Gender Based Violence survivors in Machinga start new lives through business support by UN Women

In  the area of Traditional Authority Kawinga in Machinga, 22 people who survived gender based violence are now running their own businesses and sending their children to school following business training and a sum of K150,000 each as startup capital from United Nations(UN) women chapter through the spotlight initiative.

One of the beneficiaries of the project Amina Jackson expressed his happiness following the support stating that she  lost her husband and she was left with three children with no support. Her world crumbled further when her in laws took everything she had but, hope arrived when spotlight initiative connected her to a village savings and loan group.

As of now, Amina now has farms which yields more maize, rice and other crops. She is also running a grocery shop built from her own hard earned money.

A 66 year old Mary James is another beneficiary o f the initiative. Mary explained that she was divorced by her husband who married three other wives. Through the project, she has managed to rebuild her life she has built a newly four bedroom home with her 100 bags of rice nd 20 bags of maize harvested from her farm.

These are just two voices among many in 15 villages savings and loan groups that received a total of K3.3 million from UN women.

That investment has now grown  to worth around K202 million as the women continue to build, save and inspire.