a number of our members to supply food for many schools,” she said. “Izwi Labafelokazi has 16 cooperatives and each one has between five to eight members,whichmeanswehaveanaverage of 85 families that are now directly benefit­ ing from the provincial Education Depart­ ment’s School Nutrition programme. “We now also get a yearly grant of R350 000thattheorganisationreceivesfromthe national Department of Trade and Indus­ tries (IDT) to enable the various coopera­ tives our organisation has to work well, and these include clothing washing and ironing businesses, as well as agricultural­related projects like poultry and others,” said Mt­ share. “Theorganisationalsoreferscasesofold widowed women as well as those that are sickly as a result of Aids­related illnesses, to the Department of Social Development so that they can get social grants. We are of late engaged in an ongoing consultation process with the MEC of that provincial department, Mrs Weziwe Thusi. Sheagreeswithusthatvulnerablewom­ en like widows deserve the support of her department in order to empower them eco­ nomically so that they are able to fend for themselves and their families. “We have the support of the South Afri­ can Women in Construction (Sawec) who have a widows’ programme which has en­ gaged 40 of our members’ children through