By Hellen Nyirenda Chaulukajournalist
From the countryside to the boardroom of any city, Malawians are breaking free from the shackles of tradition and embracing entrepreneurship and leadership. With every kuacha they win, they not only change lives, but they are forging the future of the nation. As the country strives to achieve Agenda 2063, women’s empowerment is no longer an option, but a necessity. And two stories serve to visualize it.
Ngabaghila Chatata, a social scientist by training and agripreneur by vocation, is co-founder and CEO of Thanthwe Farms, based in Lilongwe, where she works on agricultural transformation and business incubation. He undertook this journey to help Malawi feed itself. His dream began with a simple question: “Why are vegetables imported when we can grow them locally?” With the support of her husband, they began to develop the idea and in 2013 they registered as a family business: “We developed Thanthwe Farms using climate-smart approaches – including greenhouses and irrigation – while welcoming visitors and students to our model farm to help change mindsets. Agriculture can be a modern business,” says Chatata. In November 2015 he fully focused on the business, a move that helped accelerate his growth: Thanthwe is a resource center open to aspiring agripreneurs, students and smallholder farmers. They support learning through training, incubation and internships. She has also learned the importance of compliance, credibility and creating systems that can be developed beyond the founder: “Find your niche and be creative, use climate-smart methods whenever possible, think about added value and quality standards from the beginning, keep learning and surround yourself with support,” says Chatata.
Conceptor Bamusi, for its part, has made great progress in terms of technical skills and innovation. As Director of the Southern Malawi Regional Center of the Technical, Business, Vocational and Educational Training Authority (TEVETA), she is making steady progress in empowering Malawians, especially women and youth, by equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to drive growth and economic transformation.
Originally from Mangochi, a district where girls are exchanged for dowry and classrooms are emptied as early marriages take away the future of young girls, Bamusi is the promoter of the Kasama Community Technical Institute and some infrastructure of the Nkhatabay Community Technical Institute. “One of the most notable achievements was when we trained women in solar installations, which they subsequently implemented in a primary school and at the Nkhatabay health center,” says Bamusi. In the process of empowering women, her office offers scholarships to girls studying in technical centers in Malawi. In addition, it provides professional guidance to Primary and Secondary students.
As Malawi charts its path toward a brighter economic future, stories of resilient women breaking barriers and breaking through glass ceilings serve as testament to the transformation that comes with empowerment. With every skill acquired, every business launched and every challenge overcome, Malawians are not only unlocking their own potential, but that of their communities, their country and a brighter tomorrow for generations to come. The journey has begun and the future is feminine.
