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Business Reporter

More upcoming women entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe are expected to continue benefiting from a US-based empowerment group, The Sister Accord, which is providing skills transfer and grants for women and girls at grassroots level.

This comes after the 2021 launch of the Zimbabwean chapter – The Sister Accord Foundation Zimbabwe, which became the first such chapter in the region to promote the economic emancipation of women through providing skills and grants needed to start their own businesses.

Lack of financial support and skills rank among the top challenges hindering women from realising their full potential in businesses. But The Sister Accord founder and chief executive officer Sonia Jackson Myles expressed her commitment towards empowering women and girls in Zimbabwe.

She added that the foundation is dedicated to empowering girls and women, inculcating leadership skills as well as teaching one billion girls and women how to love themselves and support each other.

“We are living in very unusual times, and the need for true sisterhood has never been stronger. We celebrate the power of sisterhood and the belief that self-care and self-love are key aspects of living a fulfilled life.  When girls and women are confident and focused on their individual growth and development, it gives us the opportunity to build strong families, communities and nations,” she said virtually during a ladies tea party held in Bulawayo.

Addressing delegates at the same event, Sister Accord Foundation Zimbabwe ambassador Thabani Patience Gambiza said enhancing women´s economic participation generates higher returns for economies, and indisputably improves the lives of everyone in a community.

“The introduction of the Sister Accord Foundation Zimbabwe Chapter in 2021 was the beginning of great things for the women and girls in Zimbabwe in terms of empowering the mind, life skills training, sustenance of livelihoods, the importance of self-worth, saying no to gender-based-violence, leadership training and skills, education for both women and girls,” she said.

Ms Gambiza indicated that the foundation is already changing lives with six upcoming entrepreneurs receiving grants in Zimbabwe last year. These were drawn from poultry production to cakes and confectionaries and clothing.

“I am so happy to inform you that we had one lady who started from scratch, and she is one of the recognised women in her community because of the peanut butter she is making.

“Among the six beneficiaries, one is into poultry, while another one is making cakes and one is running a recreational park. We also have one who is making and selling sausages, and another running a successful clothing shop,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Gambiza said she will soon introduce the Foundation to various women and girls in the country’s 10 provinces.