Spotlight Initiative is a joint UN & EU funded programme that aims at eliminating Violence against women and girls (EVAWG) through women economic empowerment. EIMalawi through pillar 4 of Spotlight Initiative has been supporting economical empowerment of GBV survivors through VSL groups over a year in Machinga.
One success story of spotlight initiative project through EI comes from Tiferanji Nkhoma of TA Kawinga, Machinga. Tiferanji, a mother of six ( four Biological and two adopted) is a survivor of both physical and economical violence. Tiferanji and her husband got involved in a road accident where she survived with mild injuries, but her husband got paralyzed.
Despite the fact that there was no one to care for them during their sick time, they did not receive any compensation for their injuries. Tiferanji was hopeless, her family starved and no one could help. When she recovered she tried to join VSL groups in her community, but got rejected in fear that she might fail to buy any shares, and/or repay her loans because of her abject poverty. As if what she was passing through was not enough, her family suffered both physical and emotional abuse from a man who intended to marry one of her school-going daughter. The daughter was doing some piece works after writing her Malawi Secondary Certificate of Education, in fear of being harmed when she is alone from work by this man, she stopped her work. Tiferanji’s attempts to report the issue to the police ended in vain.
When spotlight initiative program started in her community, VSL agents referred her to the Community Victim support Unit(CVSU). Through the CVSU she has access to services where all her issues were looked into: the man who continuously harassed her family was finally locked up by the police and the court is following up on the accident for justice to be served. She was then referred by the CVSU to join spotlight initiative VSL groups. Soon after joining the VSL group, she was able to access a loan which has enabled her to start a small business.
Considering the distance between her community and the main market and that the demand is always high, she opted to venture into a tomato selling business. Four months later, Tiferanji increased her business to selling dry fish and cooking oil. She is able to provide for her family basic needs.
“I have bought my own mobile phone and look there, the house am constructing and will roof it with iron sheets. Mostly important, my child is back to school now that am able to pay for her fees and buy all school basic needs without a problem,” said Tiferanji with a smile when she pointed at her construction project.
Tiferanji is hoping that all her children will go to school without any problem, her business will also grow and that her house project will be finished by June, 2021.
Tiferanji serving a customer
Tiferanji in front off her construction project
Reported By: Brenda Nachuma