Small Medium Enterprises Development Institute (SMMEDI) and SOS Children’s Village Malawi have been commended for consultative effort to uplift the development of small-medium scale (sms) business in the country.
The observation was made in Lilongwe on Wednesday when the two organizations bid the farewell to over 300 caregivers who were issued with certificates for the completion of a long-month business management and entrepreneurship trainings.
The trainings aimed at equipping parents on best practices to improve their businesses whose proceeds would enhance families’ welfare where children were expected to be raised emphatically.
Isabel Makungula, one of the caregivers expressed gratitude for the skills tapped from the training saying her business would improve such that profits raised were expected to continue paying fees for her secondary school students and financing family welfare.
“Business climate for us isn’t good as we are meeting with several challenges including lack of capital, sickness which hider us to progress in the business. Therefore, the skills acquired through the training will help us to improve our business transaction which I foresee turning of things for the better”, said Makungula who sells clothes.
According to SOS Children’s Village, so far, over 1500 caregivers have sponsored to attend such training as a benchmark for uplifting families financially where children would be raised well.
Phillip Tegha, SOS Children’s Village National Family Strengthening (FS) coordinator said the program aimed at building families for meeting children’s needs to grow with love, respect and protection.
“Children are raised well when parents are able to meet their needs socially and economically, this is the reason were empowering caregivers as to establish business which will enhance their capital base for wellbeing of the families”, said Tegha.
The role of SMEDI as government institution in the program is to provide technical expertise such as needs identification, training and helping the trained parents to establish their enterprises.
Charles Kazembe, SMEDI Chief Executive Officer said the training his institution executing in entrepreneurship has changed many families business for the better hence needs to be supported for continuation and quality provision of the services.
“Only for two years who have been in operation, many families have improved economically which is good for the growth of children who require full support for them to grow well. Thus, we are calling service providers to emulate SOS Children’s Village example to sponsor more families on sms training”, appeals Kazembe.
SMEDI is a government institution established in 2013 mandated to promote the development of small and medium scale business in the country through trainings.
SOS Children’s Villages is implementing family strengthening programs at TA Tsabango and Chadza in Lilongwe, Zolozolo, chiputula and Masasa in Mzuzu, Mzedi and Machinjiri in Blantyre and TA Ngabu in Chikwawa with funding from Norad as over MK23 million has been spend already on the program
