Dedza District Council Functional Literacy Project coordinator Mpatulano Store has expressed satisfaction with the project as it has encouraged girls who dropped out to return to school.
The project, which is targeting girls aged between 10 and 19, is also disbursing funds to girls who cannot return to school to start businesses.
On Tuesday, Store visited beneficiaries in Lobi and Ndakunyala in traditional authorities (T/As) Kachere and Kaphuka in the district to appreciate the project’s impact.
winning team | Steve Chirombo, Mana
She said: “We put the girls in groups and each group received K200 000 in all the 56 targeted centres in the district. This means we disbursed about K12 million.
“We have 136 girls who are able to read and write and they have rejoined primary school.”
Store said the project has transformed the lives of some girls who cannot go back to school.
“Some girls, who are teen mothers, are into tomato, vegetables and scones businesses. They have established village savings and loan groups through which they save their profits,” she said.
A beneficiary, Steria Siforiano from Kapikira Village in T/A Kaphuka said the functional literacy programme has changed her mindset.
“I didn’t know how to read and write. Having the knowledge now I am able to operate my businesses unlike in the past when I could just spend time working in the fields. I currently sell tomatoes,” she said.
At the end of the tour, there was a netball bonanza which saw Chabuka Netball Team win against Chimwankhuku by 17 to 14 baskets
