Creating Opportunity for
Women in Malawi
The women’s microloan program, in partnership with the Anglican Women in Development (AWID) Committee of ADSM, helps women in Southern Malawi access capital to start or expand small businesses, strengthen their livelihoods, and build a more secure future for their families.
How the Program Works
Women organize into groups of five and identify a business suited to demand in their local market. Each group develops a business proposal, receives parish-level support, and applies to the AWID Committee for financing. Before loans are issued, participants receive business management training designed to help them operate profitable small-scale enterprises.
Participants use the loans for a wide range of practical businesses, including selling agricultural products like animal feed, new or secondhand clothing and shoes, and food (like fish, poultry, rice, maize, legumes, and cooking oil). Working in groups better enables women to purchase more supplies to begin their businesses, leading to higher rates of loan repayment.
Loans are provided at 15% interest for each four-month cycle, with a one-month grace period for trading before repayments begin. Interest payments help cover operational costs for the program, such as travel for field visits and debt collection.
Improvements to the microloan program over time have led to higher repayment rates of loans,
ensuring more capital can be available for new loans. Leaders from each church parish support their groups and provide oversight, and groups with good repayment histories may be eligible for new loans.
Better Outcomes for
Women and Families
The program does more than provide capital. Women share skills, learn from one another, and develop businesses that respond to the needs of their communities.
Participants report meaningful improvements in household livelihoods, including greater ability to feed their families, provide school uniforms and supplies for their children, and support their church communities.
As economic pressures increase, demand for loan capital continues to grow. Rising costs also mean existing groups need growing amounts of working capital to maintain and expand their businesses.
Help Expand the Opportunity
Your donation helps women turn opportunity into sustainable income. By supporting the Women’s Micro Loan Program, you help provide business capital and training that enable disadvantaged women to participate more fully in Malawi’s marketplace, strengthen their households and communities, and create better opportunities for the next generation.
Donate today and help more women in Malawi build businesses, strengthen their families, and thrive economically and spiritually.
