BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MANZINI – “We are not just documenting history; we are changing it,” declares YES Project Manager Ayanda Sigudla during the official launch of the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) story booklet, titled “The Thread of Courage and Hope.”
The event, held on January 27, 2026, at The Gorge Hotel, marks a significant milestone in the three-year journey of the Youth and Women Empowerment and Support (YES) project.
Co-funded by the European Union, the project is implemented by COSPE in collaboration with local partners Luvatsi, Gcama Mfati, Kwakha Indvodza, SWAGAA, NATICC, First Aid Responders and the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly (SRWA).
Providing a brief on the new resource, Sigudla explains that the booklet carries powerful, real-life testimonies and community-led response strategies gathered since the project’s inception. She notes that these stories highlight the milestones achieved in both rural and urban areas, serving as a vital tool for future advocacy across Eswatini.
A central focus of the day is the success of the project’s Emergency Fund. Sigudla details how the fund provides immediate, life-saving relief—including relocation support and essential supplies—to survivors in distress. “This fund ensures that survivors in even the most remote areas are not left behind,” she says, noting its reach into 16 rural communities and the municipalities of Manzini and Siteki.
The impact of the project is echoed by Minky Sithole, representing First Aid Responders (FAR) from New Thulwane, Mdumezulu. Expressing her excitement over the training received, she says, “The skills we got are forever. The YES Project empowers us to work directly with the community, focusing on behavior change and equipping us with various ways of responding to GBV.”
Similarly, Kenneth Makhanya of the NATICC group expresses deep gratitude to the Emergency Fund for its rapid-response capabilities. He notes that the financial and technical backing allows his group to manage human rights violations with efficiency, providing tangible support to those in need when every second counts.
The launch concludes with a collective call to action, urging stakeholders to utilize these new resources to strengthen grassroots capacity. By empowering First Aid Responders and documenting survivor stories, the YES project continues to build a sustainable framework to end the scourge of violence in the Kingdom.
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