Development and Non-Profit Solutions - Consultancy

STARTING A NON- PROFIT

Here is a simple scenario that we are sharing with you today:

A woman gives birth to a child after so many years of failed conceptions.Soon after delivery the woman looks at the baby with a wide smile because she has always wanted to have this. Caring for a baby comes with so many demands after all:late night cries,catching colds and falling sick and if proper attention isn't given to all the baby's details one may lose the baby. So imagine the woman being caught up with other things and neglecting the baby's needs or having someone else to cater for the baby,that wouldn't be the best thing to do.

In any business set-up or in the process of starting a non-profit,that day when all your paperwork has been completed and you are fully registered,you will feel like you have given birth to a baby whom you have long wanted to conceive.You will feel the joy of knowing that i am now a CEO/Founder/Director but here is the case: so many challenges will arise from financial needs to cater for visibility issues and activities,human resources and need for resources. This stage usually makes you question yourself so many times:can i do this? should i find someone to handle this ? should i change its name? should i hold on a bit and work on it later ?

It is at this stage where you should be happy that at least you started and you should embrace any challenge that comes with starting a new journey,that is why we likened this situation to the journey of parenthood.You have to hold on to your baby so dearly that it will withstand any storm or challenge that comes. Remember you are being driven by a mission,vision and values which are driving the need for that specific Non-Profit. Whenever you start doubting your capacities as a Founder/Executive Director ,think of the beneficiaries whom you passionately want to save.

"Don't be an Executive Director so soon "

I have heard this so many times from my mentors ,it simply means don't neglect many duties so early and hire someone to do them for you when you can actually do them and have the time to do. You can't quickly give your baby to someone for them to take care of her/him. This is because they might not understand the vision or goal.In as much as you might want to work with others ,lead a team ,be a team player and see how great your vision becomes.

Before celebrating titles after starting a business,non-profit or any company ,lets put in the ground work,the effort that will make your vision withstand any force.

We don't only specialise in research and trainings! Mi'eto Consultancy has development consultants whose goal is to help communities to make giant strides in advancing their development. Get us to put your business or services ahead by widening your clintele in remote communities. Our devoted marketing team has a wide clintele base for you in the rural communities (currently in Chiredzi rural ) . Let us do the work for you .

They don't have the services- you have the services -let us take your services to them.

Taking you to the Tsonga (Shangaan) people.

🛑

The 2 Stories
Incase you missed our report on the causes of child marriages -here is a small snippet.
Did you know that there is correlation between child marriages and child labor in some Zimbabwean Tsonga communities.Contrary to the popular belief that child marriages are characterized by an older man marrying a minor, the communities have child marriages characterized by child to child unions. Most Chiredzi -South Shangaani speaking communities fall within the Natural Region V where there are extremely high temperatures and low rainfall patterns which makes crop production to fail mostly.Due to such a climatic pattern livestock production has become a major economic activity for many households, and socially a sign of wealth and status, the more cattle you have the more wealthier you are considered to be.
Young boys have now mastered the system and instead of pursuing education to higher levels ,they drop out of school,pursue cattle herding from as young as 12 and they are paid in cattle.Literally herding cattle for 3 years means one will get 3 cattle.

How does this correlate with child marriages?

Once one has aqcuired cattle ,he then goes to the nearby South African farms to work before proceeding to the major cities.A year or 2 years later when he comes back as “mujonijoni “, he marries one of the young girls in the villages ,from as young as 14 and pays lobola through the cattle acquired as remuneration in the previous herding job.At such a young age when one owns cattle he is considered to be hard working . The most famous statement mostly is “ phela u na ti homu luya, wa tirha “ loosely translated as “ that one has cattle ,he works hard”

While child labour cases rise on the boy child’s side ,child marriages also rise simultaneously while reducing education uptake amongst children.
Photo Credits:CGIAR &HRW
MDHC (2021)