Empowering communities to achieve beyond dreams

In other places, heroes are said to be born, but in Kafumbo Village in Dowa District, Central part of Malawi, they are made.

Tucked in the heart of this tobacco growing district, Kafumbo has a new ‘hero’, Lengezani Nguluwe, a farmer who refuses to let his dreams get shattered by his environment.

The 50 year-old is the ‘first’ person in the village to buy a vehicle, which has seen his status rise among the locals. The vehicle, which Nguluwe claims belongs to the community, has eased transport problems in the village, especially during emergencies.

“I have maintained my humility despite having a vehicle,” chuckles Nguluwe, adding, “I don’t discriminate who gets a ride as I treat the vehicle as a community property. It has also saved a lot of lives as I have helped to ferry sick people to the hospital.”

But for Nguluwe, the journey to owning a vehicle was not easy. He had to make sacrifices and train himself to be disciplined in financial matters.

With this, came an urge to learn from others. He keenly observed how women in his village were making money through a village savings group.

He could not join the savings group because it is for women only. This means he needed to come up with another idea to achieve the same.

“Since my childhood days, I have wanted to drive an own vehicle, but even when I became independent, I could not raise enough money through farming. I took my time to understand how the women group was running,” says Nguluwe.

The women had sufficient reasons to bar men from their club, because men of the area have access to resources from tobacco sales. Again, by virtue of their position in the household, men have the final say in how the money raised from tobacco sales should be used.

“I don’t blame them for excluding us. In fact, men are not bitter about it because these women are able to support their husbands in running the families,” says Nguluwe.

In 2012, Nguluwe mobilised a few men in his village and approached the women’s savings group to help them form a village savings club. The women group gave them a few tips and referred them to Evangelical Lutheran Development Services (ELDS) offices for comprehensive training.

ELDS, which is a semi autonomous church-based organisation operating directly under the Lutheran Church in Malawi, was pivotal in setting up the women group and overseeing its growth and success. The organisation welcomed the move by Nguluwe and his colleagues.

Weeks later, ELDS trained the new group. The training focused on the basics of savings, loans and profit sharing. They also helped the group with a starter-pack of stationery such as registers and stamps.

This was how Chiphakasa Savings Club was born. It was the beginning of a journey that renewed Nguluwe’s inspiration to own a vehicle.

“We started at a slow pace, but finally when we learnt all the basics of savings, things started to progress well,” says Nguluwe, adding, “All the members were eager to work hard and surpass the women’s group.”

With support from ELDS, the men’s group saved around K1 million (US$2 123) in the first year. ELDS also encouraged them to reinvest some of the profits to get higher returns.

“I bought various farm produce from farmers within the community. I then resold them and got some profits, which I kept in the bank. I was motivated this time around and I continued to save more,” he says.

By the end of the second year, Chiphakasa Savings club had saved almost K2 million (US$4 246) and Nguluwe got MK400 000 (US$188 400 000) from the savings and profit shares.

“ELDS was around to make sure that we shared our money equally. Everyone was happy with what they got. I topped up my money with what I had in the bank and bought the vehicle,” says Nguluwe.

The vehicle has become the pride of Kafumbo Village. He says it helps people when they are ill.

“Sometimes they hire it for special occasions and I charge them a small fee to maintain it,” he says.

The vehicle, a Toyota 16 Valve make, seems to have seen better days. To an observer, buying it might not have been a good decision, but Nguluwe thinks otherwise.

“Yes, it may look old on the outside, but the engine is powerful,” he enthuses with pride. “When I went to buy it, I had a mechanic to inspect it so that it is worth its price,” he claims.

Sensing the salient criticism, Nguluwe says people of his type, should be encouraged.

He adds: “I did not go far with my education, but I have done what most people even in town are failing to do. I feel my success should be viewed from a point that if people in the villages are empowered, they can achieve anything.”

Ainesi Foster a member of Titukulane Women’s Group, which inspired Nguluwe to establish a savings group, says Nguluwe has become a role model in the village.

“When he approached me for advice on how to set up a savings group, I didn’t realise that he would reach this far considering that men around here are not interested in clubs, but farming. But after we referred him to ELDS for support, he even surprised us by the interest and commitment he showed in village savings. I am not surprised that he now owns a vehicle,” she says

The women’s savings group too has a success story.

“Although Nguluwe has a much high value asset, those that have been engaged in village savings supported by ELDS have also managed to save and buy assets that have made their lives better. I have managed to pay school fees for my children and also to buy a solar unit to light my home. I also use it to charge phones for other people at a fee. In addition, it has made it easy for my children to study,” she says.

In a bid to empower communities financially, ELDS runs microfinance projects in 11 districts. So far, over K180 million (US$382 166) has been saved through the microfinance project. The money is a major source of capital for investment in other livelihood activities of people in rural communities.

“We are happy with the results of our microfinance project,” says Dickens Mtonga, acting executive director of ELDS.

“We can see tangible changes in the lives of people whom we work with. Some were poor and hopeless but now after saving, they look to the future with hope,” he says.