By Isaac Salima
Some two years ago, Rose Saidi was just an ordinary girl in her Gladson Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Njema, Mulanje District in Malawi.
Having graduated in fashion and design from the Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Mikolongwe Vocational School in Chiradzulu district, Saidi had no idea how to make the most of the knowledge she had acquired.
She had helplessly resigned to fate, waiting for a window of opportunity to open. Opportunity is said to rarely knock twice.
However, that was not the case for Saidi, who one day heard about a new programme introduced by DAPP.
This was the one-year Repair, Redesign and Reuse Project, launched by DAPP in 2024, aimed at training young women to reuse discarded textiles to create various products.
Saidi was among 20 young women who enrolled in the programme and completed it within the year. She is now a role model in her village.
After undergoing training in reusing discarded materials, Saidi now runs a small-scale business sewing and selling door mats, pillows and other valuable products made from second-hand clothes.
“I never thought I could turn old clothes into something valuable, but through the skills I acquired under the project, I can now earn an income, provide for my family and contribute to my community,” Saidi says.
On a bright Friday morning last week, Times Group (one of Malawi's major private media houses) visited her in her village. Unlike a few years ago, Saidi now owns a sewing machine, which keeps her busy on a daily basis.
She is able to produce a variety of items using textiles that would otherwise have ended up in the bin. Saidi boasted that the business has transformed her life, enabling her to support herself and meet her family’s financial needs.
She said her vision is to establish a larger shop where she can continue tailoring while incorporating the innovations she learned from the project.
Another beneficiary of the project, Sunganani Kanjedza from Sabola Village in TA Sandraki, Phalombe District, also shared a success story.
Kanjedza, a 25-year-old single mother, has opened a small shop in her village where she uses her knowledge to transform textiles into income-generating products. She dreams of expanding the shop so that, by 2026, she can employ and train fellow youths in her community.
“The project has empowered me to become my own boss. I can now create products that are not only eco-friendly but also provide a source of income for me and my family,” Kanjedza says.
The project aligns with Malawi 2063 (MW2063), the country’s long-term development plan, which aims to empower citizens to be productive and to take part in various aspects of national development.
Enabler number five of MW2063 focuses on human capital development through education and vocational training, among other initiatives.
The project, funded by Humana Germany, aimed to impart knowledge that discarded garments can be upgraded into marketable goods such as sanitary pads, table mats and bags.
Deputy Principal at DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School in Chiradzulu district, Zechariah Viano, expressed his delight at seeing former participants making progress in small-scale businesses and training others in their communities.
“The project addresses multiple challenges by equipping youth with practical skills and encouraging sustainable practices.
“Our goal is to enable them to create their own businesses while contributing positively to their communities and the environment,” Viano said.
Speaking during a tour to monitor the project’s impact on beneficiaries in Mulanje and Phalombe districts, Viano also shared his excitement that the programme has managed to kill two birds with one stone.
“The beneficiaries of the project are able to design recycled garments by producing things like mops, pillows or anything they want.
“The project also addresses environmental conservation in relation to global warming. This is because when new garments are produced, a lot of processes are involved that can be harmful to the environment,” he said.
The project’s success story has also extended to community members who have benefited.
Recently, officials from Mikolongwe Vocational School donated items made from discarded second-hand clothes to Malavi Health Centre in Chiradzulu District and to communities around the college.
This article was first published by The Daily Times newspaper in Malawi