Stories

Shaneel (11), Suzen (13), Ibrahima (13), Amina (17), Aisha (18) and Yahaya (20) are orphaned brothers and sisters living in Makungwa.

The floods of January 2015, which caused a national emergency in 15 of Malawi’s 28 districts, destroyed the family’s house and crops. Three of the children had already left school to support the family. With their only source of income gone, along with their home and belongings, they had to move in with relatives in very cramped conditions, and none of the children could afford to go to school.

MASYAP’s donation allowed the family to rebuild their house and start a business to support themselves, which we hope will also give them the means to return to school.

Janet is one of our members who is part of the microfinance scheme in Namiyango. She used her microfinance loan to start a successful maize-selling business, and has been able to renovate her house with the profits.

Zainab is from Kanjedza. She has never received formal education, but is extremely keen to ensure that her children are well-educated. Using the profits she has made from a business that the microfinance loans enabled her to open, she is saving money for her children’s school fees, and hopes that they will one day be able to take over her business.

One of the members of the Nkwate support group, Rosemary feels that her membership of MASYAP has helped her save many lives. She often visits relatives in villages, and says that when people there fall ill, they are often thought to be bewitched. They are treated with traditional medicines and kept away from hospitals. The workshops and weekly meetings that Rosemary receives as part of the support group has given her the knowledge and courage to confront those who are sick, and persuade them to go to the hospital and get tested.

Maika Kananje was elected as chairlady due to her hard work and passion for MASYAP and the support group. She is enthusiastic about the group as a way of the women encouraging each other, and providing hope. She sees her role as extremely important, and believes that the support group has helped save many lives through encouraging women to get tested, and take ARVs.