Introducing the Imbokodo Women Empowerment Foundation

• 0262 – Founder and managing director of Imbokodo Woman Empowerment Foundation Ms Julia Maseko says she would not have been able to launch the foundation withouth the support of her loving husband, Mr Sambulo Nkosi.

• 0254/0255 – The three keynote speakers of the day were the chairman of the caucus Ms Jeanet Ngandzweni, founder and managing director of IWEF Ms Julia Maseko and founder and principal of Beezy Beez Pre-School, Ms Ira Pillay.

NELSPRUIT – Females are economically undervalued and there is a need to empower them.

This is the view of founder and managing director of the Imbokodo Woman Empowerment Foundation (Iwef), Ms Julia Maseko. She recently launched the foundation with the theme “advancing socio-economic freedom, emancipation and poverty alleviation for women”.

“I take pride and joy in marking this historic day as a young woman who is filled with passion to be an inspiring humanitarian, and to have thee urge to assist and empower females in our province,” said Maseko.

“Iwef is a provincial non-profitable organisation that has been established in order to empower women both rural and urban, aged 15 and older. We seek to assist by being a link and providing information to local communities and the departments, and the stakeholders,” she explained.

“Through analysis conducted with the municipalities on the needs of different women, we have been able to assist where possible with food parcels, clothing and financial support.”

The foundation’s survey included three district municipalities and 1 000 women, and found the following:

• 30 proposed a need for sewing machines in order to start a small business in which they could make curtains and duvets.

• 100 were in need of land to grow vegetables in order to sell for income.

• 100 were found to be illiterate and in need of literacy classes in order to empower them to obtain cleaning jobs.

• 200 were found to be infected with HIV/Aids, but were too impoverished to get back to health, as medication and proper nutrition hadn’t been received. They requested assistance to establish a soup kitchen to ensure daily meals before medication could to be taken.

• A general need of education in terms of HIV/Aids awareness was needed, as most of them proved to be unaware of the fact that precautionary measures needed to be taken during intercourse.

• They need to be educated on silent killers such as cervical and breast cancer, as well as how to perform proper breast checks.

“What was the most shocking find in all three districts, was that there was a pressing need for shelters for abused women and children,” added Maseko.

“I would like to create a vehicle to enable environment and social structures for women, by creating social order for them, and improving living conditions and their status. As we celebrated Women’s Month in August, it was with implicitly pain-filled contradictions which mark the lives of South African women.”

Maseko explained that this country had the highest rape statistics in the world, increasing infant mortality rates, literacy and numeracy that was rated to be a global failure, and poorly paid and exploited rural women, “as they continue to suffer the disadvantage of race, gender, class, together with poverty, violence and unemployment”.

She added that the foundation stood for the equal opportunities of all South African women, whether urban or rural. “We cannot say we have achieved social inclusion while the rich and poor continue to live apart. We strive to redress the imbalances of the past and to ensure that there is equity in all sectors,” said Maseko.

“Today we pose a challenge to the premier and his cabinet to act similarly as some of our country’s departments have done for President Zuma. He recently received R900 million for his Masibambisane Project at Inkandla – a donation that was apparently given to him as a citizen, not as the president.

“Our foundation has a business plan for our entire province that only requires a fraction of what Zuma received. R16 million surely isn’t a far-fetched feat if R900 million could be given to another, normal citizen’s charity project just the other day?” she added.

“We are ready, all we need is funding from various departments. We hope that female MECs will be the first to come into play and support us with necessary resources. We hereby challenge them for the funding of an office fully equipped with tools of trade, as well as funding of the business plan. We also challenge Telkom to provide the foundation with a toll-free number, as well as SAB and Eskom to provide support as private sectors.”

“I believe that one woman’s vision supported, can make a difference and that the strength of the country lies in its people.”

The name of the foundation – Imbokodo came to mind when she finally said, “One woman can. You strike a woman, you strike a rock.”

Ergo imbokodo is siSwati for rock.