ZOMBA-(MaraviPost)-CTS Courier has empowered over 500 women from three constituencies in Zomba City with practical business skills in soap making, peanut butter production, cooking oil processing and financial management to promote economic independence and self-reliance.
The training was held at Gymkhana Ground in Zomba on Saturday October 17 was facilitated by officials from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO) as part of efforts to equip women with entrepreneurial skills that can help them establish sustainable businesses and improve their livelihoods.
Speaking after the training, CTS Courier Marketing and Communications Officer Vannessa Kameza said the initiative was designed to equip women with practical skills to enable them to become financially independent and support their families.
Kameza said the programme would be extended to Lilongwe and Mzuzu cities between January and March next year to reach more women across the country.
“Through this project, women will receive training in soap making, cooking oil production, peanut butter production and financial management to help them develop entrepreneurial skills and manage their finances effectively.
“The main objective is to empower women to become self-reliant, financially independent and capable of creating sustainable sources of income for themselves and their families,” she said.
She further revealed that CTS Courier plans to establish women’s cooperatives under the programme to provide beneficiaries with opportunities to strengthen their skills and access capital to start small-scale businesses.
Meanwhile, Zomba Malosa Member of Parliament Grace Kwelepeta, who is also chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, commended CTS Courier for the initiative, saying it could significantly improve women’s economic well-being.
Kwelepeta said the skills acquired would benefit not only the women and their families but also the country’s economy through increased local production and reduced reliance on imported products.
She observed that producing goods such as soap, peanut butter and cooking oil locally could help reduce demand for foreign exchange by limiting the need to import some of these products.
“As these women leave here, they will have skills that can contribute significantly to Malawi’s economy.
They will be making soap, peanut butter and cooking oil.
“If we produce these products locally, we can reduce some of the challenges associated with foreign exchange because we will be sourcing some of these products locally,” she said.
Kwelepeta also encouraged the women to take advantage of loans available through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to establish businesses and turn the skills acquired into income-generating opportunities.
One of the beneficiaries, Emily Bwalambo from Zomba Malosa, said the training had equipped her with valuable business skills that would help her achieve financial independence.
Bwalambo said she planned to establish a peanut butter production business, using the knowledge gained during the training to generate income and improve her livelihood.
SMEDCO Communications Officer Micah Nthere said the training was intended to help women become economically self-reliant rather than depend entirely on their husbands for financial support.
The initiative is expected to provide participating women with practical skills they can use to establish small businesses, create income-generating opportunities and contribute to their families’ welfare and the country’s economic development.
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