GBV survivors drilled in soap-making

Foundation for Civic Education and Social Empowerment, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has trained 60 gender-based violence (GBV) survivors in Senior Chief Mbenje in Nsanje in soap-making.

Speaking on Tuesday after the two-day workshop, the NGO’s programme officer Dalitso Kachiwala said they wanted to equip the women and girls with business skills to reduce dependency syndrome.

She said: “When women and girls are able to generate their own income, they become economically independent and this reduces the chances of being abused by men due to poverty.”

Kachiwala also said they supported them with start-up capital for their businesses.

One of the trainers, David Samikwa, said the skills will enable the women and girls to start small-scale businesses.

A participant, Stella Davie, said: “I will not rush into marriage because I can support myself through selling soap.”

The NGO is implementing a GBV project with support from Spotlight Initiative to eliminate sexual gender-based violence in the district.