By Bustop TV
Local girls and women’s rights lobby organisation, Tag a Life International (TaLI) on Monday launched a women’s empowerment project in Bravo village, Hurungwe marked by a ground breaking ceremony.
TaLI was given land by the village head, Chief Mutepfe to use for the project. On the land a 80m2 bio gas digester will be installed, a piggery and orchard.
The project dubbed Young Women Empowerment Through Provision of Clean Renewable Energy for Domestic Use and Livelihoods is supported by the Hurungwe Rural District Council, Environmental Management Agency, AGRITEX, Women’s Affairs, Forestry Commission and Ministry of Youths with financial aid from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Young Women Empowerment Through Provision of Clean Renewable Energy for Domestic Use and Livelihoods project will benefit girls below the age 24, young mothers below the age of 35 as well as a few elderly above 35 years living in the area.
This is part of the TaLI’s effort to curb gender based violence, deforestation, climate change while at the same time creating streams of income for the women.
A statement from the organisation reads, “This project plan is meant to offer alternative and renewable energy that can be used for household use and reduces, if not removes, the daily task of fuelwood gathering, which can, in areas of scarcity, be the single most time consuming task of especially women who takes more than three hours in some instances.
“Freeing up energy and time for women in such circumstances often allows them to have time for other activities, some of which may be income generating, and moreso the use of firewood that has caused massive deforestation. Most girls and young women have been sexually abused on their way to source for firewood.
“The bio gas production will reduce rape cases. Since men were the economically empowered group, women were being abused and cases of Gender Base Violence were high in Bravo village. However, this project after relieving girls and young women of the burden of fetching firewood, it will empower them economically . The orchard production will empower girls and young women economically as they will sell the fruits. It will also contribute to their nutrition.”
