Malawi: Chisomo Widows Group which is based in Mzimba has been helping widowed women get access to skills that can help them in creating a livelihood for themselves. The Widows from Mzimba and Nkhata Bay districts have hailed the group for their efforts.
The group thanked the team for instilling sustainable livelihood skills in several vulnerable ladies. Several widows are unable to find a stable livelihood after the loss of their partners. The Chisomo Widows Group has ben working with these women to train them and make
The non profit group trains widows in tailoring, making reusable pads, cattle rearing, piggery and poultry among others. The training helps them to be empowered by having a sustainable source of income thereby fending for their households.
One of the women who is currently undergoing designing and tailoring training, Mphatso Mbale said most of the women who have been trained by the non profit group can meet their daily basic needs with which they support their families.
I was motivated to go for the training by fellow women whose livelihoods have improved and I am optimistic that I will have no challenges in fending for my family using the skills gained during the training, said Mbale.
One of the instructors at Chisomo Widows Group, Freedom Chawinga said the initiative has bailed most widows out of poverty as they invest the skills gained into various businesses, thereby improving their economic status.
Founder and Director of the group, Samuel Chirwa who is also a Member of Parliament for Mzimba Luwelezi Constituency said that he formed the group in 2008 after noting the increased number of widows who needed support in Mzimba and Nkhata Bay.
The group was founded with the sole purpose of supporting widows with skills in different areas of their interest.
“We also provide them with startup capital for business as we strive to improve the livelihood of the targeted underprivileged widows. The group also pays school fees for needy students annually, said Chirwa.