By Lizzie Ngwenya-Scoburgh, PhD | Swazi SHEROES Advisory Board Chair
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We are thrilled to update you on the progress of the Swazi SHEROES program during the first quarter of fiscal year 2025-26. Thanks to your continued support, we have seen significant growth and development within our cohort of 15 young women. This quarter, we focused on enhancing both soft skills and vocational training, which have helped these women strengthen their entrepreneurial abilities and personal growth, creating lasting impact in their lives and communities.
In terms of vocational training, we are proud to report a 100% retention rate among our beneficiaries. All 15 young women are actively engaged in the program, acquiring new skills and applying them practically. In the textile and design portfolio, the participants have received specialized training in designing and sewing various products such as pencil cases, small bags, cushions, pillowcases, and aprons. These items are now part of our in-house production line. Additionally, the young women have expanded their creativity through beaded jewellery, learning to make necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Some of them have even self-taught how to transform flip-flops by decorating them with beads, creating stylish accessories. One notable achievement this quarter was one of our beneficiaries, sold her handmade beaded necklaces at the Taiwan International Arts Fair. This exposure, facilitated by Phila (our inhouse Trainer), who also participated in the fair, was a major milestone for beneficiary’s entrepreneurial journey.
On the soft skills front, the cohort launched a savings and credit scheme that allows them to access small loans for starting individual income-generating activities. As a result, six of the 15 young women have successfully started their own small businesses. Furthermore, all beneficiaries participated in financial literacy and business training, which included sessions on savings, money management, and how to start a small business. These skills are foundational for ensuring the sustainability of their ventures. In addition to financial training, we provided workshops focused on time management, accountability, teamwork, communication, and self-esteem. These life skills have positively impacted the confidence and maturity of the young women, helping them take charge of their personal and professional growth. Each participant also received monthly cash transfers of E600 to support their engagement in income-generating activities and cover personal expenses.
Despite these successes, we did face some challenges this quarter. We were unable to secure a stall at one of the annual international Eswatini Arts festivals due to high competition for space. However, we are actively exploring other opportunities to showcase the women’s products at public events. Additionally, the planned baking and detergent-making workshops were suspended due to limited funding, which was a setback. We remain hopeful that we can restart these programs in the future.
Looking ahead to the next quarter, we have several exciting plans. We are exploring more affordable options for the baking training sessions to ensure this essential skill remains accessible to our beneficiaries. A new SHEROES Facebook page will also be launched to increase our visibility, engage supporters, and market the products made by our young women. We plan to ramp up production of our products, including cushions, tote bags, aprons, and jewellery, in response to growing demand, and we are excited to open a SHEROES shop in Manzini to provide a sustainable outlet for the sale of these products.
The first quarter of FY 2025-26 has been one of continued growth and success for Swazi SHEROES. With your invaluable support, we are equipping young women in Eswatini with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in both their personal and professional lives. Your investment in these women empowers them and contributes to the broader effort to achieve gender equity and economic independence in Eswatini. We look forward to your continued partnership as we move into the next quarter with renewed hope and determination. Together, we are changing lives.
Thank you – Siyabonga!
Lizzie Ngwenya-Scoburgh, PhD
Advisory Board Chair, Swazi SHEROES
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