Meet Sheilla Mudzvatangi, a 51-year-old woman from Ward 16 in Chikomba District. The mother of eight children like many women in rural communities, faced financial challenges, struggling to provide decent meals and paying school fees for her children.

In March 2023, Sheilla joined the Mudzimai Wanhasi Self Help Group under the Community Upliftment Project, funded by Hand in Hand Sweden. The group of nine women received six modular business development trainings which equipped them with vital technical skills necessary to start a business.

With the knowledge gained from her training, Sheilla began a broiler production enterprise, initially starting with 50 birds per one batch every six weeks due to limited market access. However, she soon established a market connection with a butchery in Harare, which required a minimum of 100 kg of chicken meat weekly, offering $2.90 per kg.

This development prompted Sheilla to scale up her enterprise, as she now sells an average of 80 birds per week, managing three batches of chickens per month, to her client in Harare. Sheilla earns an average net of $580 per month, allowing her to meet her family’s basic needs and cover the school fees for all her children, including those in university.

When asked about her vision and future plans, Sheilla expressed her ambition: “My vision is to grow, open an outlet, and create employment.” Her story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of support and training in empowering women to achieve their goals.