NGO trains women living with HIV and Aids in Balaka

 Positive Steps, a non-governmental organisation(NGO), has drilled women living with HIV and Aids (WLHAs) in business skills in Balaka District.

The women, about 100, graduated on Saturday after undergoing a two-week business management training the NGO conducted with funding from Pepfar through the American Embassy.

Positive Steps country director Clement Chiwala said the training came after realising that without any economic support WLHAs will live in poverty.

“The women from three support groups of Mlandula, Zam’mimba and Chiendausiku were involved in a Pepfar funded HIV and Aids project last year. We

discovered there were gaps in that the women were discriminated against in economic activities,” he said.

Chiwala said learning business management was important.

 “It is a path to a better life and our aim is to ensure the women run small-scale businesses to enable them buy and eat nuritious food,” he said.

The women support groups run village savings and loans (VSLs). They requested for the training to improve their business skills.

Balaka District senior community development officer DailoBandawesaid the women need to eat enough and nutritious food to stay fit and live long to contribute towards the country’s development.

“We want to mentor these women to form cooperatives for easy access to markets.

“These women need everybody’s support so that they should not feel left out in the economic development of the country,” Bandawe said.