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Mrs Fortunate Kufakunesu (right) is congratulated by Securico managing director Dr Divine Ndhlukula after addressing delegates at a fundraising dinner in Harare on Friday night. Looking on are Firstlink Insurance chairman Mr Caleb Tapfuma and his wife Vitality Wellness representative Mrs Edith Tapfuma. — Picture: Kudakwashe Hunda EMPOWERING young girls through education will ensure they contribute meaningfully to Zimbabwe’s sustainable development. This was said by Lily of Valley Home of Hope founder Mrs Fortunate Kufakunesu in Harare on Friday, during a fundraising dinner for the knowledge hub at Materera Secondary School in Chihota. Lily of Valley Home of Hope is a registered trust with a commitment to educating, empowering and protecting vulnerable communities, particularly adolescent girls and young women. “I see God’s grace. That is why l am looking for that same grace to be upon every girl child,” she said. “The world presents different sorts of situations in life day in and day out, situations that we cannot control sometimes, and they do not even allow us to succeed. “Many girls in rural areas are in such situations. When God created us, l strongly believe we were created for each other. “It is our duty to look after these vulnerable young girls because they were born for a purpose and that purpose should be lived and it can only be through education.” Mrs Kufakunesu currently assists 34 learners in Chihota, her rural home, where she has also established empowerment projects for local women. She said her philanthropic work was inspired by her tough upbringing. “I am coming from such a background and I know how it feels,” she continued. “I am a product of a teen mother, who, after giving birth to me, decided to go and look for employment as a housemaid in Harare. “I was left in the hands of a blind grandmother. Schooling was a luxury because l had to look after my grandmother. That girl was fortunate because, at the age of 14, she was remembered by a couple, who sponsored my secondary and tertiary education.” She said development of the knowledge hub will provide learners with resources to enhance their education. “If I was saved by one couple and I am saving thousands of girls, then, it means together, we can save millions. We hold hands, we pay fees for them, give them resources for their education and we will be assured they will pass because they have the necessary resources,” said Mrs Kufakunesu. Keynote speaker Securico chief executive officer and one of Zimbabwe’s most prolific businesswomen Dr Divine Ndhlukula said underprivileged young girls in rural areas deserve support. “You find that in the peri-urban and urban areas, it’s very easy to support children, particularly girls, but those girls at the back of cities, no one knows them,” she said. “Mrs Kufakunesu is doing a great job and this knowledge hub will provide them with resources that will be useful in their exams. “There is a lot of abuse of girls in rural areas and no one reports the cases. So, this project is a brilliant idea because it is going into areas of real need.” The Sunday Mail

THE Women Owned Business Trust (WOBT) has called on corporates to consider doing business with women-led enterprises as this is critical in growing the economy. Speaking during the WOBT Meet the Buyer Seminar in Harare on Friday, the trust’s founder and chairperson, Dr Divine Ndhlukula, said the organisation, which was founded in 2017, seeks to grow women-led businesses by linking them with possible buyers. “It’s all about investing in each other through sales and, as a result, growing women-owned businesses and brands that can make a difference in the marketplace,” she said. “I believe, if women are also included and if the companies that we are going to work with are really sincere about diversity and inclusion, businesses will easily grow. The whole idea is to drive money into the pockets of women, and the more money, the less problems we have in this world.” Canada’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mrs Christina Buchan, who was guest of honour, said women empowerment benefits the whole nation. “Recently, I had a visitor who is more senior to me from my country and she met the Government of Zimbabwe and a number of organisations. “For someone who normally deals with international development assistance and gender issues, one of the key messages she got here was about building economically sustainable projects for women,” she said. “Women need jobs, so, one of her big takeaways was how do we build economic sustainability into the programming across the world in trade relationships and development systems?” Canada, she said, is willing to enhance working with Zimbabwe in projects that support women. “Canada is happy to engage and work with Zimbabwe in celebrating women and supporting their businesses. The more we support women, the better everyone benefits across all sectors such as health and education,” she said. The event, which was attended by several women business leaders, ran under the theme “Linking women-owned enterprises to sustainable markets in corporate and Government supply chains”. Read article here

Securico managing director, Dr Divine Ndhlukula has described her journey in founding and managing one of Zimbabwe’s leading security services companies as “exciting” and full of “splendour”. A prominent business leader who sits on the boards of many corporations, Dr Ndhlukula founded Securico on December 1, 1998, and has grown the business into an entity “that is an admiration to many locally and globally”. Speaking at a celebration ceremony, held on December 1, 2022, to mark the firm’s 24 years in existence, Dr Ndhlukula said the journey has had its “ups and downs”. “There are many different aspects on a journey, you go down the valley, you go up the mountain. You turn and go into gorges, that’s the journey we have travelled as Securico,” she said. Dr Ndhlukula said the dream and the vision were never to get this far, but were about giving a decent living to her “loved ones”. “That was the primary vision, that was the primary focus,” she said. “Secondly, obviously I thought it was an opportunity to get women coming into the sector previously thought to be not suitable for women. “So everything else that has come on board has been icing and cherries on a well-baked cake,” she said. The firm has managed to create 400 jobs every year for the past 11 years and now has 4 000 employees. Speaking at the same event board chairman Gloria Zvaravanhu said Securico was like an eagle that has soared higher than expected. Dr Ndhlukula said the kind of business they have on their books was testimony to the impact that the company has had. She said the wellness of citizens has always been a focus issue for the company despite other people questioning the decision by a security services company. Securico recently launched an industrial clinic to look after the physical and mental health of workers. The clinic, according to Dr Ndhlukula will be run by fully qualified staff including doctors. The plan was initially brought to the table seven years ago and finally came to life this year, said Dr Ndhlukula.

In a recent workshop on leadership and women empowerment presenters Dr Divine Ndhlukula of Securico Company and Dr Gallie Kawanzaruwa, senior academic manager from Dubai showcased their life histories as trailblazers in the business world and shared secrets of success. Divine, a girl child, a natural leader, born in a family of eight, of the Simbi patriarchal family in Gutu paramountcy, overcame gender-based hurdles within and without. Continue Reading on The Standard

GOAT Breeders Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Divine Ndhlukula has bemoaned the shortage of extension officers, saying it is affecting… Continue Reading on Daily News

Founder and Managing Director of SECURICO Country: Zimbabwe Sector: Security Services Divine Ndhlukula founded SECURICO Security Services from humble beginnings in Zimbabwe in 1998. Divine identified a need in the market for a quality oriented security company and she has driven SECURICO to become the market leader in Zimbabwe. She has tackled a previously male-dominated industry head on and her business success story is nothing short of remarkable – marking her as one of Africa’s most tenacious and inspiring women entrepreneurs. Continue Reading on Lioness Africa