Sewing classes offer women better prospects
ZAC in partnership with the Mthashana Technical Vocational Educational Training College (TVET) is running sewing training classes for women from the four traditional councils in the area namely: Zungu, Matheni, Mlaba and Mandlakazi.
The sewing training which has been running since November 2018, takes place at the Ifalethu Skills Centre located in the Zungu Traditional Authority under Inkosi Zungu.
The courses run for three months at a time from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 2:30 pm with around 74 women divided into two classes of 37 each. Ayanda Mthethwa (29) and Nomcebo Shabalala (25) are teachers at the centre, who run the sewing courses that teach the women to design and make dresses and casual shirts.
Nomcebo says that she gets a lot of joy from teaching the women sewing skills, as it will help them to become tailors and seamstresses, thus assisting them to find employment. “As a young person it is also very fulfilling because many of the ladies, who attend the classes, didn’t go to school and therefore have very limited skills and knowledge. I feel like I’m helping them to provide for their families now that they have these skills.
”She says that the women keep all the garments that they make during their training, which some use themselves and/or sell to start their own tailoring businesses. Ayanda states that this was her first time teaching this many people sewing and finds it “deeply rewarding”.
She is grateful to ZAC for facilitating this programme that is empowering women by giving them new skills.
Abafundi baphendlelwa indiela yokuzivulela amabhizinisi
I-ZAC ngokubambisana neMthashana Technical Vocational Educational Training College (i-TVET) ifundisa abesifazane ukuthunga. Laba besifazane baqhamuka ezigodini ezine okuyikwaZungu, eMatheni, kwaMlaba nakwaMandlakazi.
Lezi zifundo zokuthunga ziqale ngoNovemba nyakenye kanti zenzelwa eFalethu Skills Centre esesigodini sakwaZungu ngaphansi kweNkosi uZungu.
Izifundo ziba yizinyanga ezintathu ngesikhathi ngoMsombuluko kuya kuLwesihlanu kusukela ngo-8 ekuseni kuze kube wu-2:30 ntambama. Kusuke kukhona abesifazane abalinganiselwa ku-74 abahlukaniswa babe ngamakilasi amabili abantu abangu-37 ikilasi ngalinye.
UNksz Ayanda Mthethwa, ono-29, noNksz Nomcebo Shabalala, ono-25, yibona abafundisa abesifazane ukusika indwangu nokuthunga izingubo namahembe.
UNksz Shabalala uthe kuyamjabulisa kakhulu ukufundisa abesifazane ikhono lokuthunga ngoba lokho kuyabasiza bathole umsebenzi. “Njengomuntu osemusha kuyangithokozisa kakhulu ngoba futhi iningi labantu abesifazane abafikayo bezofunda aliyanga esikoleni nokwenza libe nolwazi oluncane. Ngizibona ngibasiza ukuthi bakwazi ukondla imindeni yabo ngala makhono.” Uthe abesifazane bayizigcina zonke izingubo abasuke bezithunga ngesikhathi befunda abanye bayazigqoka kanti abanye bazisebenzisa ukuqala amabhizinisi abo okuthunga.
UNksz Mthethwa uthe ubeqala ukufundisa abantu abaningi kangaka ukuthunga futhi “kumthokozise kakhulu”. Utheubonga i-ZAC ngokuletha lolu hlelo oluthuthukisa abesifazane ngokubahlomisa ngamakhono amasha.
