• Since 1996, DAPP Malawi has been actively improving livelihoods and communities in need across Malawi through its social development projects.

  • DAPP is implementing 16 projects within education, health, agriculture and community development in 24 districts that span across the country's three regions

Case Story - Mary Chinkhuni

Mary, one of the newly enrolled tailoring students at DAPP Dowa teachers training college believes this is a dream come true and life changing experience.

“I have always dreamt of being a fashion designer. When I finished my form 4 in 2017, I was hoping to find a place which was affordable for me to pursue my dreams. Then one day, I heard from our Village headman that DAPP Dowa TTC is enrolling adolescent girls and young women in a 3 months tailoring course.” Says Mary

She didn’t waste time and immediately told her parents of this opportunity and on the 19th of August 2018, she found herself at DAPP Dowa satellite center ready to embark on this journey which will draw her closer to her dreams.

Mary Chinkhuni

Mary Chinkhuni

Mary And Her Classmates Perfoming Through Music

Mary And Her Classmates Perfoming Through Music

Being the last born in a family of 3, Mary, who hails from Besele Village in Traditional Authority Nsakambewa, Dowa, didn’t think that this opportunity would come so soon “I come from a home which is not well to do. My parents are farmers and they hardly make enough money to take care of my siblings and I. for this reason, I knew that tuition fees would be a challenge for them even if I was selected to go to a fashion design school. But I thank God for DAPP and this course. It is so affordable that when my parents heard that all I have to pay is MWK6, 500 for the course, they too couldn’t believe it. I was so glad that my parents could afford it” she concluded.

The students are taught how to sew 8 items which include; a school dress, petticoat, shorts, a skirts, caftan, a baby dress, a T-shirt and a national wear. “Our instructors are very patient, loving and caring. They really want us to learn. Honestly, they inspire me to do better and to believe that I can one day be as good as they are at designing clothes” exclaims Mary.

Mary dreams of being a role model for others in her village and share her skills and knowledge with them. She believes that she will one day be a very successful designer and a job creator for those who are struggling to get jobs. “I am so excited for my future, I know that from here, things can only get better for me” she says.

DAPP Malawi works with Sympany from the Netherlands to ensure that adolescent girls and women from villages that surround DAPP Teachers training colleges are empowered with tailoring skills so that they become self-reliant members of society.

Case Story: Stella Mangasi - my dreams unfolding

On 18 October 2017 I arrived at Chimkwende primary school in Thunga zone, Thyolo district. I was nervous to go and face classroom full of learners, interact with fellow teachers and the community. I felt like giving up on the profession until I realized that I made it to the end of the week. 

With knowledge acquired from DAPP Amalika Teachers Training College, I managed to handle the learners, interacted with fellow teachers and community members. It reminded me of the time we travelled across countries as student teachers to learn during a study period known as Busing Our Continent which exposes students to people of different backgrounds, culture and beliefs.

A teacher delivering lessons in class

A teacher delivering lessons in class

A vegetable garden established at a Primary School

A vegetable garden established at a Primary School


While doing my teaching practices at Chinkwende, I worked with the teachers in a quest to reduce absenteeism at the school. It was agreed among the teachers to hold meetings with parents of children that were missing school to be sending their children to school and this was a strategy that worked not only for my class but the rest of the classes.
In trying to create a school that is child friendly and conducive for children, I and my fellow student teachers facilitated the establishment of a sanitation club that gave teachers roles of ensuring that the school premises are clean at all times which included having hand washing facilities.
Additionally, we introduced learners to garden farming and imparted them with skills and knowledge of vegetable farming. It is pleasing to see that most of the learners are now having vegetable in their homes. Such achievements have made me realise that indeed I am a teacher and my dream is becoming a reality.

Case Story: Stanley Kachidowo

Stanley Kachidowo is a primary school teacher at Mafosha School in Mafosha village, Traditional Authority Chakhadza in Dowa district. He was trained at DAPP Dowa Teachers Training College to work in rural Malawi primary school. In 2016 he was posted to work at Mafosha where he was assigned to be a standard 8 class teacher. During the 2016/2017 academic year there were 31 learners in Standard 8 and when they sat for the Malawi Nation Examination Board (MANEB) exams the pass rate was 100 percent with two learners selected to convention secondary schools and 17 got selected to a Community Day Secondary School.
Kachidowo said his class performed well because he uses learner centred methods of teaching. He said as a teacher who is also a member of the DAPP 400 Primary School (a network of DAPP graduated teachers that stick together to share knowledge and experiences on how to improve the environments around their schools), he believes in teaching and showing as such he uses TALULAR (Teaching and Learning Using Locally Available Resources), he introduced extracurricular lessons and encourages refreshing activities ( football, netball, dramas, dances and poems), sanitation and hygiene (through mounting of hand washing facilities) around the school toilets.

Kachidowo Explains About TALULAR

Kachidowo Explains About TALULAR

Learners From Mafosha Perform A Song During An Open Day

Learners From Mafosha Perform A Song During An Open Day


The Deputy Headteacher for the school Mr Chimalizeni Sitinkamu said it wasn’t until Kachidowo’s coming that the school started sending learners to government secondary schools after 13 years. He said the last time learners from the school got selected to convention secondary schools was in 2005. He acknowledged that Kachidowo is a teacher who is passionate about his job and, he, together with the other teachers work hand in hand with the community around the school.
Mafosha primary school has 13 teachers, 10 male and 3 females. In the 2017/2018 academic year, the school’s enrollment has gone up from 584 to 801 learners. Standard 8 class has 73 learners from the previous 31. The increase in enrollment is being attributed to the 2017 MANEB results whose pass rate was 100 percent.

Case Story: Lydia Chilobwe

Lydia Chilobwe comes from Chinani Village, Group Village Headman Chinani in Traditional Authority Chiwalo in Phalombe district. She is 37 years old with 2 children. She was diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) in June 2014 at Holy Family Hospital in Phalombe district. She started receiving treatment, but it was cut short since there were no drugs at Nambazo Health Centre where she was collecting her drugs. Due to financial constraints she could not manage to procure some for herself nor travel to the next health facilities for medication. For three years Lydia was still experiencing TB signs and Symptoms which included sweating at night, progressive coughing and she was only able to lie on one side and keep the same posture for comfort when sleeping.
Lydia’s mother insisted that she visits the hospital to seek medical help since her condition was deteriorating with each passing day but Lydia was refusing to go to the hospital. It wasn’t until early June in 2017 that she met Nixon, TIMS Peer Educator who lives in the same village with Lydia. She explained to Nixon about her condition who informed her about DAPP – TB in the Mining Sector (TIMS) Field Officers (FO) who were sensitizing people in the area to go for TB screening.

 

Lydia Right With Her Guardian

Lydia Right With Her Guardian

A Member Of The Trio In A Vegetable Garden

A Member Of The Trio In A Vegetable Garden

She narrates, “I asked Nixon to inform the FOs about my situation and they visited me the following day. I explained about the signs and symptoms and they gave me bottles to collect sputum which I took to Nambazo Health Centre the following day. After the lab tests at Nambazo they found out that I didn’t have TB. The DAPP – TIMS FOs insisted that I should go to Phalombe district hospital for further diagnosis with X-ray. I was diagnosed with TB but unfortunately the hospital did not have TB drugs as such I was referred to Holy Family, a mission hospital, where I received 7 bottles of TB drugs. I returned to the village to continue my treatment, and I was receiving injections for 60 days at Nambazo. Since I have been taking medicine, there has been significant improvement to my health and I will be finishing my treatment on 8 January 2018.”


During the course of receiving TB treatment, DAPP’s Field Officers for TB in the Mining Sector project, work with the TB clients and their guardians. A trio, a group of three people comprising the patient and two guardians, is formed to provide support to the patient. Members of the trio ensure that the patient is adhering to drugs, living in a clean place, using clean utensils, eating nutritious meals and practice safe preventive measures to the rest of the family. The trio is also taught how to prepare meals that contain all six food groups through cooking demonstrations which are organized by the same field officers. Additionally, the trio is required to establish a vegetable garden at the household and are taught on the importance of direct observed therapy to the patients on TB Treatment.
Lydia’s trio members, Emily Gilevulo and Chrissy James, have been providing support to the patient since she was diagnosed with TB. During her early stage of treatment, the two women moved into the house of the patient to ensure timely assistance and support is offered. However, the patient was sleeping alone in a separate room away from the rest of the household members to avoid transmission of the airborne disease. She was using her own utensils like plates and cups which were cleaned with boiled water after use. Children below the age of five from the household received isoniazid prophylaxis that protected them contracting TB.
Lydia is now fit and able to walk long distances on her own. Lung parenchyma are usually affected by TB disease per X-ray interpretation. She said she had lost hope but TB in the Mining Sector project has helped her to live again.

Case Story: Victoria Amidu

My name is Victoria Amidu, I am 22 years old and currently pursuing a Textile and Fashion Designing course at DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School. During the 2016 Non-Governmental (NGO) Week held at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe, Victoria was invited to showcase some of her designs as one way of inspiring youth and exhibiting the skills she had learnt at Mikolongwe Vocational School and during internship
I am the first born in a family of 3, and I come from Nyakoko Village in Neno District. I completed my secondary school education when I was 16. I have always loved fashion and I used to save the pocket money I received from my family to pay for lessons which I was receiving from a local tailor.
I believed that if he taught me the basics, how to sew and join fabrics I would be set. However, my family did not see any future in tailoring as such I was sent to study business administration at the Polytechnic. My passion for fashion and designing grew while at the Polytechnic as I saw many unique designs both at the campus and when I moved around town. I began envisioning my life as a designer but didn’t really have a well planned strategy about how I would realize that dream.
My dreams become a reality when I was among the 30 youth selected for the three year Textile and Fashion Designing program by DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School under the Sympany Sponsorship program. It has been an amazing experience being at the vocational school and learning so many things about the industry and realizing that it’s not just about sewing and joining fabrics as I had imagined when I was growing up.
I have always been a fan of Lily Alfonso, one of Malawi’s renowned fashion designers who has showcased her work on the international market. When she visited my school and gave a motivational speech and shared that she would like to work with one of us, I just hoped it would be me. And yes, she picked me as an intern. At her studio, I have learnt many things which include free hand cutting, cutting cloth without pattern, special designing, conducting market research, studying the markets, importance of teamwork, how to work with sequences, packaging  and customer care. I am truly privileged to have her as my mentor.
My vision is to become a professional designer who will also put Malawi on the map. Most importantly, I want to become a role model for fellow youth whether boys or girls and inspire others in the way that Lily Alfonso inspires me.
I would not have come this far if it were not for the sponsorship, the support and encouragement from my instructors at Mikolongwe Vocational School and my fellow sponsored students. I remain thankful to Sympany for granting me this life changing opportunity.
Victoria.

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Contact DAPP Malawi

DAPP Malawi
Plot No. CC 1086, Maselema, Limbe
Blantyre District, Malawi

Cell: +265885834277

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