Meu nome é Antónia da Costa Gaspar, sou recém-graduada do grupo 2 do projecto Mulheres Empreendedoras da Estalagem. Devido a situação em que o mundo está mergulhado, a pandemia do Coronavírus, estou a realizar actividade de corte e costura em casa. Embora fazendo este trabalho em casa, diariamente consigo costurar e receber várias obras, o que tem contribuído no bem-estar da minha família.

Já produzi muitas mascarás de pano e tive muito rendimento. Existem senhoras que queiram vender máscaras, como não sabem costurar, elas contactam-me e sou paga para fazer o serviço delas. Agora faço serviços diversos, roupas de crianças e de adultos, tenho sido consultada por muitas mulheres do meu bairro.
Agradeço os esforços dos formadores que me ensinaram como fazer uma boa produção e como fazer um bom plano de negócio para alavancar o meu negócio. É na crise onde encontramos oportunidade de rendimento.

No Bie, Huambo e Malanje, a ADPP está fornecer aulas de alfabetização aos agricultores envolvidos no projeto de Desenvolvimento e Comercialização da Agricultura Familiar, financiado pelo Banco Mundial. Durante a quarentena, a equipe do projeto continuou a dar aulas individualmente ao domicílioe em pequenos grupos, sob as regras do distanciamento físico. Aqui, dois dos participantes falam sobre as lições durante o Estado de Emergência:

I am now a seamstress thanks to the dressmaking course at the Women Entrepreneurs Project in Estalagem. I live with my husband and we have seven children.

I earn a living by doing this wonderful sewing work. I take orders from a number of customers and I make clothes to sell. Thanks to this work I manage to support my family.

During the State of Emergency, I decided to join the group of women who are producing face masks at the center. As a seamstress, I am collaborating in the production of face masks at the Women Entrepreneur Project in Estalagem, as we are living in a period of emergency in the country and in the world in general. In the situation that the country is experiencing, I participated in a talk about the prevention of Covid-19, and I have passed the knowledge gained on to my family.

The Women in Action project in Benguela, financed by Sympany, got in touch with the Provincial Department of Health to request authorisation for and monitoring of the distribution of face masks, more than 1230 of which had been produced by project participants and tutors. The Department of Health offered its full support, and activists from the Girls’ Club project, financed by UNDP, helped hand out the face masks in the districts of Kalomburaco, Mina, Asseque, Camunda. Docota, Jingolote, Navegantes, 11 de Novembro and Goa. The activists used the opportunity to pass on messages about the transmission of Covid-19, and they explained what measures the families could take to protect themselves.

Dr Brito, Director of Benguela Municipal Health Department, paid a surprise visit on 30 April to Teacher Training School ADPP Benguela, asking whether the school would be willing to supply or make face masks. In collaboration with the Women in Action project, the school was able to provide some masks which were already in stock, and agreed that the Municipal Director would provide more material to be sewn, and the project produced the mask. The masks are being distributed among the Municipal Health personnel.

Students from the Teacher Training School ADPP Bie produced drawings this week as part of their homework. The posters can be used to discuss COVID-19 with family and neighbours.