Until when she was forced to drop out of school in Form Four, Grace always thought she would be a nurse. Growing up as the second born in her family, her dream was to be a role model to her four younger siblings and many youths in her community. But her dream was short-lived when her elder sister dropped out of school.
“My mother had just told my sister that she cannot continue with school s she had no money to pay for her. To me, that signed that all my efforts on school would crush” she recalls.
In 2015, when she was 19 and in Form Four, it was when the reality came home.
“It was close to the time when we write the Secondary School Leaving examinations, and as per regulation, I was supposed to pay K27, 000.00 ($37.5) as the fee. Sadly, my mother could not manage.” Says Grace.
“To her, that was the beginning of a lifelong misery. Her dreams were shuttered, her hope lost.
“At that time I started helping my mother in her small business of selling cassava, but the proceeds from the little business failed to sustain our family”.
But how did her story change?
“One morning I received a phone call from my Aunt who lives in the Capital city that I should go to attend a tailoring course. I was not sure what to expect, but I was just hopeful”, she described her situation.
According to Grace, since January when she started the tailoring lessons at Africa Enterprise, her life has benefited more than she could imagine.
“I am excited that beyond tailoring, I have found a new hope in Christ. Back home I was just a church goer, but I did not know Christ’s saving power. But now I have found full joy in being united with Christ”, reveals the joyful Grace.
As to what are her plans after the course, Grace says she would like to use her trade as a tool to help pay tuition fees for her five siblings and help other people who are in need.
*Since 2003, African Enterprise Malawi has been running a beautifully trans-formative program restoring hope and peace to women in the capital city of Lilongwe. Many women are former prostitutes, have been thrown out of home or been victims of neglect or domestic abuse. Others are young girls who have had to drop out of school to care for relatives, or because of there is not enough money to support their education. All of them need love, care and support. These women are taught skills like dressmaking, home design and management, cooking and about the love of Jesus. For six months, in a fully funded residential program the women are trained and grow in a safe community. Many begin to regain a sense of self-worth and empowerment through optional counselling. When they leave the program, the women are gifted a sewing machine by AE Malawi to take their new skills out into their communities. They are equipped with skills to care for their families, start businesses and make a positive difference to the communities they return to. Each year 40 women are mentored and trained through this program.
To sponsor the program, click here:
African Enterprise Malawi 