Tailoring brings hope to Ethel Kainga

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

Ethel Kainga is a young lady from Kunthembwe village, Traditional authority Kuntaja, Blantyre village. She comes from a family of six and dropped out of school when she was in standard 8 after falling pregnant at the age of 17. She has a hearing problem but that didn’t stop her from enrolling into a four months tailoring course known as Satellite offered at DAPP Chilangoma Teachers Training College (TTC) in Blantyre district. The course targets vulnerable adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) from areas surrounding DAPP TTC’s and equips them with tailoring skills and knowledge that enable them to be self-reliant members of society.

After four months students graduate with a certificate in Tailoring

Items that students sew during the course

After completing the course in early 2019, Ethel joined Chilimba garments in the district of Blantyre where she now works as a tailor in the factory where she continuously gains new skills in her field of work.

“I want to one day have my own tailoring shop. That’s my dream” said Ethel. She currently earns K45,000 (54 Euro) a month and saves 25 thousand kwacha (30 Euro) each month .

DAPP teachers offer learning platforms to pupils

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

Themed “Show me, tell me”, three DAPP trained and graduated teachers working at Nthulo Primary school in Nansato zone, Thyolo district organized an open day on the 25th of July for their leaners to showcase the knowledge and skills they have attained so far this year.

Through demonstrative teaching sessions, drama, poems and speeches, the pupils of Nthulo primary school indeed put their skills and knowledge to practice inspiring parents, community members and chiefs with 1,230 pupils and 300 community members in attendance.
In his remarks, village head man Nthulo thanked the school for organizing such a “Show me, tell me event” which to the community was a display of what their children have learnt in the 2018/2019 academic year.

A leaner giving a speach

Dancing and singing were also part of the event

Teachers under the program meet regularly to plan and evaluate their work and produce locally made teaching and learning materials for their respective primary schools. In addition, the teachers network produces supplementary teaching and learning materials adapted from the Malawi government’s education curriculum called Spines which they use on top of what is already provided by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Through its four Teacher Training colleges (TTC’s) namely Amalika in Thyolo, Chilangoma in Blantyre, Dowa in Dowa and Mzimba TTC in Mzimba, a total of 2,919 teachers have graduated from the TTC’s.

Eliza’s tailoring course experience at DAPP Amalika satellite centre

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

My name is Eliza Beula from William 1 village Traditional Authority (TA) Bvumbwe in Thyolo district. After tailoring training, we received the startup tools including a sowing machine, scissors threads, tape measure in a group of three called trios that we are using in our business. As a group, we are doing this business in our village but soon we are moving to Bvumbwe trading center because our business is growing fast.

2Start Up Tools Are Given To The Graduates To Encourage Them To Work In Groups Of 3 Known As Trios

More customers are able to come to the business place as we are known in the village and girls are inspired when they see us doing our business. This is so because we are producing products with high quality. And now we are able to support our families, buy basic needs and support my parents who are physically challenged. My parents are happy because of the support that I do give to them. We are in trios which is a group of 3 people using one machine which is a challenge

I thank DAPP and Sympany for the skills I acquired. I also encourage DAPP to keep on doing such good things to other girls in order to reduce poverty among women in this country”.

Miss Pearl Designs Visits Fashion design & Tailoring students at Mikolongwe Vocational school

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

Through DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School (MVS), youths are trained in various vocational skills to enable them generate their own income or secure jobs. The school contributes to the Malawi Growth and Development Strategies (MGDS) through training the youth with relevant technical and vocational skills for them to become productive members of the society by starting up small scale businesses.

Among the eleven formal and informal courses offered at the school, Textile and Fashion design is one of them. The three year course funded by Sympany Holland equips students with skills and knowledge in Tailoring, designing, life skills and business management among others.

Miss Pearl Visit

Miss Pearl

On the 14th June, the Malawian based Fashion designer Mrs. Lulu Makawa better known by her work as "Miss Pearl Designs" visited Textile & Fashion design students at DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School to share her experience in fashion as well as appreciate the work that the students are doing.
“I had the privilege of listening to former students share their work and business experiences as well as watching a fashion show that the current students organized. I was so honored to share my story, experiences and inspirations with the Textile & Fashion designing students here at DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational school. There is so much potential in this group of young people” Said Mrs. Makawa.

DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School located in Chiradzulu district offers 11 formal and informal courses namely Agriculture, Bricklaying, Carpentry, Community Development, Financial Accounting, Textile & Fashion Designing, Beauty & Hairdressing, Renewable Energy & Electrical Installation, Plumbing & Wash Technician and Welding & Fabrication, Cobbler and Shoe Making and Tailoring. To date, 10,650 students have graduated since its establishment in 1997.