THE COMMUNITY NEEDS EMPOWERMENT IN ORDER TO OVERCOME VULNERABILITY AND DEPENDENCE
Today we have had a unique opportunity to discuss with a few
women in Bagamoyo ward about the prevalent vulnerability and how to overcome it.
But we have also identified the skills and experience they have so that they
can be empowered. This training was conducted in our sub-office (empowerment
office) at Korogwe.
The main challenges identified were women abused by their
husbands, abandonment and violence against children. The skills possessed by
participants are farming, entrepreneurship, masonry, cooking and hair plaiting.
We have a tendency of supporting people without considering
their real needs and potential. As a result, we produce many dependent people. Even the scriptures say that everyone who has,
more will be given, and he will have abundance. Every one of us has something.
When we support people while we are not fully aware of their
needs and abilities, several things happen:
1. They don't appreciate the support given to them as it was
not their basic need (something important to you is not necessarily important
to other people)
2. We create dependent people who are waiting for support
all the time (they don’t have courage to be productive)
3. They cannot overcome poverty (they eat their seed corn or
principal money)
For example, if we provide education about chicken farming
and give chickens to people who have no vision or experience in chicken
farming, they can slaughter them for meat. It is better to identify their capacity
and readiness before providing education and tools if we want to see SUSTAINABILITY
and POSITIVE RESULTS. We should not start a new vision for them but supporting
their vision. And if we have something new that will be beneficial to them, we
have to make sure that they understand it and get their buy-in.
I would like to thank everyone who donates clothes to meet
the needs of others. These women did not return home empty-handed. Each one got
5 clothes. May God bless you.
We still need your financial and material donations for
supporting vulnerable and marginalized people.
We provide counseling, training, dialogues and referrals for
people with relationship challenges and gender-based violence. Our target
groups are children, young people, parents, couples, community leaders,
survivors of gender-based violence etc.
We are very grateful to Government leaders from Bagamoyo ward
for their great cooperation and managing to participate in this important event
for the community.
Lawi Mshana, Beyond Four Walls, +255 712 924234
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Uwezeshaji/
