Chitipa Community Lauds ActionAid Malawi for Uplifting Lives
The project addressed 7,190 cases of gender-based violence through women's forums and rescued 1,274 girls from early marriages, while 653 girls were re-admitted to school through mother groups.
CHITIPA, Malawi — Residents of Chitipa district's Traditional Authority Nthalire area paid tribute to ActionAid Malawi on Saturday for transforming lives through the "Our Local Rights Programme" implemented over the past 17 years, writes Victor Musongole.
At a handover ceremony at Nthalire Stadium, speakers praised the impacts of the program, which empowered 15,024 women and girls to realize and claim their rights.
The project addressed 7,190 cases of gender-based violence through women's forums and rescued 1,274 girls from early marriages, while 653 girls were re-admitted to school through mother groups.
Teleza Mkandawire, director of the Nthalire Women Forum, credited ActionAid's interventions like village savings and loans, composting training and leadership guidance for enabling her to pay for her children's education, including one at university.
She said most women now hold leadership positions and achieved food sufficiency.
"Through the organization's interventions, I now have sufficient food and income that has made me pay tuition for my son's and daughters' education, one of them is at university," Mkandawire said.
"Apart from that, most women are in different leadership positions, girls have been empowered and most of us are food sufficient."
Pacharo Nyirongo, now a teacher at Ishalikira Primary School, said proceeds from the voluntary work and role model initiatives helped her mother pay her school fees, allowing her to discover her vision.
"My mother was able to pay my fees with proceeds from the organization's voluntary works and role model initiative also helped us to stay focused," Nyirongo said.
ActionAid Malawi board chair Dorothy Nampota highlighted the impact of coordinated efforts among community groups, law enforcement and the judiciary in project implementation.
Nampota said 95.2% of women can now make decisions, 69% have become leaders through training, and 203 women received land allocations.
"The impact of collective efforts and strong coordination among community groups, law enforcement, and judicial systems was instrumental in project implementation," Nampota said.
Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture Owen Chomanika commended ActionAid Malawi's exceptional community empowerment approach and expressed satisfaction with beneficiaries' commitment.
He urged recipients to carefully use donated materials.
"The community should be commended for their active participation in the project. This should be encouraged, and the beneficiaries should make sure they use the donated materials with care," Chomanika said. "ActionAid Malawi has done a great job here."
The project operated through partnerships with the Nthalire Women Forum, Malumbo Community-Based Organization, Maukako Community-Based Organization, and Chigwirizano Community-Based Organization to tackle various challenges associated with poverty and social injustice in the area.