A skills acquisition program to empower abused young girls in Epworth suburb, Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Aim The aim of this project is to alleviate the attitude of neglecting and disregarding of the young girls in the satellite town of Epworth. I observed that many families give no respect or even listen to the girl child in the informal settlements of this town. The girls are left to fend for themselves from the age of ten until they reach womanhood. This neglect and disregard have led many girls into prostitution and abuse by the same community which acts as guardians to them. Purpose The purpose of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate a viable intervention program of action to empower the young girls in Epworth with projects such as dressmaking, computer learning, commercial gardening, poultry, hairdressing, vending and social activities such as soccer. The program was supported by the community, and all the stakeholders to determine its impact on reliability and validity. Method To meaningfully empower the girl child in the informal settlements of Epworth, the researcher used the qualitative method for the research process. After an examination of the problem through data derived from three focus groups and observations, the researcher and the trainer of trainers (TOT) designed a training program of dressmaking for the forty-five abused girls which started from March 4, 2019, to April 12, 2019, at the Oasis Centre (a Non-governmental Organization) supported by Overspill Seventh-day Adventist Church in Epworth. The training program went on very well and achieved its desired objectives which are not exhaustive: identifying basic tools, recognizing the parts of the sewing machine, identifying characteristics of common fabrics, and estimating the amount of fabric needed for garments. Results To measure the outcome of the program, the researcher and the trainer of trainers, examined the data of the focus group discussions. Both the trainer of trainers, the focus groups and stakeholders concurred that the dressmaking training program was a success. There was a consensus that the program must be extended to all the young girls of Epworth, including those who drop-out of school for any other reasons and be replicated in the Province of Harare.

Conclusion When the quality of life for the girl child in Epworth is changed, there may be a notable improvement in productivity and family happiness. Subsequently, this may pave the way to transform the community’s thinking toward the vulnerable girl child in Epworth.