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Tailoring & Design
Youth Economic Empowerment
Ntcheu district, Malawi
Project developments
16 April 2025
Based on feedback from Frank Kasonga, our independent monitor in Malawi, we believe that an extension of the project would dramatically increase its effectiveness. We are therefore endeavouring to fund that, whilst also considering rolling out the project to other districts and other trades in the future.
A six-month extension
We are aiming to add a further six months of tailoring training to the original six months. This extension would perfect their skills and increase the range of garments (e.g. men’s jackets) and household items (e.g. curtains) the trainees can make. A start has been made and the enhanced business management training has already been conducted, as an integral part of the course. The Graduation Ceremony is therefore postponed until September, when the graduates would be given nationally-recognised certificates.
During the extension the trainees will sell their products, and will learn the practicalities of running a tailoring business. From their trading the trainees will endeavour to buy enough machines to have one each, to enable them to set up on their own. Start-up packs containing additional essential equipment may also be provided.
Any who want to seek employment as tailors in Malawian firms would have their certificates as evidence of their qualification. However, it is envisaged that most will want to set up in business on their own. Working alone allows them to work from home and avoid the need to rent premises. Some intend to live with relatives in other areas, until such time as they can afford a place of their own. The idea is for them to spread out to avoid saturating the market in any one area.
We need your help
The budget for the 6-month extension is £1,500. This sum is needed now, although unfortunately we do not currently have enough in our funds to cover that.
In addition, the start-up packs will be needed by September. Their cost depends on what exactly the graduates will need at that time.
Natalya's Fund is SAPOF's only source of funding for vocational training.
Celebrating success
20 February 2025
.At the end of the course a graduation ceremony is to be held, with local dignitaries invited. We sent today a further £135 to help pay for the event.
Learning to trade as well as sew
31 January 2025
Following discussion with Alice, two business management trainers were chosen for their excellent qualifications and experience. They will now be engaged to provide a week of full-time training to the students. It is hoped that afterwards the students will get together to trade as a co-operative or firm.
A grant of £1,000 was sent today to pay for the business management training.
Project enhanced
31 October 2024
We were able to arrange for our contact in Malawi, Frank Kasonga, to visit the project; he did so unannounced. He found the training proceeding well but, with his long experience in development work, he made three recommendations to increase the impact of the project:
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Double the number of sewing machines to increase the amount of practice the students can have.
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Ensure the business management training is included in the course.
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Move the course to better premises, as the current premises are not very secure, and the roof leaks.
We discussed Frank's findings with Alice, who produced a budget for enhancing the project by providing five more sewing machines, more equipment and more cloth. Today we have sent £1,300 to SAPOF to obtain those items.
Frank is associated with World Connect, an American charity with similar aims to us.
Project funded
25 July 2024
Today a grant of £2,925 was sent to SAPOF to fund this project. We look forward to seeing the results over the next few months.
Project inception
26 April 2024
Background
Most youth in the district try to earn a living in the charcoal business, which entails indiscriminately felling trees, and is contributing to deforestation. They are hard-working but not financially independent because of illiteracy and insufficient capital to start a small business.
The Project
A first cohort of 30 youth (15 female,15 male) will be trained in tailoring and design over a period of 6 months. They will be taught to make all types of clothes – e.g. dresses, trousers, uniforms.
The trainers will be established tailors from Blantyre (70 miles away), employed for the purpose. At the same time the candidates will be trained in business management.
On completion they will receive help in finding employment and, for those who manage to start their own business, in employing others. Hopefully a co-operative will be formed by the successful tailors to facilitate sales. Help with business capital will be offered.
During the programme the youth will be advised of the impacts of deforestation and the careless cutting down of trees.
Management
The project will be run by SAPOF (Save the Poor Foundation), which started in 2014 and is registered with the NGO authority in Malawi. Day-to-day operations will be managed by Thembi Mvula, their Programmes Officer, under the oversight of their Director Alice Chiwaya, and with the support of Hendreson Gome, their Accountant.
Sustainability
The plan is that once the first cohort of students is trained, the most capable students will be retained to train and pass on their knowledge to the next cohort of students. This approach will avoid the need to pay ongoing training costs.
Budget
SAPOF has prepared a detailed budget which includes:
• five treadle sewing machines
• a quantity of African print materials
• some plain material for practice
• flip charts both for teaching and for use in making patterns
• many small, tailoring items
The total we need to raise for them is about £2,900.
Outcomes
The project has the capacity to start a process of:
• increasing positive youth employment
• growing and exhibiting youth skills
• reducing environmental damage
• supporting Malawi through the above and through the selling of local products