Micro Businesses Bring Economic Empowerment
We received sponsorship to initiate micro businesses for the members of our Mother’s Club for HIV positive women and their babies. We supplied the women with products of their choice to the value of R1,000 each. We provide the supplies in large containers at a good price, and then the women are then responsible to return the cost price to reorder their products.
We supplied all the women with calculators and receipt books to help them keep track of their profit margins and sales. They are learning how to handle their accounts and make progress with their micro businesses. It has been an education for everyone, as important life skills are learned and, when successful, it is a sustainable project, which empowers and enhances the lives of the women and their families.
The Mother’s Club Crèche and Counselling Centre
Our converted container is in place and is already in use for our Sunday Club. It gives a place to hold the meetings when it rains, which has happened a great deal recently, as well as to store sports and other equipment for the club. We are working on building an office for the counselling centre and completing the necessary improvements for the Mother’s Club crèche (childcare center) which will be a free-of-charge crèche run by the HIV positive mothers themselves.
Facing the future with dignity
While not a subject that most of us like to think about, having a proper funeral plan for the Mother’s Club has long been on our minds and hearts. We have had a few instances where members of our support groups have died, and there have been no finances to bury them with dignity. The club has now opened a bank account into which members put money every month from which each one who contributes will receive a burial fund. Taking care of issues like this is extremely important to HIV-positive people, as it can be a constant worry for them, which can in turn affect their health.
Originally Published in 2008.