Women empowerment: Energising Local Economic Development and Sustainable Livelihoods

Republic of South Africa, Republic of Mozambique, The Kingdom of Swaziland, Republic of Zimbabwe

Amount: € 148,932.06

Overview

The purpose of the LeadAfrika (Afrika Leadership Development Institute) programme was to draw up an implementable Marginalised Communities Action Plan (MCAP) for four localities in South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The aim being to energise Local Economic Development (LED) and Sustainable Livelihoods, which is owned and supported by women and their communities at large. This was supported by a capacity building program to ensure successful implementation and sustainability. The priorities of the initiative were to improve the functioning of the economy in the defined areas, mobilise and bring community assets into use and to create jobs through enterprise expansion and retention. SME development opportunities unique to the communities were identified and implemented to the benefit of 362 women. SME projects implemented include, inter alia, tourism and hiking projects, the establishment of local restaurants and small scale production facilities for locally popular, Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods (FMCG).

Key results

• LeadAfrika’s intervention facilitated capacity building projects which empowered women in the in 4 communities from South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Capacity building projects established small scale vegetable and livestock farming ventures, training in local arts and crafts manufacturing, starting local restaurants and production facilities for locally popular, Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods (FMCG).
• In the Island Santa Maria, Mozambique, for example the project set up an eco- tourism camp in Inhaca operated by community members. The project also supported a transportation system (boats) managed by women to take tourists from Santa Maria to Inhaca Island and established community gardens, chicken farming units and a brick building project.
• The project also changed the livelihood of 150 impoverished women from the 4 communities through capacity building initiatives in the fields of agriculture and agro-processing. The intervention of the project helped the women and their families to escape from endemic poverty. The agricultural projects have enhanced the food security of the communities and provided the women with an additional income stream via the selling of excess produce.