From doing things blindly to building dreams

In Mchinji, a rural district in Malawi, most families depend on farming and small businesses to get by. Life is modest, and opportunities are often limited, especially for women.

This is where Ethel lives with her husband and their three children, ages 13, 11, and 2. Ethel’s husband works as an agro-dealer, buying and selling seeds, maize, groundnuts, and soya beans. Ethel was a stay home parent, caring for her children and helping out where she could. Occasionally, she sold charcoal, but the proceeds realized were never enough to rely on. “We could not afford meat before,” Ethel recalls. “We only ate sweet potatoes without anything else. We also usually ate soya porridge.” Their annual income was only about MWK 100,000 ($57), and like many other families around them, they struggled to get by. Back then, Ethel admits, their way of living was without much direction. They worked hard but didn’t have a clear plan or understanding of how to make their efforts count. “Before, we were just doing things blindly,” she explains.

Everything began to change when Ethel joined the Tikondane Lobina Savings Group in 2022. The group was formed by community members themselves, 20 of them in total, eager to support one another and find better ways to save and invest. Toward the end of that year, a World Vision staff reached out to the group, and by 2023, they officially became part of World Vision and its financial inclusion arm, VisionFund. At first, their savings group had very limited capital. But through VisionFund Malawi, they were able to access loans that opened new possibilities for growth. Just as important, they also received training in financial management, customer care and through World Vision’s Empowered Worldview program, they learned how to strengthen relationships and build confidence in themselves and their families. The lessons Ethel learned went beyond business. They had impact on her home life and marriage, too. “Before, it was not easy for a man to listen to his wife,” she says. “VisionFund Malawi brought me peace and love as my husband appreciates what I do.” The

Empowered Worldview training helped Ethel and her husband see each other differently. He began to respect her decisions and value her role in the family. What used to be a one-income household became a partnership — one where both had a voice and shared dreams. Ethel has now completed four loan cycles with VisionFund Malawi. Her first loan, worth MWK 100,000 ($57), was used to buy a pig. Today, that single investment has grown, she now has six pigs. Her second loan, MWK 250,000 ($143), helped her buy four goats. With her third loan of MWK 500,000 ($285), she was able to install electricity in their house and even buy an ox cart. Her latest loan, also MWK 500,000 ($285), is being used to continue the electrical wiring in her home.

World Vision Malawi also trained the families in her community in nutrition and sanitation, as well as food processing — teaching them to make milk from soya, and doughnuts from cassava, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. These skills have helped them diversify their income and improve their family’s diet. “We are not struggling anymore to pay school fees for our children,” she says proudly. Their family income has now grown to MWK 2.5 million ($1,425) per year. But for Ethel, success isn’t just about income. It’s about peace, love, and shared purpose. She dreams of seeing her children complete their education and grow up to be God-fearing adults. She also wants to build a fence around their house. “Next time you come back,” she smiles, “I would like to open the gate and welcome you to my house.”