Neno Girls Hope for Economic Empowerment

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development

Mary Gogoda, Yamikani Office and Lusina Benda are among 31 young women and girls who are undergoing a four-month tailoring training at Neno Youth Centre in Neno district. The training also known as Mobile training is a four-month program being run by Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi with financial support from Sympany of Holland.

Started in 2016, the project targets to equip 270 vulnerable young and women and girls with technical and entrepreneurial skills in order for them to be able to start their own small scale businesses by 2021. The program is an extension of DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School aimed to reach out to more youth in hard to reach areas.

From left to right Lusina, Yamikani and Mary

The Mobile Training truck packed in Neno

From March 2018, the Mobile Training Truck is in Neno district where Mary, Yamikani and Lusina aged 23, 21 and 23 respectively are among the girls benefiting from the free training. These three form one of the trios (group of three people) in the district who are expected to graduate in August 2018. They all come from Traditional Authority Chekucheku with Mary coming from Chidakwani village, Yamikani from Chilombo village and Lusina from Hiwa village.

Born in a family of 5, Marylost her mother and she stays with her father and four siblings. She said she dropped out of school while in Standard 8. Yamikani was born in a family of six and she grew up growing and selling vegetables with her two siblings since their father left the village to marry in another area. On the other hand, Lusina was born in a family of 8, she lost both her parents and 7 siblings. She was raised by her grandmother and they used to brew kachasu (local beer) to earn a living until she was selected to be part of the tailoring training.

As a trio, they say after the training they will set up a tailoring shop from which they hope to be making at least 50,000.00 Malawi kwacha (about USD 69) per month when they have enough customers. They say this is going to be possible because they will be sharing responsibilities.

“For instance, I would be manning the sewing machine, Yamika would be cutting the fabric while Lusina is ironing the materials sewn. This way productivity will be high comparing to when there is one person doing everything,”said Mary.

The team said they will work with experienced tailors from their villages to gain more experience after the training. Additionally, they plan to also impart the skills in their fellow peers who they hope to engage within a year since by then they will be able to buy two extra sewing machines.

DAPP hands over tailoring startup tools to satellite tailoring students

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development

DAPP Dowa Teacher Training College (TTC) Satellite Training Centre held an Open Day on the 30th of May 2018 where 49 young women and girls who have undergone tailoring training at the institution received startup tools. The tools include sewing machines, measuring tapes, cloth materials, scissors and irons. The distribution exercise aimed at encouraging them to put into practice the knowledge and skills which they have acquired in the 4 month training so that they become self-sufficient young women and girls who can make a difference in their respective communities and the country as a whole.

Training participants receive the startup tools in groups of three

Training participants performing a song during the open day event

The event was patronized by Dowa district assistant youth, sports and labour officer Joseph Kachigamba, Dowa Police Station officials, chiefs, Dowa TTC staff, parents and guardians, among others.
DAPP Dowa TTC Principal Blessings Kambewa urged the training participants to capitalize on the skills and startup tools to bring a positive impact in their respective families and communities. “Let the skills which you have attained through this training enable you to become self-reliant and change not only your lives, but also the lives of those around you,” he said.
On his part, Kachigamba who was the event’s guest of honour told the participants that the skills and knowledge acquired were so powerful and that they will be able to use them for the rest of their lives. “I Implore you to take care of the startup tools and use the skills wisely so you can generate funds that will enable you uplift your lives,” Kachigamba said.
With financial support from Sympany of Holland, Mikolongwe Vocational School expanded its operations to equipping vulnerable girls from under privileged households surrounding the four DAPP TTCs with vocational and business management skills for socio-economic development. The training program runs for four months targeting young women between the age of 18 to 24 who are vulnerable in their communities due to school drop outs, early marriages and orphanage, among others. The program intends to reach 720 young girls and women with tailoring skills by 2020. So far, a total of 289 young women and girls have attended the training.

Partners applaud DAPP for strides made through LCSS Project

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development

DAPP Let Children Stay in School (LCSS) project was aimed at ensuring smooth transition of preschool learners to primary school by working with in-service teachers and the communities to create conducive learning environment for the lower class learners.
The project reached out to 114 primary schools within six districts of Chitipa, Rumphi, Ntchisi, Lilongwe, Machinga and Nsanje.

With an aim of reducing the dropout rate of learners in grade 1 and 2, LCSS project among others introduced school feeding programs in schools, provided refresher trainings to lower class teachers and worked with communities to establish learning shelters and standard playgrounds using locally available resources.
On the 25th of May 2018, officials from Ntchisi District Education Office, Civil Society Education Coalition, Action Aid and Plan International, among others visited Masangano and Buluzi primary schools in Ntchisi district to appreciate how the project has contributed to promotion of education in the district.
The visiting stakeholders commended DAPP for working with the schools and community structures. During the field visit, the officials inspected classes in session, vegetable gardens, hand washing facilities and porridge preparation.
The representative from Plan International Christopher Katutu described the active participation of learners in class as an amazing initiative in the project.
Group Village Headman Malinganzizi of Traditional Authority Kaluma recognized that there has been strides in the schools and he will continue working with the people in the area to ensure sustainability of the activities introduced by the project.
Let Children Stay in School project phased out in May 2018 after a three-year implementation in the six districts with funding from the Rodger Federer Foundation.

HOPE in schools project for informed AGYW

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development

Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi in partnership with the National AIDS Commission (NAC) is implementing a Hope in Schools project called Creating Space for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) to Access Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services. It aims at promoting adolescent girls and young women to be assertive and understand their rights when making reproductive health related decisions.
The project runs for 12 months and is targeting 600 AGYW, as direct beneficiaries, in 10 tertiary education institutions and 30 private secondary schools and 6000 indirect beneficiaries in Mulanje and Thyolo districts.
On 24th January 2018, DAPP Malawi and NAC jointly organised an Open Day in Thyolo district with an aim of encouraging youth to patronize health services.
The event took place at Ligowe private secondary school and was graced by the District Health Officer for Thyolo Dr Arnold Jumbe. Dr Jumbe led the touring of the exhibitions where DAPP showcased different activities which have been carried out in the project and other projects being implemented in the district.

The Guest Of Honour During The Open Day In Thyolo

Among the key personnel that attended the function were the DAPP Malawi Country Director Lisbeth Thomsen, NAC Programs Manager Chimwemwe Mablekis and the Eastern Division Education Director Chris Sogolani.
In her speech, the DAPP Malawi’s Country Director encouraged both young women and girls to continue taking active roles in the project together with the parents, teachers, head teachers and matrons who supporting them.
“We would like to see a new generation of young girls and women making informed choices about their life and completing their education even going further than secondary and tertiary education, and become influential young people where ever they go – and therefore contribute to the development of Malawi and sustaining their life and the life of their families,” she emphasized.

The Programs Manager NAC called on youth to utilize the Youth Friendly health services and demand information from authorities in order to reduce new infections among the group.
The Hope in Schools project is working with private secondary schools and tertiary education institutions from 10 education zones in Thyolo district which are; Mtambanyama, Chisawani, Lutchenza, Mpinji, Lutchenza, Khonjeni, Thekerani, Thunga, Goliati and Molele within Traditional Authorities of Bvumbwe, Khwethemule, Chimaliro, Mchiramwera, Nsabwe, Kapichi and Ngolongoliwa. In Mulanje, the project is working in the following education zones; Chitakale, Ulongwe, Masubi, Mombo and Limbuli within Traditional Authorities of Chikumbu, Njema, Nthiramanja and Mabuka.

Machinga and Dowa district officials visit DAPP Project

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Community Development

The District Coordinating Committee members for Machinga and Zomba districts visited DAPP Malawi’s Child Aid project to appreciate what the project is doing in their two districts. Child Aid project officers organized the exercise in order to present to district officials the achievements that the project has made.

The activity took place from 19 to 21 December 2017 and was attended by officials from the following departments; District Environmental Health Office, District Water Development Office, District Social Welfare Office, District Forestry Office, District Agriculture Development Office, School Health and Nutrition, Director of Planning and Development, WASH and Community Development Office.

Officials Visiting CHild Aid Project Area

DAPP partners from different organisations and projects in the two districts also took part in the exercise and these included; Red Cross Society, Njira Project, Save the Children ASPIRE, Heart to Heart, Action Aid, Amref and ONSE Project.

The District Environmental Health Officer (DEHO) for Machinga expressed satisfaction with the project activities following after observing that communities are practicing hygiene and sanitation. He said the project’s success was evident with children having basic information about the importance of using toilets and washing hands when asked.

The DEHO said he will invite the National Open Defecation Free Task Force to come and verify Traditional Authority Liwonde for an Open Defecation Free status.

Led by the Village Action Group Committee members, the visiting officials randomly sampled 10 households in 9 villages to see if they had sanitary facilities. The facilities include; toilets with drop hole covers, tippy taps, dishracks, firewood saving stoves, rubbish pits and clothes hanging lines

To spice up the visits, community members organised plays, poems and traditional dances which were informative as well as entertaining.

DAPP Malawi implemented the Child Aid project in Machinga and Zomba district since January 2017 and the project is expected to end in December same year.

Neno Girls Hope for Economic Empowerment

From left to right Lusina, Yamikani and Mary

The Mobile Training truck packed in Neno

Salanao With Her Guardian Joyce Ntambo

Salanao Sedrick

DAPP hands over tailoring startup tools to satellite tailoring students

Training participants receive the startup tools in groups of three

Training participants performing a song during the open day event

Partners applaud DAPP for strides made through LCSS Project

Learners in class during the visit

Women preparing porridge for learners

HOPE in schools project for informed AGYW

Banner for our Open Day

The Guest Of Honour During The Open Day In Thyolo

Learners Attending The Open Day

Students Performing During The Open Day

Machinga and Dowa district officials visit DAPP Project

A Latrine With A Hand Washing Facility

Officials Visiting CHild Aid Project Area

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