Widows reach out to help others

IT STARTED out as a support group for widows in Pietermaritzburg but is increasingly making an impact on the wider community of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Izwi Labafelokazi, the name of the organisation, which means The voice of the Widows, was founded in 2012 by a group of women from Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, to offer support to women whose spouses had died.

Nelly Mncwabe, chairperson of the non-governmental organisation, said they felt widows were being neglected.

“We simply wanted to be heard and for our needs and plight to be heard and taken seriously, because we realised that it was as if we did not exist,” said Mncwabe.

At the time, she added, many women were struggling with challenges varying from battling to settle bills to accessing help from the government, in addition to coping with the loss of spouses without any support.

Bur now, after years of challenges, the NGO is not only helping widows but women in general through a wide range of interventions.

Mncwabe was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 and underwent surgery in 2001. She said it was her faith and the support of her neighbours who became more like family that enabled her to navigate that difficult period in her life.

It was during this period that she joined Izwi Labafelokazi and today Mncwabe is a champion of healthy living and resilience, ensuring that Izwi Labafelokazi continues with its quest of making life easy to navigate for women.

Some of the assistance to women groups provided by Izwi Labafelokazi include:

* A stove and baking implements for women in Richmond, enabling them to start a business in the area.

* The acquisition of a tent and chairs for women under Mkhambathini municipality, a move that has seen them fill the gap for the service demanded during different forms of functions and gatherings.

* Providing goats and cattle to women groups in Wartburg and Impendle.

In addition to this, other groups in Pietermaritzburg have opened an internet outlet, a laundromat and a poultry project with the NGO’s assistance.

“We have come to realise that in some instances women go through a lot of mental anguish, trapped in abusive relationships because they do not see a way out, and with the creation of opportunities to be self -sustainable we believe we are playing a liberating role of sorts to women,” Mncwabe said.

In recent times the NGO has also teamed up with a driving school and helped 15 young people to acquire their driving licences, and were planning to assist more in the future.

“Our principle is to help people working in groups, because when we do that it makes an impact on a greater number of families as opposed to assisting an individual,” said Mncwabe.

Their focus has been on skills development for women, especially single mothers.

“We want them to be able to stand on their own, know the value of each rand, and not rely on the state grant for everything,” Mncwabe said.