Every morning for 13 years, Faith Mkweu stood outside Escom head offices in Blantyre, guarding the doors that opened opportunities for others until the day she decided to open one for herself.
Her story is that of a woman who refused to let the uniform she wore define the limits of her potential.
Now 46, the mother of four and diploma student in electrical engineering stands as a powerful symbol of persistence, purpose and the transformative potential of second chances.
Between 2001 and 2014, she stood guard at the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (Escom)’s head office in Blantyre, a security officer ensuring doors and gates opened for others while her own dreams remained locked inside.
During that period, her job was to maintain order, monitor entrances and ensure clients, staff and visitors moved safely in and out.
She watched engineers troubleshoot faults and clerical staff file reports, always wondering what it would take to be one of them.
Faith dropped out of school in Form Two.
“I sat down and thought of doing something different with my life and career,” she says.
“Yes, I had doubts. I wondered how I would juggle school, work and family. But I made up my mind to do something different.”
At the time, Faith only had a Junior Certificate of Education.
But with encouragement from her children, she enrolled in night school to pursue her Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).
She studied alongside classmates young enough to be her children.
“It was hard, but with God, everything worked out fine,” she says.
“There were countless times I thought of giving up, but when I remembered my family, I kept going.”
Her first attempt at the MSCE ended in failure.
“I felt bad because I had high hopes,” she admits.
“But I told myself, if others did it, why not me?”
The following year, she tried again—studying longer, digging deeper and leaning on her children to quiz her each night.
“I would read the textbooks repeatedly and ask my children to test me,” she recalls, laughing.
When her results finally came out, she had passed.
And with that, her gate opened, both literally and figuratively, as she moved from guard duties to a role as a faults desk operator at Escom.
“The transition meant a lot to me,” she says.
“I had seen the fruits of my hard work and dedication.”
But the triumph was short-lived.
Management announced that only diploma holders would remain in the faults section.
Armed with none, Faith—now based at Mzuzu Escom—was soon moved to the construction department.
Though a huge setback, Faith regarded the incident as another wake-up call.
Thus, while working as a linesperson in construction, she’s also pursuing a diploma in electrical engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.
“It has always been my passion to go further in the electrical industry,” she says.
Studying as a mature woman in a male-dominated, fast-paced field isn’t easy.
“At first I struggled with the technical jargon, but I refused to feel inferior,” she says.
Her children, again, stepped in as her support system.
Her eldest daughter, Wezzie, puts it simply: “Seeing mum working so hard makes me want to do my best in school too. She inspires us to never give up.”
Faith’s story is not just about academic ambition; it’s also about courage, transformation and breaking the invisible limits age and gender can impose.
Her colleagues see it too.
“She’s shown us that ambition doesn’t fade with age,” says one co-worker, Regina Phewa Mkandawire, senior supervisor for Mzuzu Escom’s maintenance department.
“It’s about how far you’re willing to push yourself.”
Stories such as Faith’s challenge stereotypes and inspire young women to believe in bigger possibilities.
Meanwhile, Faith—who also attributes her success to her supportive husband—hopes her journey helps others break free from limiting roles.
He was happy that the thought of upgrading my studies came from my own mind, encouraged me to do it and was there for me every step of the way.
Being a businessperson whose mind is always occupied with the stress that comes with it, he never forgot to always wake me up to study and when out for business, he would call just to wake me up to read my books, which encouraged me a lot.
Faith dreams of earning her diploma, securing a permanent technical role and mentoring others stuck in low-growth positions.
She believes no dream is too old to chase.
“It’s never too late to make your dreams work,” she says.
“There’s no shame in going back to school at an older age if you’re determined.”
After 24 years at Escom, many of them without promotion, Faith has finally stepped into the future she once only observed from the gate.
She’s not just building power lines—she’s building a legacy.
And in doing so, she’s reminding all of us that it’s never too late to rise.
