NGO boosts women businesses
Christian Aid has given an ice making machine to 30 women under Mwalamba Women’s Fish Processing Cooperative in Mangochi.
The handover of the machine follows a European Union (EU)-funded project called Breaking the Barriers being run by Christian Aid in the district to empower women economically.
Speaking after handing over the machine on Tuesday, Christian Aid country director Luke Theu said they are empowering women to get out of poverty.
He said: “Christian Aid has been implementing this project in this district and two others where we are targeting over 550 women and benefiting over 1.2 million households.
“In Mangochi, the women, apart from processing or drying fish, they chose an ice making machine.”
Theu said the project emphasises the use of clean energy such as solar and fire briquettes as opposed to firewood to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Senior Chief Nankumba said the machine will help to empower his subjects.
EU head of delegation Bartosz Studniarski said women are frontliners on many issues.
“What interested us was the issue of using clean energy. We saw that by supporting the women with such intervention, it means driving environmental messages to all corners of the country,” he said.
The cooperative’s chairperson Falesi Dinesi said the intervention has transformed their welfare, adding that many of them have built good houses, pay school fees for children and established other businesses.
