Bridget Charlie from Ward 10 Shurugwi District is a proud mother as she can now afford to take care of her two children as a result of the financial independence she has gained through the Hand in Hand Zimbabwe business and Entrepreneurship trainings.

The outstanding entrepreneur recently embarked on a lifelong journey of attaining her dreams through establishing a baby clothes retail business.

Before joining Hand in Hand Zimbabwe, Bridget solely depended on her husband’s earnings from artisanal mining but they were not enough as the couple struggled to pay school fees and to buy basic commodities for their children.

In an effort to assist her husband to look after the family, Bridget started looking for opportunities until she was introduced to Hand in Hand Zimbabwe by her peers in 2019.

Her fate quickly changed as she was afforded an opportunity to go through the Hand in Hand Zimbabwe 6-month business modular trainings.

After being trained on Opportunity Identification and Enterprise Planning, Bridget then realised that there were several business opportunities in her community.

She realised that no one in her community was selling baby clothes so she decided to venture into that business. As a member of Amazing Grace star club, Bridget borrowed capital for her business and swiftly started her business.

The 10 group members save USD$10-00 per month which members can borrow at a 10% interest.

Since then, Bridget has been running her enterprise effectively. He has exhibited business shrewdness from the trainings that she received from Hand in Hand Zimbabwe. She is fully stocked up and moves around selling the clothes at Chachacha business centre and within her community.

She travels to South Africa every month to purchase the baby clothing items for resale and  receives an average profit of US$180-200 per month from the burgeoning enterprise.

“I am so happy that I received the trainings from Hand in Hand Zimbabwe as they helped me start a lucrative business.

“The module on managing finances has greatly aided me to calculate and record my profits correctly making it easy for me to expand the business.

“Additionally, I can now fend for my children in the absence of my husband who is a miner,” she said.

Her future plans include opening a baby shop at Chachacha business centre.