Help Vulnerable Women Earn an Income -Malawi

We are raising funds to buy sewing supplies and to create sewing training lessons for vulnerable Malawian women and girls served by Hands of Hope Feeding Center in the neighborhood of Mtsiliza in Lilongwe, Malawi. Our goal is to raise at least $500 or more. This project is being spearheaded by 13-year-old Lukas who is a member of the international community in Lilongwe (American and German). Watch video of Lukas talking about this project.

Lukas in Dedza, Malawi. August 2022

Lukas has a big heart and would like to make the holidays a little bit brighter for some of our neighbors who are struggling with the rising costs of basic necessities like cooking oil, maize flour, and other daily staples needed by families just to get by.

Several years ago he helped the center with a fundraising project to buy the sewing machines they are currently using. By training more women and girls how to use the machines, new income generation opportunities will open up and make it easier for them and their families to survive these difficult times.

Lukas also has a younger brother Nico (age 10) who is helping him with this project.

Both boys have been training to help others via crowdfunding projects for the past few years. See Nico's recent successful holiday care package project from last year and Lukas's successful mosquito net project.

Lukas and Nico. April 2022

Wilson Mvinya (our friend and neighbor here in Malawi) runs the feeding center and does a number of community projects and initiatives around the country.

Wilson spreading holiday cheer at the feeding center

Wilson writes:

"The sewing machine project will help vulnerable young girls and disadvantaged women, widows, and single-headed households, who are in a very delicate financial situation.

We plan to take or enroll 15 people and these lessons will take 15 weeks and will be conducted by an individual who hasn't let disability be a setback.

The support will help in purchasing materials used for training such as measuring tapes, manila board for drawing patterns, scissors, and also fees for the trainer. Currently, we are registered by Tevet."

Mr. James Mbewe, the teacher who will lead the sewing training. Nov. 2022.

A Quick Word From Lukas's Mom:

I'm Kristen Palana, a UN consultant and university professor living in Malawi since 2019. I founded Aura's House, a grassroots website that existed long before Kickstarter, Gofundme, etc. Since 2004, we have raised over $135,000 for health, education, housing, and income-generation projects for needy families in developing countries.

Lukas and Nico have been helping me fund-raise since they were babies and now are old enough to want to do their own projects. Since having moved to Malawi in 2019, we've raised funds for a Malawian classroom to be built, Wilson's feeding center, as well as other housing, health, and education projects for families around the country.

As always with any project I am helping with, 100% of Donations go directly to the intended recipients. (I donate all the GoFundMe and credit card fees we incur so those will not affect the project.) I also am an artist and a generous portion of proceeds from my art gallery website will go towards this project. Learn more.

How You Can Help:

We aim to raise at least $500 to buy sewing supplies and to pay the teacher, Mr. James Mbewe, who will lead the training for 15 weeks.

All funds raised will be used towards this project. We'll post the receipts here once we get them and keep you posted with text and photo updates.

Your contribution will have a tremendous impact not only on these women, girls, and their teacher, but on the entire community!

Other Ways You Can Help:

There's more than one way you can help us with this. Yes, donating even just $5 is amazing, but there are also ways that won't cost a cent:

Spread the word! Share this story with your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter - anything will do! Tell your classmates, your family, your soccer team, your ski club - tell everyone!

And thank you. Because of you, we can make a difference in our communities and in our world!

Sincerely,

Lukas, Wilson, Nico, and Kristen

Wilson giving out holiday care packages last Christmas (thanks to Nico's fundraiser last year) to feeding center recipients. Dec. 2021.