09/08/2026
This year, National Women’s Day is commemorated under the theme of “Empowered Women Empower Nations,” which is something that resonates deeply with the incredible people we encounter through our work as SaveAct.
Take Evelyn Buthelezi, a 77-year-old pensioner from uMlalazi in KwaZulu-Natal. Widowed at a young age, she shouldered the responsibility of raising her eight children alone, living in a modest two-room house and working as a domestic worker. This enabled her to support her children through high school and tertiary education. After retirement, she continued to supplement her pension by keeping indigenous chickens and expanding her household vegetable garden, showing a deep commitment to financial sustainability. In this spirit, Evelyn joined a savings group supported by SaveAct in 2018 and is currently a member of two such groups. She has also participated in Financial Education, Enterprise Development, and Food Security training through SaveAct.
As a committed saver, Evelyn has consistently benefited from the annual share-outs of both savings groups, enabling her to invest in household improvements, support family needs, and expand her farming activities. Her passion for farming has inspired her children, with one of them now actively farming as well, truly highlighting the notion that empowered women empower others.
In 2025, Evelyn expanded her knowledge of agroecological farming after receiving further training from SaveAct. She adopted raised-bed gardening, deep-trench gardening, and compost-making techniques. She diversified her poultry enterprise by adding turkeys to her flock and began using animal manure to improve soil fertility, resulting in increased crop production. Her garden now produces cabbages, onions, tomatoes, beetroot, lettuce, spinach, carrots, eggplant, beans, and maize. After learning the importance of generating an income from farming, she began selling surplus produce to her neighbours, including spinach and beans, providing an additional source of household income.
Evelyn continues to save regularly through her savings groups. She is deeply appreciative of the knowledge, skills, and opportunities she has gained through SaveAct’s support, which have strengthened her financial resilience, improved her farming practices, and enhanced her household's wellbeing.
Evelyn’s story is a testament to the fact that women are powerful agents of change, which is something we can all celebrate this Women’s Day. To find out more about the work SaveAct does to support women like Evelyn, visit www.saveact.org.za
Photo caption: Evelyn Buthelezi proudly stands in her expanded vegetable garden. Photo supplied by SaveAct.
