In an effort to eliminate Sexual and Gender-Based Violence(SGBV) and Violence Against Women and Girls(VAWG), Emmanuel International Malawi, with support from European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) Women under the Spotlight Initiative project distributed grants amounting to MW22,500,000 to 150 survivors of SGBV from nine Tradition Authorities in Machinga district.
The project, titled Wakana Nkhanza, scaled up in the district in March 2020 and aims at reducing cases of SGBV through Women Social Economic Empowerment by increasing women groups and their participation in Village Savings and Loan groups. The survivors are also provided with technical support for small business start-ups.
The project has reached out to 507 survivors of GBV and so far 135 VSL groups are involved. the VSL groups have been linked with My Bucks bank as a Micro Finance Institution from which 99% of the survivors have access to the mobile bank’s services. Through the project, 78% of the survivors started their own business with the loans they received from their groups.
Each SGBV survivor received MWK 150,000 which is meant to be used as a start-up or a boost to their businesses after being trained in livelihood and business development.
Reported By Brenda Nachuma