Malawi Council for the handicapped (MACOHA) has equipped at least 160 persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Salima, Chikwawa and Nsanje with essential business skills to support their livelihoods.

MACOHA acting executive director Georgina Navicha said that the beneficiaries have acquired skills in business selection and management in areas of agriculture, welding, tailoring, barbering, carpentry and joinery.

“This training has come as a result of March 2019 flood disasters that caused damage to lives and property of persons with disabilities as well as guardians in many districts especially Salima, Chikwawa and Nsanje. The disaster also affected their source of income.

“In view of this, MACOHA thought of embarking on a comprehensive mechanism to engage persons with disabilities and guardians in livelihood intervention by providing crops and livestock and also equipping them with business skills to support their economic status,” she said.

She further said so far, the organization has supported the beneficiaries with startup tools adding that plans are at an advanced stage to link them to micro finance institutions to access soft loans for their businesses.

She therefore appealed to the beneficiaries to utilize the opportunity to transform their lives for better.

White Byson who has been trained in tailoring expressed gratitude to MACOHA for the programme, pledging to ultilise the skills to support his family economically.

“This training has come at a right time and we will make use of the skills to support our businesses thereby reducing independency syndrome,” said Byson.

The six month training was funded by Hope and Healing International from Canada to the tune of K55 million.