A second-year student at the University of Malawi-UNIMA Ginnie Kachulu is empowering school dropouts in her community with business management and entrepreneurship skills to transform their lives.
Kachulu, who is pursuing Bachelor’s of Science Majoring Food and Nutrition, says she is committed to seeing underprivileged and school dropout teenage girls and boys developing skills and become self-reliant in their communities.
The 23-year-old student has told ProjectM that the initiative supports the entrepreneurial aspirations of underprivileged young men and women who are determined to venture into small scale businesses.
She added: “I was motivated with the increase in the number of youths who drop out from school due to family related factors, financial challenges, lack of school facilities just to mention a few. I was really touched seeing a lot of girls getting married at a very young age just to run away from different problems.
“We believe in the transformative power of education and through our comprehensive training programmes, we are determined to equip these young men and women with the skills and knowledge they need to help them scale, innovate and have access to opportunities for growth and development.”
As a beacon of resilience and determination, the Ntcheu-based young lady said she has trained about 23 young men and women in her home district. She also said in two years she wants to see them delivering vegetables to bigger shops, restaurants around the district and beyond.
Currently, Kachulu has a garden where youths from different backgrounds come to learn irrigation farming.
Through this project, which she started in 2023 she would also like to see the youth running small scale businesses such as selling cooking oil.
However, she said lack of funding and interest among the youth are some of the challenges Kachulu faces.
“My future plan is to help youths in my village, not only through business or farming activities but also give support to whoever wants to further their education and contribute to the economic development of the country,” she said.
On his part, one of the beneficiaries, Tamandani Khota, a Form Three dropout from Ntcheu commended Kachulu’s commitment to empowering people through the initiative.
He said: “I failed to finish my secondary school education due to the death of my father and through farming and agribusiness skills which I have learnt, my life has really changed. It has helped me venture into a small scale business where I am selling different vegetables in my area.
“This programme has laid a strong foundation for a more innovative, inclusive and sustainable future.”
Ginnie Kachulu can be reached on: +265888 175 304
