An application for student’s accommodation at the ECOM Vocational Training Institute in 2012, paid off recently, when they were handed over fully completed buildings on Friday 7^th November, 2014.  Two girls’ hostels were officially handed over by the NEPAD Gender Programme. in Blantyre, Malawi, thanks to support from the NEPAD Spanish Fund.

The handover ceremony was jointly organised with Stephanos Vocational Training Institute, which is a beneficiary of the other hostel.

The request for the hostels highlighted the challenges faced by female students from both Vocational Training Centers living in the peri-urban areas of Blantyre. The students had to travel long distances to attend class. This discouraged female students who felt unsafe to make the long trip to and from college, resulting in low levels of enrollment and a lot of dropout rates. 

The Institutions were given $106 769.92 to build one hostel each for 48 female students at the two vocational training centers - EVTI and SVTC. The fund was also to establish a loan guaranteeing facility to assist the students in setting up small businesses after the completion of their programmes. This fund was only given to students after they had embarked on Business Development Training Programmes after which they would have to present business proposals out of which successful proposals were funded. About 14 female students who completed the business development skills and submitted business plans have been assisted.  These have set up small businesses that include livestock rearing, farming, informal restaurant, sale of used clothes and operating a tuck shop in Blantye and peri-urban areas of Liwande, Mwanza, Limbe as well as Zomba.

Mr Edward Koloviko, Principal at Stephanos Vocational Training Institute speaks to Media during the hand over ceremony

“With the funding received from NEPAD, we were able to achieve three objectives: the first being that both hostels have been built, secondly, matrons have been hired for each institutions and we have also managed to set up a micro loan system to assist students interested in setting up businesses.” said Mr Edward Koloviko, Principal at Stephanos Vocational Training Institute during the handover ceremony.

The team also had an opportunity to speak to three of the beneficiaries to start businesses

Faustina Lunda is a 25-year-old woman living in Goruwa village in Malawi. She started her business in March 2014 after her application to get funding for 250 000 Malawian Kwachas was approved. The business has enabled her to not only take care of her primary need of trying to grow her business to sell more basic items but it has also enabled her to pay back the loan amount to Young Enterprises.

With the funding, Faustina set up a store that sells basic items such as sugar, soap, snacks, toiletries, cellphone airtime and fabrics for women’s clothing. She also tailors clothes for members of the community as she has also purchased a sewing machine.

Faustina Lundi serving customers in her tuck shop

Lucy Banda, 22 years old, received 241 500 Kwachas from the NEPAD Spanish Fund. She sells second hand clothes as she established that there were not many people at her local market who focused on selling such. She highlighted the affordability of such clothes especially considering the market she was catering for. Customers from her village andsurrounding villages come through to her stall to buy their favourite clothing items at a reduced cost.

Lucy Banda showcasing the rice and beans she sells during the rainy season

Lucy also sells Rice and Beans as they are popular products especially close to the festive season. She buys her products at another rmarket and sells them at her local market and makes enough profit to assist her family with buying basic groceries while also being able to fund her personal needs/ expenses.

118 900 Kwachas was given to Angela Chadzandiyani based on her proposal to start her business of selling “plastic ware” products. On a daily basis, Angela travels on a bike to sell her items at different neighboring markets. The profit she makes is enough for her to assist in financially taking care of other family members within the compound.

“ I even started saving some money in my back account as I am making good profit“ she said

The handover ceremony brought together Board Members and staff from both institutions, students, representatives from the NEPAD Agency and the Malawian media. All had an opportunity to witness the official “closing” of the funding from NEPAD for this project.