Friday, October 28, 2011

Pearl Thompson: Trains like a man, looks like a goddess


BY GRACE CHIRUMANZU

Tough and strong is a typical description of men in African society. But 33-year-old Pearl Thompson has proved that women can also bear that description - without giving their beauty away for it.

Watching her flex her muscles at the recent Mr and Ms Pro-Fitness bodybuilding competition, where she came second, left many women intrigued by her audacity to plunge into such a male-dominated sport.
They must have thought to themselves, “why lose my feminine beauty for a man’s bulky body, all in the name of sport?”
Most beauty pageants around the world have preached the gospel of women’s beauty as something only possessed by skinny, tall women. Muscles have no place in these sermons unless it is a men’s chapter, but Thompson has proved that there are no limitations to a woman’s beauty.
The single mother to a four-year-old girl has looked and felt more beautiful since she started lifting weights back in 2009.
“Beauty starts from within, if you feel good inside then you feel beautiful. There is no point in having a beautiful face when you feel rubbish inside and it is difficult to feel that way when the body is not functioning well inside. That is why it is important for people to go to the gym or do some form of physical activity because the happy hormones are released when you do some form of exercise,” said Thompson.
“One can still be a fat woman and feel beautiful; they don’t have to be skinny to be beautiful.”
Thompson, who was born in Zambia, lived in Zimbabwe her whole life and started weightlifting after attending an inspiring bodybuilding contest in Harare about 12 years ago.
“I started my training with Otis Goredema who noticed at that time that I had an interest in the gym, he became my personal trainer and helped me win the Ms Zim competition in 2002. For the past four years I have been training with Givemore Marume and Kenny Guwa, they have really helped me by pushing me each time,” she said.
Thompson who once weighed 75kgs feels good at her current 65kgs.
“It is mainly about eating healthy; we don’t look like the body builders seen in other countries because here we don’t take supplements that boost our bodies. We just take a diet that allows the body to look like that,” Thompson explained.
“A lot of people are surprised to know that I do bodybuilding, but it is mainly because I still look like a woman.”
Despite deciding to come into the sport as a “hobby” and competing at some contests “just to support her gym” Thompson clinched her first prize at the 2002 edition of the Ms Zimbabwe bodybuilding contest, at the age of 24.
What makes her an inspiration is her ability to juggle her roles not just as a woman in a man’s world but as a single mother. She runs an Art and Craft Academy in Harare Milton Park. Thompson spends most of her time at the school as well as visiting the gym and making sure she spends quality time with her daughter.
“Mothers are not allowed to get tired,” she said.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

500 women armed with life skills



BY GRACE CHIRUMANZU






MACHEKE- Kunzwana Women’s Association (KWA) in collaboration with the British Embassy capped part of the 500 successful graduates from their Mationesa Training Centre in Macheke, last week as they continue to empower the unemployed rural woman with practical livelihood skills.
66 participants from the four constituencies, which included Chikomba East, Makoni North, West and South, went through various training under Kunzwana with the British Embassy funding from February to July.
According to the association’s executive director, Emmie Wade, 96 clubs were formed this year with a total number of 2 820 women attaining membership.
“It is unfortunate that at times we are actually turning women away; it is our wish to empower them all but sometimes we are limited by resources. When we went to Chikomba to recruit 66 women we found the compound filled with over 200 women who were hoping to take part. It is interesting to see how women in our country are hungry to learn,” she said.
The British Embassy second secretary Sarah Bennet added, “I used to be in the army and I know how it is like to be involved in a male dominated environment that is why I am so keen to champion women empowerment.”
“To see that we encounter poverty, we need to start appreciating women as equal partners of men. It is my hope that those graduating will one day be able to start their own businesses and generate an income for their families.”
Formed back in 1993, KWA was aimed at promoting and facilitating the social, economic and educational and cultural advancement of disadvantaged women, children and youth residing or working in farming communities.
This they have done by the establishment of effective working club networks, provision of information and training on life surviving skills such as carpentry, weaving, garment making, nutrition including organic farming, candle making, poultry, interior decoration, flower arrangements, pottery, tie and dye, food processing, shoe making, basket work among others.
This have seen many women rising from grass to being proud of their ability to contribute in providing for their families and gaining their men’s respect in recent years.
The Association began under a Mango tree at the residence of founding member Emma Mahlunge. She worked with three other women to have KWA registered and moved to the staff quarters at her house which was used as offices for four years.
The dedication of the founding team over the past 15 years has seen the Association grow to become a recognized development institution in Zimbabwe. These women volunteered and used their own resources to develop a framework that would help those less fortunate than they are.
The Founding team established club networks of not less than 10 women and not more than 30 women. These are now fully functional in Macheke, Kwekwe, Marirangwe, Tsunga, Nyamandlovu, Goromonzi and Muzurusani.
Mahlunge said, “This is meant to help women and have them help empower others. Women empowerment is wrongly interpreted by some men as a way of giving women the power to rule and disrespect them; but I encourage all women to sit down with their men and get them to sincerely understand what this is all about.”
“When we started this programme it was only targeted at women, but as we began to show progress men began to appreciate our work with some encouraging their women to join as others approached us to be members. We agreed that they will only take part in the courses but they will not take up positions within the association.”
KWA have since incorporated men within their training centers making it a bakery of empowerment for both men and women. But the majority of the participants remain the less privileged women.

Clarah Mhondo –Organic Farming; Chikomba East
I was a woman who knew I can help raise my family through farming, but my major worry was where I was going to get the money for the required fertilizers. My experience with Kunzwana’s project of organic farming wiped out all my worries when I got to learn that the unavailability of fertilizer cannot stop me from achieving what I want. It is just so amazing how I can use manure and ashes as a substitute. I am now earning up to $US65 a month from the sales of my crops and it is really something I could not get without this project. I’m always wondering where Kunzwana Women’s Association was all this time and I have no worries of any challenges that may come in future because I know they are here for us.

Future Majoni –Carpentry; Makoni South
The reason why I chose carpentry was because I just didn’t want to take up a course believed to be for women. I wanted something expected of men and prove that women can do it as well. I knew Kunzwana was here to take us out from rags to riches and I am happy that they have made a difference in my life. My first product was a chair and my husband found it difficult to believe that it was my own work that he thought I bought it somewhere. I have no worry of more visitors coming in now because I know I can make as many chairs as I want. I am proud that I can make a difference in my home and in my community.

Perpetua Mchichwa –Poultry; Makoni West
We were very backward for sure; gossiping was what we knew best before we were empowered by Kunzwana. We used to do everything that we were taught back in our communities but before this training we just didn’t do it right. We practiced poultry but we didn’t have much knowledge about it. I never knew chickens need special care and they can also suffer from stress and get sick at times. I now know everything needed to make a good environment of keeping chickens and feeding them. My colleagues and I are now busy with our various projects with no time to waste in gossiping.

Pollar Mhondoro –Garment Making; Makoni North
I can easily admit that I was very backward before attending a Garment making training at Mationesa centre with Kunzwana. Today I am a different woman all together. I know I have the power to provide my family and my community with the best clothing. My biggest dream however is to supply schools in my community with uniforms because it does not make sense to have people from where I come from travelling to Harare for their children’s school uniforms. So, if my colleagues and I can be able to work towards that we would have helped others.