By Chisomo phiri
As one way of empowering women and youths economically and make them be self-reliant, Chigwirizano-based youth-led organization in Lilongwe Sprout Foundation has embarked on project to offer tailoring skills to less privileged women and youths in the areas of areas of village headmen Chigwirizano and Mwanamanga, Traditional Authority( TA) Malili in Lilongwe.
Speaking in a separate interview, the organization’s project coordinator Richard Chazika said village headmen Chigwirizano and Mwanamanga Traditional Authority ( TA) Malili in Lilongwe are some of areas where girls lack motivation to attend school due to the presence of lodges and rest houses which make them to indulge in illicit behaviors such as prostitution and early marriages.
Chazika said these behaviors result in high levels of school drop outs and contribute to an increase in number of poor children who have no parental support. He said upon looking this, the Sprout Foundation took up the responsibility to identify women and girls who are in this category and those that are survivors of Gender-Based Violences ( GBV) through Nthambi Orphanage so as to empower them economically through tailoring skills.
He said through this project, the women and girls in the mentioned areas are being trained in sewing different kind of materials such us masks and sanitary pads as a way of them reduce period poverty that negatively affects girls in communities.
” With the financial support from our American-based partner Dr. Mary Kaye Holmes, we have embarked on these tailoring trainings so as to economically empower our women and girls who reside in village heads Mwanamanga and Chigwilizano, T/A Malili so as they become self-reliant in whatever they are doing. This is so because, these are one of the areas where there is high school drop outs that has resulted in immoral behaviors and early marriages among school going girls. We want to completely end this by empowering them”, He said.
He added” As a youth network, we are so excited with the launch of this Shirley Rose Tailoring Academy which will train young women and youths in tailoring skills in Chigwirizano and Mwanamanga villages. We urge women to seize this opportunity with a sense of responsibility.
He said as an organization, their main goal is to expand some of the organization’s projects including the one of offering tailoring skills so as they reach to more communities and be part of those who are putting effort in implementing the achievement of the vision 2063 as well as creating job opportunities in the sectors of business and food security.
” As an organization, we want to be part of those who are putting effort in the achievement of the vision 2063. On this we are focusing on the the following aspects; providing access to business opportunities among girls and women, ensure food security in underprivileged communities through climate smart agricultural interventions and ensuring that every child has access to quality education
so as to enable them reach their full potential” He said.
Chazika said Sprout Foundation is a small organization that has just kicked off a year a go but it has done a lot of positive impacts in the communities but still meeting challenges that need quick solution. He cited lack of interest by the government and other responsible stakeholders to support youth-led organizations as one of the biggest challenge they are facing and called on government departments to handle youth related matters of concern and start supporting youths in the country.
” We are a small organization that has just kicked off a year ago but the impact cannot be denied. We have done a lot. The only challenge is that we are a small organization that lacks support and exlisut. As for this, we urge government departments to provide enough exposure and platforms for youths to express their views”, he said.
In her remarks, the organization’s founder and Executive Director Lindsay Katchika-Jere said as the organization leader, she felt very excited to see her dreams of establishing an organization that will help her community now coming true as witnessed by Sprout Foundation. She said this has been her passion from long way back.
” Am very happy to be here today, witnessing our sanitary pads tailoring trainings which I believe will empower our young girls and women. This has been my passion and dream since my childhood that one day I will an organization which will empower women and youths in in a number of ways. The passion grew bigger which gave birth to Lindlifix Youth Network ( now Sprout Foundation) with an aim of serving more communities through volunteering platforms and webinars. My heart is filled with joy to see the first cohort of young women whose lives will never be the same after these three months tailoring trainings. They will be selling clothes and other materials and be self-reliant”, said Jere.
Established in 2020, Sprout Foundation is a non-profit making organization they aims at improving the lives of women and children in underprivileged communities through sustainable programs in the fields of Agriculture, Education, Climate Change and Entrepreneurship.
