Empowering Women in Mariannridge

BY: .

Fourth-year Occupational Therapy students from UKZN are spearheading renewal in the Mariannridge community as part of their community rehabilitation fieldwork block. On almost every occasion, the OT students have been welcomed with open arms by community members.

Over the years, the community members have come to appreciate the students for helping those with physical and intellectual impairments, mental illnesses and those who have lost hope. The students run many interesting projects in the community, which assist the young to the elderly. The OT students work at the newly built local clinic, screening patients to ensure problems are identified early and that interventions are provided immediately.

They also work in the local creches and schools, providing interventions to children referred by teachers. The students also go into people’s homes providing interventions to those who are too ill or who cannot afford to attend therapy elsewhere. The OT students run projects such as the Gogo’s project, which involves teaching elderly women about health, diet and exercises to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and also provides an opportunity to make some new friends. They run health promotion talks at the clinic, educating community members about diseases and about living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The OT students also assist in an addiction group, helping community members overcome alcohol and drug addictions.

Another amazing project started by the previous OT students and is being run in the community, is the Women’s Empowerment Project. The project was started to develop skills among the unemployed, disadvantaged women of Mariannridge who are the sole supporters of their families. The project equips participants with skills such as business management, interaction, marketing, administrative and money management. It also serves as a job creation platform as the women earn a small income to support their families while gaining the skills which may eventually lead to employment in an open labour market. The project also allows for women to engage in meaningful occupations and prevents them from engaging in negative and dangerous occupations (such as substance abuse and criminal acts). In total, the project aims to empower women, in a community which for so many years has disempowered women.

The project is a small second hand store, which is set up every Tuesday and Friday, outside the Mariannridge library. The store sells second hand clothing, shoes, books, Tupperware and more. All the stock is donated by local and surrounding churches, by staff and students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Westville campus, and by families in the Westville area.

Outside the Occupational Therapy Department at the Westville campus is a white bin painted with pictures and the words ‘Women Empowerment Project’. Many people mistake this for a rubbish bin and throw litter in it. However this is where donors can deliver their donations to the project. The women label, price and record all the items donated to be sold. The items are marked between R2 and R20, and sold to the community members. The prices are kept low as this project is providing a service to people of a low economic standing. The women set up the pop-up store on designated selling days and run the business with only guidance from the OT students. The women earn a percentage of the total which goes towards their daily wage, and towards supporting their families.

All the women who are part of the project feel they have meaning back in their lives and have a reason to get up in the morning. It is hoped the project will grow, and more women will be able to join in the empowerment process. However the project can only continue so long as we have donations to sell. Therefore we encourage all UKZN students to donate their old or outdated fashion clothes to the Women Empowerment project. These donations can be placed in the donation bin outside the Occupational Therapy department on Westville campus.

We hope that, these types of amazing projects can continue in the community by not only OT students but by all proactive UKZN students, willing to make a difference in a previously disadvantaged community.

Words: Stacey Petzer