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Lunzu Based Organization Empowers Children and Girls with Vocational Skills Training
A Lunzu-based organization in Blantyre is providing after-school academic programs in science subjects and vocational training to empower school-going children and young girls, writes Happy Valirani.
BLANTYRE, Malawi –A Lunzu-based organization in Blantyre is empowering school-going children and young girls with after-school academics in science subjects and vocational training to improve the study of the sciences and help girls become self-dependent, writes Happy Valirani.
The after-school program, which was started in 2021 by Dorothy Kamoto and Lucy Nkwinika, currently has one hundred children from Maoni, Ntenjera, and Lunzu Primary Schools in Blantyre.
Programs Coordinator for Young and Empowered Chifundo Banda says, "The program focuses on children from standard 4 to 7 with extra studies such as science, mathematics, agriculture, and English to improve their performance in class."
Besides the extra studies, the children also receive food packages under a feeding program before they start classes.
Apart from the after-school extra studies project, the organization is also running a special project that empowers girls from less privileged households with vocational skills such as textiles and fashion design, as well as cosmetology.
According to Banda, "The skills program targets girls from less privileged homes in and around Lunzu township who dropped out of school due to a lack of tuition fees so that they become self-reliant and also be able to provide for their families upon completion of the program."
Katrina Majiya is one of the girls in the vocational skills training program. She hails from Chempira village in Lunzu and is studying cosmetology.
She said, "I came here to learn how to do people’s hair under the cosmetology course. When I came here, I didn’t have any knowledge of how to run a salon or how to do facials. I didn’t know any kind of hairstyle, but now I am able to do any kind of hairstyle. I am very grateful for this training, which is transforming my life and that of my family, as I am able to do people’s hair and get paid for it."
Felister Mpombeza is in her final stage of the tailoring class. She told this publication that the skills she has acquired will help her open her own tailoring and design shop so as to be able to sustain herself and her parents.
She added that from what she has learned, she will mobilize and motivate other girls who are in the same situation as she was, to join the ‘Young and Empowered’ skills program so that they benefit and improve their lives.
"The skills that I have gained from the tailoring and designing training will help me in my business. I encourage the organization to continue with this program to reach out to as many girls as possible because there are many out there who are failing to complete education due to economic challenges," said Mpombeza.
According to the Programs Coordinator, the organization is pleased that their two programs are now bearing fruit as more and more school-going children are performing well in class, while some of the adult girls are completing their courses to venture into businesses.
Banda, however, bemoaned the lack of funding for the projects, saying they depend on well-wishers to help them.
Despite these challenges, Banda says the organization will continue to reach out to as many needy girls as possible so that they become self-dependent.