) ability to do something, to control, to influence. It is authority, dynamism.”
Minister Nyoni also said according to one source, the sources of power include: knowledge, technology, money, economics, violence and threats, from association, etc. She stressed that for the Godly woman in the marketplace, there is only one source of power — the Holy Spirit: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NKJV).
“So for Christian women, power comes from receiving the Holy Spirit. When you then receive this power from the Holy Spirit, what it means is that you have received control, authority, ability and capacity to do anything”, said Minister Nyoni.
“Power is from God”, said Minister Nyoni. God wants us to be economically able. He wants us to be wealthy because it is His plan. Do you know that poverty is an integrated evil? Poverty is a sin . . . Poverty is created by marginalisation, oppression and exclusion.” She also spoke about business opportunities for Christian women and told them that business is about managing supply and demand profitably, and when women start businesses, they should start with God-given gifts like ideas, environmental problems, political problems which can also be opportunities.
She also said that in this framework as women become economically empowered, they should also realise that some of their major goals are peacemaking, nation-building: “Women of God are needed on the political arena” because of the power of love they exude. In politics and the marketplace, “love can rule”.
Turning to funding options, she told women that there were some banks, including Royal Bank, Sedco, CBZ, Cabs, Metropolitan, Agribank willing to assist women entrepreneurs.
She also cautioned that when they get the loans, they should pay back and that women should not only support each other, but they should network positively.
Ms Munyeza told the women, “The idea (behind this fund-raising dinner) is to learn, inspire each other and actually grow . . . I believe that each and every one of us here has what it takes to be big and to financially grow. It is a matter of how we place ourselves, socially . . .”
Some of the motivational but thought provoking statements she made were:
“When people saw a barren woman in Sarah, God saw a mother of a great nation; when people saw a shepherd in David, God saw a mighty king of the people of Israel, when people saw a poor prisoner in Joseph, God saw a prime minister in Egypt. Never take note of what people see in you, because in the eyes of the Almighty, we are great persons”.
She recited her story — a young woman from Chitungwiza who not only a senior banker now, but also a co-director of Woman Excel, a network of women organisation, which was launched last year. With Woman Excel, they created a platform for women in the marketplace to transform themselves from mediocrity to excellence.
Ms Munyeza said that people ask her how she got there, and she tells them: “I had many sisters who were ahead of me who used to inspire and encourage me, and this is the method God used to make me grow when we talk about Woman Excel.”
Ms Munyeza also said that Biblical examples abound of women role models who provide principles for running successful enterprises and the same can happen with us today. She added that according to the Word, God is no respecter of persons. He does not always call the qualified, but he calls the unqualified in order to qualify them and that He can work with anyone who will properly come to Him. “As women, we are called to be financially empowered, to be resourceful and we should apply passion. Every woman I believe should be enterprising”, she implored. (Proverbs 31)
Pastor Tuturu, the host said, “We are glad to tell you that MLI has embarked on several activities in a bid to empower women.
Led by Apostle Sarah Nyathi, MLI’s vision is “to offer a comprehensive, structured, ordered ministry that will offer holistic growth encompassing spirit, soul and body to women within Harvest House International (John 10:10): It is entrenched in Godly values, Biblical principles, excellence, diversity, wisdom, confidentiality, pioneering and trail blazing Spirit.
So, only connect! That was the whole sermon in order to improve the status of the Zimbabwean woman: spiritually, economically, socially, culturally and political even — irrespective of age and social standing.