In a bid to protect the environment and empower women, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service’s (ZPCS) Phakamani Simukai women’s club is converting used baby diapers into pillows and cushions for sale.
The initiative is one of their numerous women empowerment programs that the ZPCS’ women’s club is carrying out throughout the country.
Speaking to Impact Stories Zimbabwe at the recently held Kwekwe Expo, ZPCS Assistant Principal Correctional Officer (APCO) Wishes Pamhirwa revealed that their club found it worthy to introduce a project that aims at protecting the environment through upcycling and turning rubbish into something economically viable.
“As a club we took hid of the President’s call for a clean environment and we started to make pillows and cushions out of used diapers. We take those used diapers, wash them, disinfect them and make pillows and cushions to sell and earn some money.
“We also make baskets out of used bread packs and packs of common snacks such as ‘jiggies’.”
“We are also into crop production. We grow traditional foods for consumption at family level and also for sale so that we generate some money,” she said.
Their business initiative was driven by the fact that as professional women they would need to have some hands on skills that will earn them an income after retirement from full time service with the ZPCS.
“If you empower a woman you would have empowered the whole nation. We know that our journey of life will not end here as professional women, because after 20 years of service we will retire. So it is prudent that we have these skills so that upon retirement we will continue to work and earn some money,” she said.
Phakamani Women’s Club is a club of women in the ZPCS, spouses of ZPCS male officers and female inmates.
