Sewing Skills for Malawi

About the Project

SEWING SKILLS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN MALAWI

Chididi is a small, rural mountain community in southern Malawi.

The community is reliant on subsistence farming which, in turn, is reliant on the climate. The women mostly have no paid work.

Many women are single mothers and widows, some with HIV/AIDS.

Due to poverty, men often leave the village in search of work, sometimes travelling to other countries. Some return and support their wives and families. However, many never return and some of those who do are infected with HIV.

Safe World Field Partner, SURCOD (Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation), works to facilitate self reliance and self sufficiency for the women of Chididi.

Lack of International Support

Outlying villages such as Chididi are usually the last to benefit from government funding, at the best of times. To compound the problems faced by rural women in Malawi, the country has recently lost aid from Britain and Germany.

Swiss NGO Funds Savings Project - Skills Now Needed for Income-generation

The women members of SURCOD have recently been awarded funding for a Saving Scheme Project by a Swiss NGO,  Volkart Vision.

For the first time, there is real potential for them to develop sustainable livelihoods.

But they need skills.

Sewing Machines and Tailoring Skills

SURCOD and Safe World have developed a project to enable the women of Chididi to learn valuable tailoring skills, with your help.

Support of Local Leaders

SURCOD members discussed the project with Local Leaders: GVH Mkhutche, GVH Mchacha and GVH Mpangira and also their Village Head men.GVH Mkhutche, GVH Mchacha, GVH Mpangira, VHM Lusiyano and VHM Sole, Brian Damson Esther Kashoti and volunteers with the elected Committee

They were very happy with the development and plans of SURCOD because they welcome skills development in remote area as Chididi.

The Local leaders helped SURCOD to identify twenty-one beneficiaries who would benefit from skills training and act responsibly towards the training centre facilities.

Community Involvement

The Project Committee is composed of 9 women and 1 man, drawn from the community and elected by the community.

Training

This will enable 16 women and 5 men to be trained in tailoring skills by qualified trainers and provided with sewing machines, fabric and accessories.

Garments produced will be sold in local markets.

Training the Trainers

This group will also be trained to be trainers. They will then be able to train a further 300 women and young people, over a period of three years.

HELP BRING TAILORING SKILLS TO CHIDIDI

With your help, the women and youth of Chididi can begin to develop a sustainable livelihood.

TARGET

The project target is £6.600

90.3% of the target amount will go towards the cost of purchasing sewing machines, fabric, haberdashery items and teaching equipment, and effective monitoring and evaluation,

9.7% will go towards cost of monetary transfer and Safe World administration costs.

Sewing Skills for Malawi

The Team

Project Facilitators

Agnes Alufasi Phiri - Andiamo Vocational Training Centre (JCE)                              Lillian Chiume - SOS vocational Training Centre (MSCE)

Qualified Facilitators with Certificates for Textile and Design have been selected from recommended Vocational Schools.

Proposed Training Centre

Classroom         Administration rooms

The building will be used as a classroom for the pioneers and also the place where the project will take place.

Committee

The Committee, elected democratically by the project beneficiaries, is composed of 9 women and 1 man.

Committee:
Kneeling - Chair Person Grace Hound, Vice Eunice Ching’oma Secretary Memory Robert, Vice Milliam Usseni, Treasurer Alice Khoviwa.
Standing - Joyce Mkwera, Esther Forty, Rose Peter, Jenipher Zwawu and Kenison Suwali

• Chair Person - Grace Haundi
• Vice Chair Person - Eunice Ching’oma
• Secretary - Memory Robert
• Vice Secretary - Milliam Usseni
• Treasurer- Alice Khoviwa

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

1. Esther Forty
2. Rose Peter
3. Jenifer Zwawu
4. Kenison Suwali
5. Joyce Mkwera

Sewing Skills for Malawi

List of Beneficiaries

Sewing Skills for Malawi

Project Costs

(Estimated)

Notes:

Cost -= MWK (Malawi Kwacha Currency)

1 GBP = 258.0109 MWK as of 11 Dec 2011 at 1:11 PM.

Sewing Skills for Malawi

Please donate to the project

Your gift WILL make a difference!

90.3% of your donation will go to Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation (SURCOD) towards the cost of purchasing sewing machines, fabric, haberdashery items and teaching equipment, effective monitoring and evaluation,

9.7% will go towards cost of monetary transfer and administration costs of The Safeworld International Foundation.

SURCOD is a Malawi NGO registered on 17th May, 2010 and is a member of CONGOMA (Council of Non Governmental Organisations in Malawi).

SURCOD is at the the forefront of advancing the empowerment of women and girls in various sustainable development projects in rural areas of southern Malawi.