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Gender with Pamenus Tuso
“Before this course, there were some gaps in my business that I could see especially in accounting, marketing and strategising. After the training, I can safely say that I’m going to be implementing some changes in my business. The first thing I’m going to do is to formulate a clear vision and mission for my business and set out clear goals”

THE popular talk on the need for women empowerment is often not supported by practical action.

But, thanks to an initiative by a locally based non-profit organisation, Professional Women, Women Executives and Business Women (PROWEB), which in the past three years has offered free entrepreneurship training to scores of women in various skills for no charge, that talk has translated into action.

Established in 2015, PROWEB Business Women’s Training and Mentorship programme seeks to strengthen the capacity of women entrepreneurs by giving them information and business skills through structured training that includes entrepreneurship, financial literacy, business proposal development and mentorship.

Among the beneficiaries of the training programme is Mrs Senzeni Chidziya-Bhila, the director and founder of Susceptible Iyanai Chinoda Arts and Craft, a community based organisation which works with orphans and vulnerable children.

Mrs Chidziya-Bhila (51) is among a group of 30 young and older women who were selected from the southern region to undergo intensive six weeks business training under this programme which is supported by United Kingdom-based Virgin Unite, Graca Machel Trust and the Johannesburg-based Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Mrs Chidziya-Bhila says her attitude towards business management has greatly improved after she enrolled with the institute where she received intensive training in business management.

“Before joining the PROWEB business training programme, I didn’t know how to effectively manage my business.

“I used to think as the owner of the business, I could just do whatever I wanted without realising that I should be guided by business values and principles in running the organisation. During the training, I learnt how to plan and strategise in managing my business,” said Mrs Chidziya-Bhila.

Ms Patience Muchuchu, a business woman who runs a transport business, poultry rearing and frozen cool drink-making businesses said before enrolling with PROWEB, she was facing several challenges in running her family business.

“Before this course, there were some gaps in my business that I could see especially in accounting, marketing and strategising. After the training, I can safely say that I’m going to be implementing some changes in my business.

“The first thing I’m going to do is to formulate a clear vision and mission for my business and set out clear goals,” said Ms Muchuchu.

She said she also received valuable information from stakeholder representatives such as Zimra officials who are involved in the trainings.

“I was one person who feared Zimra but following presentations from one of their officials, I now know that it’s an advantage to register one’s business with Zimra. There’re some benefits of paying taxes which I didn’t know about. I’ve also learnt about business ethics.”

Ms Muchuchu said following the business trainings, she is confident that her business will record tremendous success.

“From now onwards, I’ve set myself standards which I want my business to follow. This training has been a real game changer in my business. I wish every woman who runs a business could be exposed to such trainings,” she said.

Another businesswoman, Ms Xolie Nxumalo, who runs a clothing manufacturing company, also spoke highly of the skills programme. Ms Nxumalo said she was linked to the organisation by the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development.

“I was referred to PROWEB by the Ministry of SMEs. PROWEB trainers enlightened me on how to run my business effectively. I’m sure if I follow the PROWEB guidelines, my company will continue to grow,” said Ms Nxumalo.

The business woman said she has also learnt how to separate business from her person.

“We have to be separate ourselves from our companies. One can’t run a business from a handbag. I’ve also learnt how to write business plans which I can now present to potential investors who want to partner with me.”

Ms Nxumalo, who employs more than 30 people in her factory, supplies uniforms and other clothing wear mostly to government institutions and colleges.

PROWEB programmes officer, Ms Tineyi Hungwe said since the inception of the programme, a lot of women entrepreneurs have been trained.

“Under this programme, we’re mainly targeting women doing business from the age of 20. The main objective of this scheme is so that women increase their income in their businesses.

“They should also create employment and promote business growth as well as business sustainability and diversity,” said Ms Hungwe.

She said female entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe were disadvantaged compared to their male counterparts.

Under the programme, aspiring trainees apply and successful candidates undergo a six months training course and have access to high calibre mentorship.

“Our trainings also have a gender component where participants discuss the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs. We also get feedback and recommendations from the trainees themselves in order for us to improve female entrepreneurship in areas that are dominated by males.”

Ms Hungwe said her organisation has designed a finance and accounting module.

“This module actually introduces the entrepreneurs to accounting and finance terms. As key deliverables for our programming, we expect the entrepreneurs who have participated in the course to come up with a business plan. We have allocated each individual trainee a supervisor who assists in the development of the business plan,” she said.