(Svorai ‘s carpentry work speaks perseverance and determination).

Svorai Mabviremiti’s story is truly inspiring, showcasing the strength and resilience of women in traditionally male-dominated fields. Despite facing adversity when her husband became blind, she took on the responsibility of providing for her family and turned it into an opportunity to excel in carpentry.

Her determination to learn and adapt to her new role, coupled with her passion for carpentry, allowed her to not only sustain her family but also to thrive in her business.Svorai says she became a carpenter after her husband became blind, as she was now supposed to be the breadwinner of the family through sending children to school , buying food and paying for her husband medication.

“In 2022 a dark cloud fell on my family. My husband a professional carpenter became blind. He had no eyesight problems but it just happened. It was not easy to accept but we eventually accepted the reality. He used to teach me whenever l had time, on how to work on wood to produce an end product.

He would jokily say one day you will be greater than me and that motivated me .I started to learn and it became so exciting that l could now produce results without any supervision” ,said Svorai.

In April 2023 , Svorai joined Toziva Self Help Group under the Job Creation Project(Hand in Hand Zimbabwe ) where  she gained essential business management skills that transformed her enterprise and increased her income significantly.

“Before I joined Hand in Hand Zimbabwe, I was running an enterprise without proper knowledge on how to manage it. I wasn’t able to manage the business finances as I would divert funds to personal use, which made me to be in debts. I did not keep records as I didn’t know its importance in my business but now I can manage my business well”,said Svorai.

As a result of applying the skills learnt from the business trainings, her income  increased as she now gets an average net profit of US$1900 per month from  furniture enterprise. Some of these products include kitchen cardboards, beds,5 piece kitchen set  , wardrobes and shoe rakes.

Recently she opened another avenue of business venturing in cosmetics from which she is making   an average of US$200 per month.

Through her hard work and dedication, Svorai has not only been able to provide for her family’s needs but also to invest in her business, expanding into new ventures such as cosmetics. Her success is a testament to the power of empowerment initiatives like Hand in Hand Zimbabwe, which provide women with the resources and support they need to succeed in entrepreneurship.

Svorai’s vision to continue growing her business and empower other women in her community is commendable. By sharing her knowledge and experience, she is paving the way for more women to break barriers and thrive in non-traditional roles. Her journey serves as an inspiration to women everywhere, proving that with determination and resilience, anything is possible.