Franchesca Abrahams is an an entrepreneur from Delft. She is the owner of the Unity Coffee Shop and Catering at the new Airport Shopping Mall in Belhar.  She is also the founder of Rise above Circumstance, a Delft organisation.  Franchesca has been a great inspiration to the E-governance unit and to Smartcape users. Project Ubusha has chosen to publish Franchesca's story as it is important to tell the stories of those women who inspire, empower and enlighten other women in the community. This would help to make a positive difference to the lives of women in our communities and to give a voice to the role models who are near us.

Franchesca was introduced to Smartcape in 2005. Initially, she was "computer illiterate", and she was embarrassed but that didn't discourage her from her ambitions.  Her limitations drove her to wake up every morning to go to the Library and learn to use the computer. The library opening time is 10h00 but Franchesca would go to the library by 08h30.  This gave her the opportunity to train herself. She negotiated with the Library staff to start by 8h30 to use the computer so by 10h00 when the youth started arriving, she would leave.  The librarians assisted her to get an email address.  Franchesca says without the SmartCape Access Project, she would not have learnt how to use computers.

After she learnt basic computer skills, she felt empowered.  She felt good about herself. She managed to do her own invoices and she felt that she could do anything. She thinks that every household should have a computer because it allows you access to many opportunities. As a business person today,you need to have computer skills to gain your confidence.  Computers are also a basic business tool these days.

Franchesca says that the exposure she got from her relationship with the E-Governance unit has raised her profile.  It has helped her become a role model to other women. She says she helped herself and other women and formed a group, "togetherness means power and it all comes in blessing".

Franchesca said she is very happy with the work of E-Governance; she's got a lot of respect for them, since they assisted her a lot. She would recommend every person to work with them and every business should have a support system like them.   She would like to see more computers in libraries and in the communities, so that everyone can have the opportunity to learn computer skills and become self empowered.