Introducing the newest project in Malawi - Titukule Azimai (Empower women)

We are pleased to share this great news with you!

In June 2024, Emmanuel International Canada began implementing a $2M, 4-year Global Affairs Canada-funded project called Titukule Azimai (translated locally to mean Empower Women) in Malawi. The goal of the project is to enhance gender equality and women’s empowerment of women and girl survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). In Malawi, 50.7% of the population lives below the poverty line of which 25% live in extreme poverty.  SGBV is a serious development challenge and is compounded by education, health and human rights barriers that prevent women & girls from fully engaging in community activities.

Support the Titukule Azimai Project and Multiply Your Impact!
We're thrilled to share that the Titukule Azimai project has an incredible opportunity for exponential growth through a matching grant from Global Affairs Canada. For every $11.50 CAD you contribute, it will be multiplied to $100 CAD! This means your donation will have a profound and lasting impact on communities in Malawi.

Please consider supporting this significant effort for change. Every dollar counts, and together, we can make a real difference. [Donate Here]

Implementation and Impact
The Titukule Azimai project comprises two vital components aimed at transforming lives in Malawi:

1. Economic Empowerment of Women Survivors:

   • Village Savings and Loan (VSL) Groups: Providing women with increased access to capital to support their families through training, initial investments, and connections to broader markets for selling their products/produce.

2. Capacity Building for Support Systems:

   • Educational Opportunities: Equipping community members, especially traditional religious leaders and government decision-makers, with the knowledge to address social norms perpetuating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
   • Digital Referral System: Replacing the current paper filing system with a digital one for accurate reporting and follow-up on SGBV cases. This will improve the support and response for physical and sexual abuse survivors, which is often unreported due to poor referral systems and normalized sexual violence.

This project will be carried out in three districts in Malawi with some of the highest poverty rates: Machina, Phalombe, and Mulanje. Together, we can bring hope and change to these communities.

On a recent kick-off trip, project team leader Joella Reitsma with Kristy Nowell (above) met with the experienced team to plan for the next four years. Arthur Kamoto (above) Project Manager Malawi took Joella and Kristy to visit a model village from the completed Spotlight project in the rural community of Chija village, TA Kawinga, in Machinga. Emmanuel International Malawi had supported several VSL groups and provided training for community members on SGBV. The village members warmly welcomed us with joyful singing, dancing, and clapping. We heard incredible testimonies about how the project had changed their lives. 

One woman showed us her thriving new business, which had allowed her to build a brick home with a separate kitchen for her family. A man shared how he had learned to respect and care for his wife and now spreads this message to other men in his community.

Our experiences, views and interactions were both beautiful and a sobering reminder of the reality of extreme poverty in Malawi.  Tiny brick huts line the red dirt roads as barefoot children dance and play around them. The streets are lined by hundreds of men, women and children working hard to earn their daily wage selling peanuts, bananas, charcoal or hand-crafted souvenirs or paintings. The further you travel from the city centres, the sight of a car becomes rare as daily life activities are tackled by bicycles and by foot. Small boys to older men can be seen walking down the mountainside with large logs to chop and sell on the side of the road. Beauty can be found everywhere.
 
As Canadians and Christians, we are part of this beautiful global community. Jesus reminded us in Matthew 25:40 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”. Our response as Christians is foundational to how we approach poverty in places across the globe like Malawi. We are ALL created in the image of God and worthy of dignity. We are called to address violations of human dignity, which includes addressing issues like gender-based violence. Working together we are motivated by this calling to seek flourishing lives and communities worldwide.

This Project is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.