He greeted us with a bright smile as we entered his workplace. “Thank you, Tingathe team for transforming my life. You made my dream come true, and I am excited to see you again,” he said warmly. His voice echoed gratitude, and we sensed the change within him. In front of us stood Michael Million, a confident and strong young man with a promising future, from Mtandile community in Lilongwe. Michael, a 2023 Carpentry and Joinery graduate from our vocational training programme, welcomed us during our visit to the site where he had been contracted to do brandering work at a building in Mtandile. Our purpose was to witness firsthand how our programme had transformed his life. It was inspiring and exciting to observe and listen to Michael’s story of growth and change.
He shared with us that since graduating, he has been busy crafting roofs, installing doors, window frames, and formwork for clients both in his community and across Lilongwe city. These projects have brought in income to support his family and siblings, and have also allowed him to serve his community.
Moreover, he revealed to us that he invested some of his earnings into cultivating maize during the just ended rainy season. He plans to sell the harvest to fund the opening of a workshop in Mtandire. His vision includes employing young people from the community to assist him in expanding his carpentry business. Michael contrasted between his previous life as a jobless youth and his current success after graduating from Tingathe. It brings us immense joy to witness Michael living a happy life and contributing to the development of his community.
At Tingathe, we highly value alumni site visits as they provide us with the opportunity to engage directly with our beneficiaries and assess the impact of our programmes. Michael’s story gives us something to think about as people. It shows us how vocational training can empower youth in peri-urban communities, equipping them with the skills and opportunities necessary to build brighter futures for themselves and their communities. Through our Tingathe Training Programme, we remain dedicated to making a positive and lasting difference in the lives of peri-urban youth in Malawi. Our vocational courses are tailored to build capacity amongst youth to become change makers in their communities.