africaahead.org

PHASE 3. ECONOMIC SUPPORT

Skills Training

Income Generation

Financial & Management Training

Adult Literacy Training

Skills Training:  As poverty is the underlying cause of poor standards of living, club members often request training in new skills to enable them to earn an income at home. Training of women in particular is vital as with many breadwinners dying prematurely wives are often left without skills to earn a living. In the AHEAD Programme women have become prime contributors as a result of the skills they have been trained in through the health clubs. There is a high demand for this aspect of the health club activities. To prevent these opportunities being hi-jacked by opportunists who have until this time avoided the health sessions, most health clubs pass a by-law that only those who have completed the health sessions can receive skills training and join income generating groups. Each club divides its members into smaller groups and each group is trained in a different skill. However it is important that four criteria are established before investment in a project:

• 1. The raw materials should be easily available locally.

• 2. There should be a local demand for the produce.

• 3. Each group should have a bank account and constitution

• 4. Each group should contribute start up costs.

The implementing agency then trains the members and donates appropriate equipment (e.g. an oil press or soap cutting machine).

Income Generation:  The following income generation activities have been undertaken in health clubs:

Bee Keeping in Zimbabwe

Financial & Management Training:  Each Income Generating Group has its own Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. One of the main constraints in the effective running of home industries is the lack of management skills and lack of understanding of bookkeeping procedures. These can easily be taught and the monitoring of IG Groups is done by a coordinator in each area to assist with correct book-keeping. Records are carefully kept of income and expenditure, and returns made to the members when there is profit. The high level of accountability has been one of the reasons that health clubs are often given bank loans or benefit from government revolving loans because they have proved their credit-worthiness, and are within a well organized system.

Adult Literacy Training: Responding to the priorities of the community is a key tenet within the AHEAD methodology. A problem identified by health club members was the low level of literacy and numeracy, especially among women. Therefore one member in each club was trained as an adult literacy trainer, responsible for running weekly literacy classes for any member within her own club. Most villages now have a local resource person for anyone who wishes to improve their literacy. Many illiterate women have taken advantage of this opportunity, whilst some who are semi-literate have taken their high school certificates and become fully literate. This is a key aspect of empowerment of women and gender equity.