Malawi Relief Fund UK chapter has trained 45 women from Traditional Authority (T/A) Ntchema in Chiradzulu District in tailoring.
Speaking on Tuesday during the graduation of the trainees at Maone Vocational School in Blantyre, the organisation’s country director Yakub Valli said they decided to empower the women with entrepreneurship skills for them to become economically independent.
“We expect them to use the skills to generate income to support their families. So far, 135 women have acquired vocational skills,” he said.
Chiradzulu district director of planning and development Henderson Kaumi encouraged the women to make good use of their skills.
He said: “This is a welcome development considering that women face many challenges in society.
“So, the initiative will help them to build resilience and alleviate poverty in their families. I would like to ask them not to sell the sewing machines they have received because these are the resources that will help them move out of poverty.”
One of the beneficiaries, Asiatu Ayatu, from T/A Sandraki in Chiradzulu, thanked the organisation for the training.
“I will be able to employ myself and other women once I establish my workshop in the village,” she said.
Maone Technical College in collaboration with Malawi Relief Fund UK and Issa Foundation invested K23 million to train the women under Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education Training Authority programmes.
Malawi Relief Fund UK also supported the trainees with a start-up kit, including sewing machines and other resources enabling them to start their own businesses.
