One mother transformed is one family changed. Wednesday has become Women’s Empowerment Day at Malibongwe. Two or three times a year, we have an intake of 12 women who meet every Wednesday for 12 weeks.
Every session starts with discipleship. We work through the “One 2 One” book in small groups. Prayer and mentorship in an intimate setting create opportunities for inner healing, breaking soul ties and addressing past hurts and fears. We rejoice greatly when women give their lives to the Lord and are baptised. We have found that spiritual healing and growth is pivotal to success in all other areas of our course.
The women are taught basic life skills, including how to compile a CV, market a small business, create a business plan, attend an interview and do basic first aid. They are also given input on how to parent their children and stimulate age-appropriate growth. Cooking classes provide a meal for the class and teaches women to prepare healthy meals on a budget.
The session on starting a small business is followed with the provision of seed money to allow them to buy merchandise and start a small business. This is complemented by weekly training in basic accounting and business principles. We also teach various crafts and encourage them to sell their products to start earning an income immediately.
Every six months, we invite our past graduates to come and motivate the current women with testimonies of their progress. This is also an opportunity for past graduates to be encouraged in their businesses.
More than 250 women have graduated since 2011. Our passion is to see the lives of unemployed single mothers transformed through the love of Jesus and through the impartation of critical life and practical skills. Our desire is that, after the course, each woman will be able to provide for her family.
For more information, please contact Debby Belsham at debbybelsham@gmail.com