DAPP Malawi is in 2021 celebrating 26 years of active involvement in development work with communities through out the country
DAPP is implementing 17 projects within education, health, agriculture and community development in 25 district that span across the country's three regions
Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development
With the realization that inmates lack social, economic as well as basic needs, DAPP Dowa Teachers Training College (TTC) student teachers and staff members organized a trip to Bzyanzi prison located in Dowa district.
Student teacher donating food items to the prisoners
Teachers sharing experiences with the prisoners
The visit, slated for 10th November was solely for the purpose of cheering up the inmates by giving them basic needs such as bathing soap, washing soap and sugar just to mention a few. Through raising funds from well-wishers within the college and the community, the team purchased basic needs and packaged them for the 97 inmates at the prison. “We know that inmates lack a lot of things in prison, we thought we could help out by doing what we could” said Diverson Simbi the group leader DAPP Malawi has four TTC’s namely Amalika, Chilangoma, Dowa and Mzimba in Thyolo, Blantyre, Dowa and Mzimba districts respectively. To date, more than 2,600 teachers have been trained for government primary schools
Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development
As one way of cerebrating Mother’s Day which falls on 15th October in Malawi, student teachers of DAPP Dowa Teachers Training College (TTC) visited Dzaleka Health Center for a cleaning action and to cheer the sick.
Organized by the student teachers, the action saw the premises seeped, floors were moped, windowpanes cleaned “As a college, we realize the importance of promoting sanitation and hygiene more especially in the hospital because it is a place where people go to get cured and not to get infections” Said Diverson Machika, A Teacher Responsible for the group.
Cleaning window panes
Distributing food packages to pregnant mothers
Caroline Naphulu, a Student Teacher, commended all mothers who plan well for the birth of their children by going to wait for the time of delivery at the hospital, for this is the only way of preventing complications that women face during giving birth. The student teachers also gave packages containing sugar and soap to expectant mothers and new mothers in the maternity ward Mrs. Chimphepo, one of the Workers at the Hospital, praised the student teachers for the gesture saying that it is good that students are helping in setting a good foundation for the children they will teach in future.
Through its four Teacher Training Colleges (TTC’s) of Amalika in Thyolo district, Chilangoma in Blantyre, Dowa in Dowa and Mzimba in Mzimba district, DAPP Malawi trains youth to become teachers who will make a difference in rural government primary schools.
Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development
Owen Mchocho is a Malawian born on 6th March 1994. He comes from Chinyama village in Mulanje district. Owen grew up in his home village and upon completion of his secondary school he enrolled with DAPP Malawi’s Mikolongwe Vocational School (MVS) for a 6 months tailoring course.
Owen went straight into business and setup a shop in Chigumula Township in the commercial city of Blantyre soon after completion of the course. The shop was opened together with a fellow graduate from the institution, James Chagunda with the start-up tools supplied by DAPP. Owen’s colleague, James, went on to open a shop of his own after buying a sewing machine.
Owen made extensive savings from his business for about 6 months and bought 3 sewing machines on top of the one he already had. He now runs 2 shops, 1 in Chigumula Township and the other in Mulanje his home town. He rents out the other 2 sewing machines to tailors within Blantyre district at a fee. Owen has since employed 2 permanent tailors for his 2 shops. He also produces tomatoes and vegetables, the tailoring course had an Agricultural element of backyard gardening. Owen has hence diverse income paths from his garden, machine rentals as well as from his 2 shops. In his home town Mulanje, he does also offer lessons at a fee to those who would want to become tailors and fashion designers. Owen says during normal months he has been making more than MK200, 000.00 (more than 240 Euros). This is a computation from the MK120, 000.00 a month (MK60, 000.00 per month for each machine rental or MK15, 000.00 per week) and an average of MK60, 000.00 for his 2 shops in Chigumula and Mulanje. “I earn more than MK200, 000.00 per month exclusive of gardening proceeds which I realize after harvesting normally at 2 to 3 months’ intervals,” Owen further narrated.
With knowledge gained from DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School (MVS), Owen does not only support his family in everything but is also an employer of 2 community members. He also supports his 2 siblings with school fees while also paying his employees as well as shop rentals.
Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development
I am Ireen Davie, a 28 year old married woman, a mother and a tailor by profession and I come from Mbalame village in traditional authority Mkukula, Dowa district. After four months of training is various tailoring skills and knowledge, I graduated from DAPP Dowa Teachers Training College (TTC) In 2017 ready to face the world.
Teamwork through trio groups is encouraged in the course
Students learn to sew 8 different products
I am proud to say that I am now an owner of my own sowing machine which I brought in December 2018 after saving the profits from the tailoring business as a trio (me and my other colleagues) group. As a trio, we make between Mk 10,000 –12,000 per day. Through this I have also managed to buy 3 goats and 1 pig.
Before enrolling into this course, I was a farmer. But now I am proud to say I am a DAPP graduated tailor. I thank my instructors for teaching me these skills that I am using now
Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development
Martha Diamond, a 24-year-old lady from Chiwaya Village, Traditional Authority Nsakambewa in Dowa District never thought she would ever be a self-reliant individual. The 24-year-old who dropped out of secondary school in form 2, heard about the DAPP Satellite centre’s four months tailoring course and didn’t waste time to enroll “After finding out, I enrolled as I had nothing to do” she said.
In November 2018, Martha graduated and went on to start her own tailoring business from which she has managed to save Mk 150,000 within seven months which she wants to buy a sewing machine. “Because of my hard work and determination, I have managed to save that money. Apart from that, I have managed to buy 60 bags of groundnuts which I am keeping and plan on selling before the next planting season” she said. Martha makes between Mk 5,000 – Mk 7,000 per week through her tailoring business.
Martha says she has seen the fruits of this project “most of my classmates like me are school dropouts and came here without any knowledge of tailoring. But as time went by, we have learnt a lot from our instructors and are thankful that the skills we have now can never be taken away from us” she said
“To DAPP, I just want to say thank you for through this project, you have changed my life” exclaimed Martha.
