By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, September 21, Mana: Executive Director for Women for Fair Development (WOFAD), Apostle Lindiwe Matanya, says business management, self-reliance, employment preparation, livelihood management and personal development trainings are key to women empowerment.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Friday, Matanya said by supplying women with business training programmes, vocational skills and income-earning opportunities women will be productive in economic growth of the country.
According to Matanya, through WOFAD’s ‘Giving Machine Project’ they have since trained 175 women.
“Women are considered to be less privileged economically and being undermined in development and decision making in the community. As such, if we invest and empower them with economic knowledge the country’s economy will change.
“Through our project women are able to understand how best they can contribute to the country’s economy and we are able to train them in personal development courses and career agriculture and make them understand their impact on the economy,” said Matanya.
She added that, through the project on September 24, they are expected to distribute 350 goats to women in Traditional Authority (TA) Kunthembwe as part of empowerment.
She, therefore, pointed out long distance to the training centre as the major challenge which the organization faces.
The project aims at empowering women in small-scale business is being implemented by WOFAD with funds from Mentors International in TAs Kunthembwe and Lundu in Blantyre running from July 2024 to 2025.
In a separate interview with one of the participants, Janet Faki, from Somba Village in TA Lundu said before WOFAD trainings, she was unable to scale up her business, balance up business and family responsibility and had fear of failure.
She said after the training she is able to handle the situation and provide for her family.
“Our family life has changed due to these training sessions in such a way that I am able to attract more customers which result in a high profit rate, I’m able to pay school fees for my children, provide daily needs and I am able to handle my business well without losses,” said Faki.
Faki, therefore, commended WOFAD for the intervention, saying the development has come at a right time as women are able to come together and discuss ideas on how to deal with issues hindering their business.
