The Power to Change Fund Changing Lives in Malawi
The Power to Change Fund project in Malawi began in March 2010. The project focuses on youth capacity building in HIV and adult literacy issues by raising awareness on HIV to reduce stigma and discrimination, empowering youth by encouraging leadership on human rights issues and HIV, and also increasing the capacity of the YWCA to respond effectively.
Malawi is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, and issues such as health, poverty and illiteracy need to be addressed. The YWCA of Malawi is targeting the southern region of the country where HIV is rife, and cultural beliefs and practices are leaving women and children especially vulnerable. Hence, the Power to Change project is designed to develop awareness and to increase the coping abilities of the communities to the ongoing HIV crises and gender-based violence. Several community-centred programmes constitute the Power to Change project. These include: campaigns aimed at increasing awareness on HIV (three community rallies were held); production of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for advocacy and lobbying; the provision of a legal team to explain the legal aspects to the community; and the training of trainers and discussion forums on human rights, gender and HIV and AIDS for YWCA members, especially youth, so that they can act as counsellors in their communities.
Since its beginning in March 2010, the Power to Change project has been engaged in several multi-faceted community-centred programmes in southern Malawi. Adult literacy campaigns carried out in Likhubula, Tambala and neighbouring Malosa towns included teaching women how to read and write and to run small businesses and support themselves. In Malosa, counselling services were provided to women in order to support them to use knowledge gained in workshops on paralegal trainings. Youth empowerment programmes were also put in place. Young people are encouraged to actively engage in different activities by facilitating youth orientated issues.
The trainer workshops are designed to teach trainers on how to implement the goals of the Power to Change project which is creating awareness raising on HIV and AIDS to reduce stigma and discrimination, empower youth by encouraging leadership on human rights issues and HIV and AIDS, and increase the capacity of the YWCA to respond effectively and teach their respective communities. In May 2010, a workshop on sex and gender roles was organised. Eleven participants from different YWCA branches in the region participated and the workshop touched upon the issues of HIV, the usefulness of counselling in communities, the abilities of women in changing lives in their communities, the challenges of HIV and coping mechanisms, and the different types of effective communication to get messages across in their communities.
Another important opportunity offered to young women is to represent the YWCA of Malawi at international conferences, such as the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Austria and a conference in Nairobi on Universal Access This type of involvement of young women in the international arena offers them the possibility to have new experiences and to learn how to make their voices heard, both locally and internationally.
The Power to Change Fund project is already giving positive results in the region in terms of the stated goals of the programme. Young people are learning about HIV and also about their sexual and reproductive rights, and more and more youth are volunteering. As one member of the YWCA of Malawi said, “the project is already bearing fruit by changing the mindset of women and men in the communities. The ill-treatment of women in these communities has reduced since the project has begun and the counselling offices have provided women with a place to seek advice, support and refuge when they needed it.”
The Power to Change project in Malawi has raised funds to sustain its projects and also other YWCA local projects. For example, it has organised a ‘Big Walk,’ which was very successful and generated good media attention, including coverage by the National Malawi Television. Since the start of this project, youth participation has greatly increased with increased levels of commitment and dedication to the goals of the Power to Change project. In the town of Malosa, the project offered temporary counselling centres for women, and they were so well-received that the YWCA of Malawi plans to build a permanent counselling centre. This initiative has been so enthusiastically supported by YWCA members and volunteers, that some of them have pledged to share the cost of the construction by volunteering in moulding and burning bricks and building the centre. This centre will also have classrooms for adult literacy lessons and it will offer a space for additional offices.
The Power to Change project is also supported by individuals and implemented in collaboration with other Youth initiatives. The project has been very successful, which is demonstrated by the excitement and motivation of young people to volunteer and help their communities.
