Development comes from taking ownership

World Vision’s and VisionFund’s Empowered World View approach affirms that development comes from people taking ownership instead of relying on external interventions.

The empowered world view training incorporates both classroom and practical, hands-on training, including among others: producer groups that, allow farmers to work with their peers and technical experts to have a presence in the marketplace. As farmers gain understanding about topics such as storage and handling, branding and packaging, and delivery and transportation, they leverage their ability to sell their products to more profitable markets.

World Vision Malawi has area programs in Malawi where it implements its various interventions that include business trainings, producer markets, and access to markets. One such area program is Khuyu area program in Mzimba, where VisionFund provides loans to clients that have benefitted from World Vision interventions. During July to September 2021, loans were provided to 403 clients of which 278 are women.

One such beneficiary of this partnership is Noah, aged 39, who cares for nine children - three biological with his wife, Mary Jere.

“World Vision’s field officers taught us various economic empowerment interventions such as running cooperatives, savings groups, and good farming technologies. They also assisted us in finding markets for various agriculture produce,” he shares. “It was also a good chance for me to get an Agriculture Loan from VisionFund during the rainy season so that I can farm a lot of crops and rear animals such as goats.”

Before the coming of World Vision and Vision Fund Malawi to work in Kapalamazayi village, Noah and most other community members had little knowledge and skills on how to run a business and farm using good agriculture practices to make profits and produce bumper harvests.

The good practices taught by World Vision and VisionFund’s economic empowerment efforts have assisted Noah to grow his businesses, making him a very reliable microfinance client over the past years. He now runs a maize milling business, grows corn at a large scale which he sells commercially to the government and other buyers, has 30 goats, 15 cows and also owns a vehicle.

After noting growth in his business, he graduated from a group lending client to an individual client which has assisted him in getting bigger loans with VisionFund Malawi. This in turn helps him support his family by providing for their basic need such as food, school fees and medical care.

Submitted by Zitta Mlakalaka, VisionFund Malawi