Women's Initiative Network International
THE GIRL CHILD
A grassroots effort encourages village girls without adequate medical or financial support systems to stay in school (away from expectations of womanhood). We refer them to schools and to financial programs for assistance with fees. Currently, 62% of Malawian women are illiterate.
THE YOUTH
WIN has organized a youth group that meets weekly to spread literacy and discuss HIV/AIDS. They promote HIV/AIDS prevention by producing and performing short plays.
OUR PROJECTS
CARE FOR ORPHANS
The scope of this program involves building pre-schools called Community Based Child Care Centers (CBCCC) for orphans and vulnerable children (boys and girls) ages 1 to 5 years. We feed them porridge of maize (corn) and soya to combat malnutrition. We also provide the children with a pre-school curriculum, which is taught by trained teachers, committee members, and volunteers.
WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT - IGA
WIN helps the women of Malawi help themselves. Through Income Generating Activities (IGA), the women sell fish, vegetables, rice, and other food products they have learned to produce. The women are also taught crafts and skills, such as knitting, sewing, crocheting, mat making and baking African tea cakes. Additionally, the women are introduced to money lenders to teach them how to get extra money for business (i.e. Finca, Rural Finance, Demat).
AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY
This program involves helping families improve earnings and meet nutritional needs through agricultural and fish farming, livestock, and vegetable gardens. Our organization is teaching good farming methods to ensure that there is a food security supply for the future. Rains have proven unpredictable, so we plan to implement irrigation systems with donations.
WATER & SANITATION
The lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation methods increases the spread of diseases such as cholera and diarrhea in Mangochi. Our communities need clean running water close to the villages. Currently, the women walk several miles to get clean water. Some women have become infected with AIDS due to rape while fetching water. There is a great need for more water points near the homes. Moreover, WIN encourages the communities to build strong pit latrines and rubbish pits.
POPULATION, HEALTH, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & HIV/AIDS
6.5% of the population in Malawi is afflicted with HIV/AIDS. We hope to reduce that number, as well as the number of infant and maternal mortality rates, through education in family planning and safe motherhood. WIN encourages village women to make clinical visits to the village birth attendants during pregnancy because hospitals are so far away. There is a need for clinics to be closer to people.
