Transforming Lives: WOLREC Strengthens Women’s Economic Empowerment in Chikwawa

For hundreds of women in Traditional Authority Ngabu, Chikwawa District, financial insecurity has long limited opportunities to earn sustainable incomes, support their families, and participate in household and community decision-making. Today, that story is beginning to change through WOLREC’s Socio-economic Empowerment of Women in Chikwawa Project, funded by the Tom Cunningham Trust (TC Trust) through Trócaire.

For Evelyn Luya, one of 625 women benefiting from the project, the support represents more than financial assistance—it is an opportunity to transform her family’s future.

“Before the coming in of WOLREC to train us, we were operating our small businesses and village banks anyhow without budgeting and following village bank management principles. After the training we are now able to operate village bank activities without stealing from each other and also we are able to keep records of profits or losses in business. We are grateful for the support and the knowledge we have gained. Once the funds are deposited into our accounts, we plan to invest in businesses such as maize and bean trading to increase our incomes and support our families.”

— Evelyn Luya, project beneficiary

Project at a Glance

Women reached	625
Male allies	94
VSLA groups	34
Group Village Heads	10
Business capital per group	K4 million
Project period	August 2025 – July 2027

About the Project

The two-year project, running from August 2025 to July 2027, operates under Traditional Authority Ngabu in Chikwawa District. It targets 625 women and 94 male allies from 34 Village Savings and Lending Association (VSLA) groups across 10 Group Village Heads. The project seeks to increase women’s incomes, amplify their voices in both formal and informal decision-making structures, and strengthen household and community economic wellbeing.

The project goes beyond financial support, combining material resources with comprehensive capacity-building training across four interconnected areas: business management, leadership, village bank management, and agro-ecology.

Transforming Livelihoods Through Village Savings Groups

To ensure the effective operation of the VSLA groups, WOLREC handed over essential materials including cash boxes, passbooks, suggestion boxes, and benches. These resources strengthen the management and accountability of village savings and lending activities.

In addition, WOLREC committed K4 million as business start-up capital to each VSLA group. This financial support is expected to help women expand existing businesses, establish new income-generating activities, and create more stable sources of livelihood for their families.

Building Skills for Sustainable Businesses

While financial support is important, WOLREC recognises that lasting economic empowerment requires knowledge and practical skills. For this reason, the project places equal emphasis on capacity building.

The business management training focused on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Participants learned how to identify business opportunities, develop simple business plans, manage profits, keep financial records, and make informed investment decisions—practical skills designed to enable them to maximise the benefits of the financial support and build long-term resilience.

Strengthening Women’s Leadership

Despite women’s meaningful contributions to household and community welfare, they often remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces. Through leadership development training, women are building confidence, communication skills, and negotiation abilities, and are gaining the knowledge to take on formal and informal leadership roles.

The training is also encouraging women to take active roles in addressing issues that affect their communities, including service delivery, development planning, and social accountability.

Transparent and Accountable Village Bank Management

The village bank management training equips women to effectively manage group savings and loan activities. Participants learned principles of transparency, accountability, record-keeping, and financial governance—skills that are already making a visible difference in how the VSLA groups operate.

Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Recognising that economic empowerment in rural communities is closely linked to agriculture, the project incorporates agro-ecology training. Chikwawa District is frequently affected by climate-related shocks such as drought and floods, which disrupt farming activities and threaten food security. Women are often among the hardest hit.

Through agro-ecology, women are learning environmentally sustainable farming practices that improve productivity and reduce their vulnerability to climate-related disasters. This training strengthens their economic resilience and creates opportunities for them to establish and grow businesses that can sustain their families through difficult seasons.

A New Beginning for Women in Ngabu

The project is on track to expand its reach from 625 women to 1,250 women by next year. As it grows, WOLREC remains committed to ensuring that more women in Chikwawa have the knowledge, confidence, and financial resources to build resilient livelihoods, strengthen their leadership, and create lasting change within their communities.