Women Turn Defence Forces Day Gala Into a Night of Business and Empowerment
By Desire Tshuma
Mhondoro Mubaira – Women entrepreneurs in Mhondoro Mubaira turned the Defence Forces Day Gala Pungwe into a valuable business opportunity, using the gathering to sell food and earn income while celebrating alongside thousands of other revellers.
The event, organised by the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, brought together Government officials, community leaders, entrepreneurs, entertainers and members of the public for a night of music, celebration and national pride.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Hon. Omphile Marupi, Mhondoro Mbaira Constituency legislator Hon. Chamu Chiwanza, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana, together with other Government officials.
A major highlight of the evening was the participation of women in the food business, who set up stalls and sold different types of food throughout the night.
The women took advantage of the large turnout to market their products directly to revellers, turning the national celebration into a platform for entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
One illustrative vendor who identified herself as “Mai Tariro”, said the event demonstrated the importance of giving women opportunities to participate in major community gatherings.
“We are happy because this event gave us an opportunity to do business while celebrating Defence Forces Day. We came with different types of food and people supported us throughout the night. Opportunities like these help women earn money and support their families,” she said.
Another illustrative vendor “Rudo”, said the gathering had helped women realise that their cooking skills could also become a source of income.
“Sometimes women have skills but they do not have enough opportunities to use them commercially. Tonight we were able to prepare food, sell it and interact with many customers. It shows that women can create businesses from the skills they already have,” she said.
The participation of the women added an important economic dimension to the gala, demonstrating how large public events can create opportunities for small-scale traders and women-led businesses.
Rather than simply attending as spectators, the women became active participants in the celebrations, using their entrepreneurial skills to generate income and promote locally prepared food.
The Defence Forces Day Gala Pungwe therefore became a celebration not only of national service and entertainment, but also of women’s entrepreneurship, economic participation and empowerment.
As music played into the night, the food vendors remained busy serving revellers — turning their cooking skills into business opportunities and showing that empowerment can begin when women are given a platform to trade.
