Teresa Gala is a 44-year-old mother of five. He was married at 14, and had to leave school because of his new circumstances. She is over thirty years old, her days are full of housework and taking care of her children. During the farming season, Ms. Gala added to her daily routine by working on her family’s farm.
However, his thoughts were always focused on owning his own business, one that would give him financial independence.
Ms. Gala said: “Since I am uneducated and have no resources, I always ask my husband. also heard ‘no’ many times. It is very embarrassing.
Thirty years ago, when he got married, there was almost no controversy about child marriage in the country, but things are changing for the better. Since 2019, the Spotlight Initiative, a global initiative of the United Nations funded by the European Union, has been supporting the ratification and implementation of Mozambican laws that protect women and girls from gender-based violence and practices injury, such as early marriages.
A safe place to thrive
In 2021, life got better for Ms. Gala, when she joined the Tambara Women’s Association (ASMTA) in the Manica region, an organization supported by the Spotlight Initiative. These groups and women’s groups create support networks where women can learn and grow together economically, and create trusting relationships and safe spaces to address issues related to gender-based violence. gender and women’s rights. In Mozambique, last year, the Spotlight Initiative supported more than 9,000 women in this way.
Through the group, Ms. Gala had access to “business equipment” which included initial funds for her to start a company selling milk made from Malambe (baobab tree) and Maheu (a corn drink). .
In the Tambara region, where Ms. Gala lives, temperatures easily reach 40 degrees Celsius but, by placing her first game in the freezer, she is able to make Maheu and Malembe ice cream, which is an instant hit with customers soak.
With more money coming in, Ms. Gala was able to buy a mobile phone, enabling her to communicate with clients and social contacts, and join the national mobile financial system.
With the income from her small business, she is now contributing to household expenses and paying university fees for one of her daughters, who is studying for a medical degree.
“My business makes me feel more at home. Today I am a woman with money, with savings, who contributes to the household expenses and the education of my children,” she said. “I don’t have to wait for my husband to meet my financial needs.”
