2metres of cloth and a sewing machine bought me a home: A resilience story of an SHG woman.

^{My name is Nokuthula Ncube (41) from Mahaja village in Umguza ward 6. I am an unemployed woman, taking care of my four children of which the youngest two are still going to school. My husband of 20 years is also unemployed, together we have been staying at my father’s homestead due to lack of funds for renting or building our own place.}

^{I always wished to have my own place because staying with parents together with my husband is uncomfortable. A number of the people from my society are financially stable, and, that is where my husband usually gets some money to keep us going. He does piece jobs such as land clearing (cutting trees and grass for new stands) which does not provide us much.}

^{Together with other women of the same social and economic class as me formed a Self-Help Group in 2015 and named it Thandanani, a project which has transformed my life immensely.  I managed to use the first money I borrowed from the group in 2015 to purchase a Singer sewing machine and two meters of cloth to kick start my tailoring business.}

^{Together with other women of the same social and economic class as me formed a Self-Help Group in 2015 and named it Thandanani, a project which has transformed my life immensely.} 

^{I used the knowledge I got from SHG-A, facilitated by HOCIC to run the business and to calculate my profit.}

^{I sew clothes, sun hats, school uniforms and sometimes put patches on torn old clothes.}

^{I could make as much as USD$ 14 on a good which I saved to buy a residential stand I always longed for.}

^{After saving for 4 years I managed to purchase a residential stand for USD$800 in Mahaja. I continued to practice the life lessons I learnt from SHG that emphasized on hard work. I have used my own hands to mould 1000 bricks to build my house. Currently, my house is at roof level. In June it will be complete as I expect it to be roofed anytime this week.}

^{I used some of my savings to buy 3 cows and a new sewing machine. I have built a good clientele in my home area because of the quality of my services. My business also helped us sail through COVID-19 lockdown as I made enough money to feed my family.}

^{I am glad because I now have my own home which will make my family comfortable ever after.  This is a valuable success in my life. Thank you so much HOCIC. You gave me life lessons that has contributed to the empowerment of my life.}