Meet Linda Chigondo (17) from Chibvuti Goromonzi. She was born in a family of 3 (2 girls and a boy). Linda did her secondary education at Chabwino High school in Goromonzi District. Upon completing her Ordinary Level where she only passed one subject out of the five registered.
Her household was privileged to be enrolled in the USAID funded Mavambo Children Vana (MCV) project of Mavambo Orphan Care. She got the opportunity to choose a skills development course from the Community Apprenticeship (CA), welding – a societally penned male course.
She mastered the art during her 6 months long internship, now she can fabricate metals to make window frames, log stoves, hoes among other metals on demand in her area.
Meki Chigondo (47), Linda’s father who has been known as a subsistence farmer in the Chabwino area was pleased to see his daughter excelling in the male dominated field and he requested his child Linda to assist him in doing what she had mastered.
“I felt so proud when my father asked me to teach him how to work with metals. I least expected that one day I will be the one imparting knowledge to my father especially in relation to the field where women are marginalised,” said the ever smiling Linda.
Linda aims to penetrate the market and secure meaningful contracts within the area as there is shortage of welders in the area. Upon raising the much needed financial resources, she intends to pursue her education.
Her father, Mr Meki, has been supporting her by marketing the finished products to nearby farms.
“I aim to take my child to greater heights, enhancing the empowerment she received from MCV. Ever since she finished her 6 months course, I have been helping her to sell finished products to our fellow farmers in this area, and also she does repairs of broken farming machinery. I was pleased during the first month where she mobilised approximately USD 120 and some grain (some pay in goods) from sales, “Meki said.