Joyce Banda Foundation lnternational says it aspires to see many women becoming economically empowered and remaining self-reliant.
The foundation expressed its aspiration for women empowerment at Malika ground, Senior Chief, Malemia in Zomba during International Women’s Day commemoration where the foundation mounted a pavilion to display some of its interventions on girls and women empowerment.
Joyce Banda Foundation lnternational, Eastern Region Coordinator, Annie Bwanali, said the foundation intends to make a big impact on women economic empowerment through the Amai Amwai project.
She cited Zomba where 3,000 women clubs with 20 women in each club are benefiting from the Amai Amwai programme as the foundation provided loans as start up capitals for business.
She disclosed that the Joyce Banda Foundation lnternational partnerered with TNM to allow women clubs to transact using mobile money service.
Bwanali also disclosed that Joyce Banda Foundation lnternational introduced functional adult literacy programme to enable women know how to write, readers and numerate for effective business enterprises.
She added that the women are also accorded opportunity to discuss nutrition issues, family planning and other reproductive health issues so that they should make informed decision on family planning and nutrition at house hold level.
“Amai Amwai helps to promote and improve women economic status by also providing them with 50 chicks and chicken feed,,” Bwanali added.
As she toured the foundation’s pavilion at the Women Day Commemoration, Minister of Mining, Monica Chang’anamuno called on Joyce Banda Foundation to continue with women economic empowerment.
The minister further urged the Joyce Banda Foundation International to roll out the Amai Amwai programme in all the districts in Malawi to reach out to women that aspire to start small enterprises..
Joyce Banda Foundation lnternational Community Development Officer in Zomba District, Brown Masingati, assured the minister that the foundation will reach out to many rural women across the country.
He added that it is the wish of the founder, Joyce Banda, to reduce poverty through women economic empowerment.
The foundation among others built Community Based Child Care Centers where it introduced feeding programme apart from assisting needy girls through bursaries for secondary education.
