82 people graduate in vocational skills
Save the Children and Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (Creccom), have trained 82 people in vocational skills and entrepreneurship in Mzimba District.
This is the second cohort drawn from 4 220 ultra-poor households earmarked to undergo training in vocational skills and entrepreneurship.
Speaking during the graduation, Save the Children project manager Bernard Kambeja said the 82 underwent a six-month training in tailoring, carpentry, hairdressing and welding.
He said: “We launched the project in 2019 to empower men and women from ultra-poor households with vocational and entrepreneurship skills.
“We expect beneficiaries to be able to provide for their families.”
On his part, Technical, Entrepreneurship, Vocational Education and Training Authority acting executive director Modesto Gomani, whose institution provided the training, said they will link the trainees to financial institutions.
He said: “We noticed that after graduating, most trainees do not have resources as start-up capital.
“So, we started linking them up with financial institutions such as Finca to help with starter-up capital.”
Gomani also said they plan to partner with National Economic Empowerment Fund, a government institution providing revolving loans, to support trainees with loans to grow their businesses.
One of the trainees, Rachael Nkhoma, who graduated in tailoring, said she will open her workshop right away.
“I cannot wait to start running my own workshop because I want to generate income to support my family,” she said.
However, Nkhoma asked well-wishers to support her with a sewing machine.
Save the Children and Creccom are implementing Pathways for Successful Transition Projectwith funding from government though Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholder and Enterprise in the district.
