Women benefit
from mayoral fund
By Tabisa Mntengwana
29 April 2009
MORE than 20 women were trained in basic financial management and project management through the City’s Women Empowerment Fund.
The fund, launched in May 2008, targeted women-owned co-operatives. The 11 projects that received assistance are in the fields of agriculture, construction, crafts, hospitality, textiles and others, both in the formal and informal sectors.
They shared the fund’s R5-million, which was used to buy materials, equipment and machinery. Each project also sent one or two women for training in basic financial management and project management.
Part of participation in the fund is for the project owners to share their expertise with their communities.
Those who received training were given certificates at the municipality’s Trust Centre Building in East London on Tuesday, 21 April.
The event began with a welcome by the City’s public participation and special programmes general manager, Thabo Matiwane. “The women’s project was set aside to empower women who were previously disadvantaged and also to give them business skills to grow their business,” he said.
Those who had benefited should move forward and use the skills gained to better their lives and those of others around them.
The women were trained by BW Training and Project, a skills training company in Berea. Shaun Petzer, from the special programmes unit, and Zintle Mahamba, from BW Training and Project, handed out the certificates.
Public participation official, Kholeka Makalima, concluded proceedings. “We are happy to know that these projects are succeeding and beneficiaries depend on these projects for survival.”
Buffalo City received more than 100 applications for the fund, out of which 11 were chosen to participate.
Contact us:
