Green Malata Entrepreneurial Village
Tangible skills and entrepreneurial training for children and young adults
In Malawi, children who finish secondary school enter a job market where only 10% of graduates find formal employment. The Children's Fund of Malawi's primary aim is to provide these children and young adults with the tangible financial, vocational, life- and entrepreneurial skills they need to start a business and become self-reliant, through skills training for self-employment in the formal sector.
Since opening the doors of our entrepreneurial training village, "Green Malata" in 2014, we have trained over 560 young adults from Mulanje, Thyolo, Phalombe, and Chiradzulo districts to become bakers, welders, farmers, electricians, IT specialists, tailors, hairdressers and hospitality managers. Thanks to our partnership with the European Union and other partners, 2019 looks like it will be a record year with 200 students set to graduate.
Currently, 75% - 80% of our students graduate successfully, and the same percentage finds employment or starts their own business. We define success as generating an income equal to or above the Malawian minimum wage.
At Green Malata children can enrol in a range of courses which can last between 4-6 months. These include:
Agriculture & Animal Husbandry
Welding and Fabrication
Carpentry
Tailoring
Hairdressing
Information Technology
Baking
Hospitality Management
Renewable Energy (wind, solar, biogas)
Brick Making
Our recent students
Our recent entrepreneurs
After completing their courses, students receive a starter-pack (tools and trade equipment plus three months rent) to enable them to start and operate own business. They can apply for a micro-credit for more specialised equipment, and we provide the first 3 months of rent of their workshop.
At Green Malata we are keen to prepare our students for the local job market. We want them to have as much real world experience as possible before they graduate. That is why we incorporate an income generation module in each course. They sell the bread we make in our bakery; they sell surplus produce at local markets; and they get the chance to develop business plans to produce and sell the products they make during their course.
Not only does this give our students invaluable experience of knowing your market and understanding how to manage a business, it also allows us to reinvest any profits generated from this module back into Green Malata, to continue to reduce our dependence on institutional and international donors. For 2019, we are on track to generate 15% of our annual operating budget through this system.
