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Tongozala Holistic Community Centre Empowers Villagers in Mchinji District
THCC in Mchinji offers vocational, health, and educational services to surrounding villages, writes Moses Nyirenda.
Malawi-Hundreds of villagers from Tongozala village and surrounding villages visit the Tongozala Holistic Community Centre (THCC) in Traditional Authority Mkanda in Mchinji for a variety of services including vocational and entrepreneurial trainings, health care, and early childhood development. writes Moses Nyirenda.
Established in 2019 by Our Aim Foundation (OAF), the centre has become a symbol of women and youth empowerment through its capacity-building programs.
One of the beneficiaries is Margret Kasonda, who is learning tailoring under the Sewing Trade School Program. She says, “With these skills, after graduating from this centre, I plan to open my own tailoring shop with which I hope to attain financial independence for the first time in my life.”
The centre’s founder, Nisha Mandani, explains that their mission is to advance the living standards of deprived individuals by building their capacity.
“So far, we have graduated about 200 women from our sewing trade school program since the centre opened in 2019. We also provide computer training among the youth,” she added.
Gift Jaziel, a 23-year-old former fourth-grade dropout, is another beneficiary who is pursuing computer studies at the centre.
He says, “After graduating, I look forward to opening a computer shop where I will be providing printing, designing, and internet services so that I am able to sustain myself financially.”
The establishment of the health centre at THCC has also eased the challenge of accessing medical services in the surrounding villages.
Mandani says, “We understand rural areas have high infant mortality and inconsistent access to basic survival provisions. That is why we decided to construct a state-of-the-art clinic and pharmacy to address such challenges.”
The government's establishment of community technical colleges across the country matches the agenda of what Tongozala Holistic Community Centre is doing in Mchinji.
After going through various pieces of training, graduates like Margret Kasonda and Gift Jaziel should be talking about establishing their own businesses that could lead to sustainable financial independence.
The impact of the Tongozala Holistic Community Centre in Mchinji is felt not only by the beneficiaries but also by the entire community.
Local business owners, for instance, have noted an increase in their customer base as more people are able to afford their products and services.
Rose Njobvu, a local entrepreneur who owns a grocery shop in Tongozala, says that the establishment of the centre has had a positive impact on her business.
"Before the centre was opened, I used to struggle to make ends meet because very few people could afford to buy from my shop. But now, I have seen an increase in the number of customers coming to my shop, and I believe this is because more people are now able to generate income through the skills they have acquired at the centre," she says.
The impact of the centre goes beyond the economic benefits. Local leaders have also noted a decrease in crime rates in the surrounding villages, particularly among the youth who are engaged in various programs at the centre.
Group Village Headman Tongozala says that the centre has been instrumental in promoting social cohesion among the youth.
"The youth in this area used to engage in criminal activities such as theft and drug abuse. But since the centre was established, we have seen a significant decrease in such cases. This is because the youth are now engaged in various programs at the centre that keep them busy and teach them important life skills," he says.
As Tongozala Holistic Community Centre continues to transform the lives of individuals and communities in Mchinji, its founder, Nisha Mandani, is hopeful that it will serve as a model for other communities in the country.
"We believe that the work we are doing here can be replicated in other communities, and we hope to see more centres established across the country. Our aim is to empower as many people as possible and contribute to the socio-economic development of Malawi," she says.
With its holistic approach to community development, Tongozala Holistic Community Centre is not only providing individuals with the skills they need to succeed, but also creating a more prosperous and harmonious society for all.