Since 1996, DAPP Malawi has been actively improving livelihoods and communities in need across Malawi through its social development projects.
DAPP is implementing 16 projects within education, health, agriculture and community development in 24 districts that span across the country's three regions
Hailing from Likhonyowa village in traditional authority Nchinguza in Machinga district, Dora is a 29-year-old married woman with four children as well as a volunteer and care group leader for the DAPP Nutrition project being implemented in the district.
The poject also known as Screening, Care and Nutrition for the Management of Severe and Moderate Malnutrition in Children Aged 0 to 2 Years project is being implemented in the area of Traditional Authority Nchinguza, an area prone to faminine and records higher cases of malnutrition.“Since the project started in October 2018, I have learnt a lot. For example, I was taught on the importance of cooking and eating foods from all 6 food groups, the foods pregnant women should eat, exclusive breastfeeding techniques and supplementary foods that can be given to children after six months to ensure that they are not malnourished. The project has also taught me a lot on hygiene issues, DAPP field officers hold open days where they teach us how to construct rubbish pits, pit latrines and hand washing mechanisms as well as holding cooking demonstrations and constructing firewood saving stoves among others”, she saidDora uses the knowledge gained to further spread the word and teach her friends on the importance of the things mentioned above. “I am a volunteer and also a beneficiary of the project, I believe it is right to teach others what I have learnt and just not keep everything to myself” she said The one-year project aims at increasing malnutrition screening, access to nutrition services and reducing acute malnutrition in children aged between 0 – 2 years old as well as community counselling to pregnant and lactating mothers including those with malnourished children.
My name is Innocent Brown, a man aged 32 years old and residing in Ntauchira Village in traditional authority Likoswe, Chiradzulu district. I joined the DAPP Young farmers club project in September of 2018 when DAPP held a meeting in our village to inform us about the project that they wanted to implement here in traditional authority Likoswe that will focus on equipping us with skills and knowledge on the importance of adapting climate smart agriculture, entrepreneurship and agribusiness skills so that we can become well informed famers who are prepared for anything at all times.
Mr Bown (2nd Left) and other farmers from the project
Mr Brown in his Sweet Potato field
As a married man who has a family to care for, I thought it wise to join the project because I knew there was a lot I would learn and I have done just that, learnt. For example, I have learnt how to make manure which I can use in my farm to have higher chances of producing more. I have also learnt how to preserve and conserve water and constructing firewood saving stoves which protect the environment among others.
Now I am happy to say that this season I have planted maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and soya and I have applied all the techniques and knowledge that DAPP field officers taught me. With this knowledge I have, I believe I will harvest more than I ever have this year on the same half acre land I have planted on.
I am thankful to DAPP and this project because it has given me an opportunity to learn things I didn’t know before. Indeed education is a never ending process.
Aged 27 years old, Gladys is a mother of a 3 months old boy and 4 other children and lives in Likhopola village in traditional authority Nchinguza in Machinga district.
She is a beneficiary of the DAPP Screening, Care and Nutrition for the Management of Severe and Moderate Malnutrition in Children Aged 0 to 2 Years project which is being implemented in the district aiming at contributing to the reduction of infant mortality due to severe acute malnutrition in the area which is an area prone to feminine and records higher cases of malnutrition.
Gladys 2nd row, 2nd from the right with other beneficiaries
Gladys and her 3 months old baby
Gladys says the project, which targets pregnant and lactating mothers with children under 0 – 2 years has helped her to learn more about the importance of breast feeding as the child grows healthy “before the project, I did not know that babies need to be breastfeed often. I would just feed mine when I wanted to, but now, I know better”
She has also gained knowledge on when a child can start eating porridge and the importance of keeping her home clean as well as conserving the environment through tree planting activities and the use of firewood saving stoves.
“My household and I now eat balanced meals thanks to the DAPP field officers who hold cooking demonstrations which explain the foods we are supposed to be eating and how to cook them” she says
Gladys believes this project will benefit a lot of people in the long run “I know that by the end of the project, I will have learnt a lot of which I will share with my fellow women in my community”
Brenda Lita is a 24-year-old girl from Mphedzu village, Traditional Authority Bvumbwe in Thyolo district. She is an orphan staying with her younger brother. Brenda’s mother passed away when she was very young and her father died in 2007. The two stayed with their grandparents after the demise of their father in the year 2007 before moving on to the house left by their parents.
She first sat for the Malawi School Certificate of Education in 2014 and failed the exams. She went on to repeat in 2016 and did better. Brenda ventured into small scale businesses of selling charcoal and doughnuts to keep ends meet before she was identified by the chiefs to pursue a course in tailoring at DAPP’s Amalika Teacher Training Colleges (TTC).
The House That Brenda Painted From Tailoring Proceeds
Brenda Showcases Some Of Her Products
Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) trains youth in different vocational skills, one of which is tailoring. Students are taught on-campus at Mikolongwe Vocational School, through mobile and satellite learning. Under the satellite program, students are trained in tailoring within DAPP’s TTC premises of Amalika in Thyolo, Chilangoma in Blantyre, Dowa and Mzimba.
Brenda is a 2017 graduate from the satellite tailoring course. She was given start-up materials together with her two colleagues, Rose Kathumba and Emily Maganga. Graduates are given startup materials which include a sewing machine and other small materials in groups of three termed TRIOs. The machine is kept at Brenda’s home where Rose sometimes did show up, Emily no longer did.
Brenda is a single lady who craves not to marry soon. She is a passionate young lady who believes in women empowerment and does not want to be overly dependent on men. She says she wants to be helping her husband financially when she gets married at home rather than relying on her husband for everything.
Brenda started applying her trade in March 2018 after receiving the startup materials. Six months down the line, she was earning an average of 40,000 Malawi Kwacha (50 Euros) a month. She is able to eat, pay school fees for her younger brother from the proceeds of tailoring. She has also managed to repair their house left by their parents where they are now staying. Apart from tailoring, Brenda also rears goats she benefited from the Malawi Government’s pass on project. She is also involved in subsistence farming on a piece of land left by her parents. Her two immediate future plans are to move on to a shop along the road for easy visibility and buy her own sewing machine.. She would want to be independent as well in the business for easy accountability of the funds and have full time control of the machine.
Brenda is very grateful to DAPP for the skills gained and the start-up materials given enabling her to straightaway venture into business/entrepreneurship.
Gusto Sikelo was born on 27th August 1991. He is the first born in the family of 8 children. He is married with 2 children staying in Selemani village Traditional Authority Kadewere.
Gusto’s Education life has not been easy. He first wrote his Malawi Secondary Certificate of Education examinations in 2010 and repeated in 2012. He then started a bricklaying course at Save Our Souls (SOS) in 2013 but did not complete as his passion was in electrical installation. He later joined DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School (MVS) for his dream course, Renewable Energy and Electrical Installation and graduated in 2015.
Gustos solar installed housee in Selemani Village
Through savings gusto bought a motorbike
To date, he has been involved in piece works as he is not permanently employed. With the knowledge gained from DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School, Gusto managed to install Solar power in his house which he and his household use for lighting and charging small electrical gadgets like radios and phones . He also installed electricity at two schools in his village. From the piece works proceeds he has managed to buy a motorbike for his easy mobility in his line of work.
Gusto and his brother Blessings Sikelo, who also studies Renewable energy and Electrical installations at DAPP MVS , ususally work as a team. “ I believe in team work. And what better way to put it into practice than working with my own brother. We make a good team” he said.
Apart from doing the piece work, Gusto has other sources of income which include buying farm produce and growing ground nuts. However, he says it’s the electrical piece works that carter for his day to day necessities as the other sources are mostly once in a year.
“I like the work I do at the moment but I am still looking for a permanent job because sometimes piece works are hard to find. I am thankful to my instructors at DAPP Mikolongwe for equipping me with these skills“ he said
