We are so excited to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive in Africa. Both the Duke and Duchess adore the continent, referring to it as their second home. All eyes are on Africa, and the Duchess, it seems.
Championing women
The Duchess, beautiful as ever, was seen at the start of the tour sporting a beautiful dress by Malawian designer, Mayamiko. The brand prides itself on being ethical and sustainable. Mayamiko sold out of the Dalitso black and white dress within hours of the Duchess wearing it.
Mayamiko uses exclusive, local fabrics. The designer works with a cooperative of female traders in Malawi to source each print and fabric. The materials are unique, so each item is produced in limited numbers.
The Chazuka Project loves their clothing as much as the Duchess, but it is their ethos that really resonates with us. Mayamiko works with women, for women. The Mayamiko family is made up of trainees, tailors, assistants, market traders and business women.
Grace, one of their employees, joined the Mayamiko family in 2015 with no prior experience of sewing. She is now earning enough to pay for her children’s school fees, and is able to save a little each month towards her own sewing machine.
Pictured below are the wonderful women of Chazuka in their own, hand-made, fabulous dresses.
Great minds
Similarly to Mayamiko, we believe that providing women with choice in their employment pathway can have transformative implications. Providing women with access to employment in non-traditional roles will help to end the widespread gender equality which exists in Malawi today.
Here at The Chazuka Project, we believe that women must fully participate in society in order to improve the social, political, economic and cultural wellbeing of the country. We actively sought to recruit two female teachers, Teacher Grace and Teacher Ashia, who are now among the most respected individuals in the area. They’re the highest earners too! They have become role models to the children of Chazuka.
Our vision is to see The Chazuka School as the central hub in the community. We want to see teenage girls in the village employed by the school, as teaching assistants, leaving them empowered, engaged and ready to take on the world.
Children can only aspire to be what they can see.
As young girls in Chazuka interact with their teachers every day, they are seeing that other pathways are open to them in life, not just traditional, community-based routes. They are seeing women employed, independent, in-control of their own lives and fulfilled.
Your support goes along way
We know that each additional year a Malawian girl stays in school is associated with a 10 percent increase in wages, increased life expectancy, and reduced teenage pregnancy. Please support us in keeping the young girls of Chazuka in education.
Just £15 will keep a girl in school for a month.
Thank you.
thechazukaproject.org 