Mangochi Central legislator Roza Fatch Mbilizi (Democratic Progressive Party) says supporting the people and empowering women through village savings and loans (VSL) groups will remain among her top priorities to improve livelihoods in the constituency.
The legislator, who is also Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, said this on Sunday after donating blankets and wrappers to more than 50 elderly people at Michesi Village in Traditional Authority Mponda and providing support to 40 VSL groups in Thundu Ward.
The 40 women-led groups, comprising at least 2 000 members, received revolving funds, record books for managing savings and loans and wrappers to wear during their VSL meetings to strengthen their operations and promote a saving culture.
Mbilizi said the support for the elderly seeks to ease the hardships they face while the assistance to women and young people is designed to prepare them for the Reformed K5 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
She said: “I want the elderly to live with dignity and women as well as young people to be organised and ready so that when CDF loans become available, they will not struggle to qualify because they will already have strong savings groups.”
Mbilizi said empowering women through businesses and a culture of saving will help families to become economically self-reliant, educate their children and reduce poverty.
Group village head (GVH) Issa Mponda commended the legislator for extending support to both women and the elderly.
“The assistance will improve people’s lives because it creates opportunities for families to have incomes to support themselves while also caring for our elderly people,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the elderly beneficiaries, Gogo Janet Aufi thanked Mbilizi for remembering older people who often struggle to meet their daily needs.
Tikondane VSL group representative Fazira Mtaja said the donation will help members improve record-keeping and manage their savings and lending activities
