Tidzuke Women's Organization helps women and children in Malawi
Royal Kasiya writes that women and vulnerable children face challenges such as lack of vocational skills and quality education, writes Royal Kasiya.
Malawi-Lack of vocational and entrepreneurial skills and access to quality education continue to be significant challenges for many women and vulnerable children in various communities, according to Your Article Library, writes Royal Kasiya.
This poses a problem at both the household and community levels, as women are crucial to sustainable development and quality of life.
However, Tidzuke Women's Organization and Orphan Care in Mchinji aim to address these challenges by providing vocational and entrepreneurial skills to women and quality education to vulnerable children.
"Lack of vocational and entrepreneurship skills among women coupled with a high school dropout rate among vulnerable children are our major problems in our community," says Tracer Moyo, Executive Director for Tidzuke Women Organization and Orphan Care, in an interview with Africabrief.
"The goal of the organization is to improve the living standards of the community through the provision of vocational and entrepreneurship training to women in knitting, tailoring, baking, and carpentry, as well as in agribusiness, and to provide education support to vulnerable children," she adds.
The organization partners with local skilled personnel to train volunteer women for six weeks. Since its establishment in 1997, Tidzuke Women's Organization has trained over 600 women in various vocational skills and brought back over 150 vulnerable children who dropped out of school.
"I have been a beneficiary of the organization's initiative," says Onester Sakala in a brief interview with Africabrief.
"It has been such a blessing to have access to vocational and entrepreneurial skills for the establishment and operation of a business. I am currently running my tailoring shop and also rearing dairy animals, which makes it easy for me to support my family."
Sipayi Mandala, project officer for the Tidzuke Women Organization and Orphan Care, speaks highly of how the community has benefited from the organization's establishment.
"Tidzuke Women's Organization has been a lifesaver for many people here," Mandala said.
"Although we rely on local skilled vocational trainers who work as volunteers to teach our women, and well-wishers to fund our programs, we have done a tremendous job in raising the standards of many women and children in this community."
Like any other organization, Tidzuke Women's Organization and Orphan Care also face challenges. One of its major challenges is the need to continuously have skilled tutors for its programs.
The organization's director told this publication that to address this challenge, it consistently recruits and trains new volunteers to ensure the quality provision of services.
"We have worked hard to recruit and train new volunteers," Mandala added, "but the sense of community participation and purpose that comes with volunteering for the provision of training makes it worth it."
The organization plans to expand and continue to make a significant impact on improving the community's welfare.
The organization is currently working to secure funding to hire full-time trainers and teachers for the early childhood education section, which will allow them to more efficiently manage their operations and expand their reach.
Tidzuke Women Organization and Orphan Care is a nonprofit organization in Traditional Authority Zulu in Mchinji.
It was established in 1997 by a group of women who were inspired to take action after learning about the low participation of women in income-generating activities and an increase in school dropouts among vulnerable children in the community.