In a lot of communities, young women with no income-generating skills often find themselves trapped in cycles of dependence on their partners and family members for survival. This vulnerability exposes them to gender-based violence and limits their chances of achieving their dreams, as they cannot break the cycle of violence.
Mary, a 20-year-old from Mufakose, has the opportunity to grow and transform through the Care2Share project being implemented by Family Support Trust with support from Young Africa International. The Care2Share project aims to empower young people by equipping them with essential skills that promote economic independence. A significant number of Care2Share students are young women who are at risk of gender-based violence, as indicated by the high volume of survivors attended to by Family Support Trust.
Mary lives with her mother and siblings, with her mother being the breadwinner. Mary has had her own fair share of struggles. She became pregnant at the age of 18 before starting Form 5. This greatly disappointed her mother, who had high hopes for her, but she stood by her daughter during the pregnancy. Though she tried to build a relationship with the child’s father, the brief and unstable relationship only lasted for a little while; she eventually returned home, unsure of what her future held. Despite all these difficulties, one thing remained constant: her passion for hairdressing.
I have always been passionate about hairdressing, but I never had the chance. I always admired people in my neighbourhood who would be busy plaiting and earning a living.”
Before joining the program, Mary was often stressed about her finances. She didn’t know where or how to earn money to fend for herself and her child. The hands-on training in cosmetology has transformed Mary’s passion into a profession. She continues to enhance her braiding skills by plaiting her mother’s hairand she has since mastered different hairstyles such as cornrows and box braids, skills she never pictured herself acquiring.
“Even if today I move away from Mufakose, I know I am moving around with my business because I know wherever I am based in I can continue running my business, my hands are my toolsand I can work anywhere.”
The life skills sessions offered through Care2Share have become a safe space, a place to share her challenges, write down her dreamsand begin to believe in herself again. “I get to write down my dreams and plans for the future”, she said.
Mary dreams of renting a chair in a local salon to start small, then expanding to her own space. Her ultimate goal? To open one of the biggest salons on the other side of Samora Machel Avenue, offering a full range of beauty services. Through the entrepreneurship skills sessions she attends, these are empowering her on the possibilities of running her own business and being her own boss. Care2Share has not only empowered a youth, but it has also provided an opportunity for a young mother, a young woman to escape the chances of experiencing gender-based violence by acquiring skills and economic independence.