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Charleen Ndlovu, Business Reporter
THE annual revenue growth being realised by Lupane Women’s Development Trust (LWDT)’s business units continues to play a pivotal role in improving the livelihoods of most families in Matabeleland North Province.

LWDT manager Ms Hildegard Mufukare said the organisation’s hospitality and craft businesses have over the past few years been surpassing their annual sales targets.

LWDT is one of the most successful rural based women empowerment organisations in the country. It offers handicraft, agriculture and business management training to women and assists in marketing their products both locally and internationally.

“Our business units performed well in year 2018 with the hospitality section exceeding its annual set target of $70 000, with our catering sales increasing by 20 percent from last year. We managed to play host to a number of individual clients, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), Government departments and various companies that work in Lupane. We largely attribute this improved business to the opening of Lupane State University, which has resulted in an increase in business activities within the centre and its surroundings,” she said.

LWDT offers accommodation, catering and conferencing facilities at its centre. Sales of the organisation’s craftwork continue to soar, buoyed by an increase in demand of its artefacts abroad with its distinct basketry wares of Nambya, Ndebele and Tonga origin being well sought after on the international market.

For the year 2018 the organisation’s crafts gross sales increased by 40 percent with exports experiencing a surge of 15 percent. The organisation’s craft sales have risen from $7 738 in 2010 to $58 000 recorded in 2018.

Through its partnership with Zubo Trust, LWDT managed to realise $15 000 from selling artefacts produced by Binga women weavers. Last year LWDT managed to sell the weavers’ baskets to buyers in Mozambique, Holland, Turkey, Mexico and the United States of America for $9 242 and handed over $8 354 upon deducting its facilitation fee.

Zubo Trust is involved in various women empowerment projects in Binga and in an effort to seek viable markets for its members’ craft ware as well as imparting them with requisite basic business skills, it partnered LWDT last year.

“Our artefacts have been a hit on the market with exports constituting 65 percent of our total production and this saw us exporting our wares to countries that include Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Zambia, Malawi, Israel, Canada and the USA,” said Ms Mufukare.

LWDT gives 85 percent realised from the sale of each basketry product to the weavers with the 15 percent going towards covering various costs that would have been incurred by the organisation.

“Most of our members have managed to significantly improve their livelihoods through the revenue they have generated from the sale of their artefacts. Apart from getting money to pay for their children’s school fees most of them have improved their homes as well as accumulate wealth through purchasing livestock. Most of the members are making an average of $50 while the outstanding ones realise up to $700 a month,” said Ms Mufukare.

LWDT has extended its craft work training to Tsholotsho and Nkayi as it seeks to empower more women in the province.

“The institute benefits members in Lupane, Binga, Nkayi and Tsholotsho. These have received support through training, information and marketing skills. We are looking forward to growing and becoming a regional basketry centre in the near future,” said Ms Mufukare.

Two months ago LWDT was voted the best exhibit in crafts at an international expo, which was hosted by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development in conjunction with United Nations Development Programme.

Apart from being involved in a number of agricultural projects such as nutrition and keyhole gardens, bee keeping and small livestock (chickens and goats) in communities, the organisation is involved in farming activities at its 40 hectare plot through engaging in poultry and horticultural production.

“The institute is also involved in farming activities at its 40 hectare plot, which we were allocated by the Government with financial support towards investment at the farm being received from Liechtenstein Development Services (LED) and United States Development Fund (USADF) in past years. We are currently the largest producer of broilers in the district and we are also involved in horticulture,” said Ms Mufukare.