By Phephile Motau
Plans are underway for the establishment of a local equivalent of the Joseph Banda Foundation (JBF)/ Market Women Activities Initiative (MWAI).
The JBF/MWAI was established to promote community transformation in Malawi. The news was shared by Joyce Banda, a Malawian politician who was the President of Malawi from April 2012 to May 2014 on her social media pages.
MWAI was developed and designed as a key program for the economic empowerment of women, through capacity and skill-building and strengthening in entrepreneurship and leadership, and the provision of a social support network for women entrepreneurs.
“Last week, I hosted women from Swaziland, the intention of the Swazi women is to go back and establish a replica of JBF/MWAI. They saw first-hand what our women are doing to uplift their own lives. We have agreed to go to Eswatini to help with the establishment of the MWAI equivalent,” she said, also sharing pictures from the meeting.
“Our women are making gas for cooking from cow dung, soap, detergents, cooking oils, sugar, soya pieces etc. We serve an awesome God,” Banda added.
According to the JBF website, since its launch, the MWAI programme has so far empowered and supported over 5 000 women in chilli farming’ over 10c000 women and youth have been introduced and oriented to use a Digital Platform to easily access mobile telephones, access e-banking, and digital financing through close partnerships; establishment of First Lending Club, a microfinance lending institution, and empowering women and youth groups to use digital platforms to make financial decisions.
Joseph Banda Foundation set to open its doors in Eswatini
