See how we are working towards the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals of 2030 through our programs below.
Youth Entrepreneurship After School Program
It started with a handful of children gathered around an old desktop computer on the khonda (porch) of our In-Country Director’s house. Today, our YEP program has grown to accommodate nearly 300 primary & secondary school learners annually who enjoy free computer skills training, literacy, math & life skills classes. For some of our children who can’t afford school uniforms or shoes, this is their only access to education. Our afterschool program is also home to the Patricia Page Music Foundation, DREAM Girls Empowerment Program & Retreat & RiseUp Sports Days.
Secondary & University Scholarship
We offer full scholarship to select students who have demonstrated an eagerness and commitment to education and whose economic situation would likely cause them to drop out of school by age 12. Our scholarship program covers school fees for 4 years at a private secondary school (highschool), school uniform, backpack, supplies and a bicycle for transport. Recently we’ve expanded scholarship support to tertiary institutions and universities upon graduation.
Farming God’s Way & Drip Irrigation Farming Training
89% of Malawians are subsistence farmers who rely on rain fed agriculture to feed their families. Dependence on rain and lack of irrigation systems results in cyclical country wide hunger crises. And hunger is one of the major barriers preventing our students from learning. Our bi-annual Farming God’s Way & Drip Irrigation workshops are securing harvests, reducing malnutrition and improving overall household economic security. Over 500+ farmers and parents have gone through our program, with many becoming TOT’s (trainers of trainers) who volunteer to share what they’ve learned with family and friends in more remote villages.
Village Savings & Loans Associations (VSLA)
In 2023, we introduced a pilot program for financial literacy training to help boost small business in our community. Based on the VSLA model established by CARE International in the 90’s, community members form groups of 25 or less, buy into the investment pool through individual shares, and receive loans from the group to expand their small business or improve their livelihoods. These groups teach our villagers how to save, how to invest, and how to grow their businesses when they can’t access bank loans (due to lack of collateral). One of our students got access to a $30USD loan, bought a she-goat, and started selling her babies. The profit from the babies helped her pay for her children’s school fees and uniforms and also helped her buy a small solar panel for her home. Not only does she have a security light now for her home, but she started a small business offering a closer phone charging station to neighbors who typically have to cycle 40 minutes to charge their phones. She used those profits to buy farming inputs to improve her crop yields. How incredible is the power of a $30USD loan!
