SKIC’s Zimbabwe-based communications intern, Victoria, on what her role is like:

What is your role at SKImfi?

I am a communications/operations intern at SKImfi and I assist with keeping the records of the beneficiaries, ensuring that they comply with SKImfi rules and regulations, and compiling reports on the progress of their projects.

What does a day look like when you go out to meet with beneficiaries?

When we go out to meet with beneficiaries, the day is exciting. I like visiting women from different places. It gives me the opportunity to see life in a different way by spending time with new people in a new environment and hearing about their life stories and projects.  

I was quite impressed by one of the groups we visited in Mutare. They mainly focused on buying and selling bales of second hand clothes. When they first joined SKImfi, their projects did not go so well. They had bought a bale of blouses only to find out the blouses were off-season. We were approaching winter, so people were buying warm clothes. What I liked about these ladies is they did not sit on their project—they actually went to some of the rural areas in Mutare and they traded their blouses with mealies and nuts. The next time they went to Mozambique, they bought a bale of kids’ jerseys and they made a profit of 60%. I liked that these ladies are hard-working and open-minded.

How have you seen beneficiaries benefit and grow from SKImfi?

The loans that beneficiaries have received from SKImfi have helped them to start something. For example, those who rear chickens and sell them have made a lot of profit. They buy 25 chicks for $18 and rear them for 5 weeks. They then sell the chickens for $7 each. 

What do you find to be the most meaningful part of your job?

Visiting the beneficiaries to monitor their projects. It gives me a chance to understand some of their challenges and help them with ideas on how to approach their problems.

Why do you think it’s important to empower women and girls?

Women’s empowerment is important because it leads to development of society as well as the economy. It also reduces poverty: sometimes the money earned by the male member of the society is insufficient to meet the demands of the family, and the added earnings of the women helps the family come out of poverty.