Head of Household: Simeon (19)
Dependents: brother Apatsa (16); sisters Liviness (13), Lyness
(9), and Lusitiya (6)

Challenges: Simeon lost his father in 2008 after suffering from
cerebral malaria. The mother has tried to provide for the family
by practicing small scale farming. Unfortunately, their one-acre
farm could not produce enough to sell for basic necessities nor
even enough to fully feed the family. Because of this, Simeon
had to drop out of school and start helping his mother fetch for
the family. Neither the surrounding community nor relatives
were able to help the family. So life had been like this in the
family until May 2017 when Zoe came to their rescue by
recruiting Simeon into the empowerment program.

Dream Chart Responses: Simeon has always been saddened by the death of his father. Watching football is what
brings back happiness into his life. Simeon does not like the drug and alcohol abuse common among many youths
in the community. His dream is to own a wholesale shop in his community. He said this will be done by remaining
focused and trusting God.

Income Generation: Initially, Simeon opted for a barber shop business. In March 2018, Zoe provided him with a
startup kit for the enterprise after he successfully completed a short training in hair shaving. Among other things,
he received a shaving machine, solar panel, solar controller, battery, invertor, catalogue, wrapper and sharpening
stone. On a good day, Simeon makes almost $4 per day. Simeon has also been training his siblings and some
members of his empowerment group in hair shaving.
After realizing profits from this first business, Simeon
diversified his business endeavors to include buying and
selling agricultural produce in his community. Unlike before,
Simeon now has a stable income base and he is able to
provide for the needs of his family.

Liviness with the maize harvest

Agricultural Projects and Food Security: The family has seen
a great improvement in their diet. They are now eating three
times a day and can purchase food items of their choice.
Simeon established a vegetable garden where they grow
several green vegetables as well as tomato. During the just
ended planting season, the family was able to lease three
acres of farm land where they planted maize. Zoe provided
them fertilizer and maize seed. They harvested five tonnes of
maize. Simeon has also introduced livestock farming at his
home. Using the earnings from his businesses, he has
purchased a goat, rabbits, and chickens.
Liviness with the maize harvest

Group Activities: Pemphero Empowerment Group grows maize crops on a two-acres-piece of land. During the
past season they harvested three tonnes. The group usually sells some of their yield and keep some for
emergencies or group activities. Apart from farming, the group also runs a table banking initiative like the
Emmanuel Group.

Simeon demonstrates use of the hand washing station he built outside the new toilet.

Health and Housing: Previously, the house did not have a
good toilet nor a rubbish pit. However, after attending a
training on health and hygiene, Simeon mobilized his siblings
to create these. They also renovated their bathroom. Zoe
supported him with plastic sheeting which he used to cover
the roofs of their bathroom and toilet.

Education: Before Zoe, none of the children attended school.
This was due to lack of financial support. But with Simeon now
able to meet their daily needs and educational expenses, all
four are attending regularly.

Child Rights and Community Connections: Through his
experience in Zoe, Simeon has become a successful business
person in his community. Owning multiple business
enterprises at his age is something that cannot be taken for
granted as many youths of his age in Malawi are struggling to
make it in life. Because of this, Simeon receives much respect
from others and his family is being embraced by the
surrounding community.

Spiritual Strengthening: Despite going through several challenges, the family has always kept their faith in God.
However, they were not going to church regularly as they spent much of their time looking for piece work to earn
a living. Now that Simeon has a business, the family has a time to attend church services regularly

Prayer Requests: Simeon’s prayer request is that God should guide and protect his business enterprises in order
for him to achieve his dream of owning a very big wholesale shop in the community.

Head of Household: Ednas, 18

Background: Ednas is an 18-year-old girl who has been
raised by a single parent (mother) who is now chronically ill.
Ednas’ father died in 2007 in a road accident while he was
working as a driver. Since then, Ednas’ family had been
going through various difficulties due to the permanent
absence of the family’s only bread winner. Some relatives
of the father deprived Ednas’ family their right to possess
and manage the father’s land. The relatives took almost
everything, leaving them with just a little piece of land. As
one way of sustaining their living, Ednas’ mother ventured
into a small business, until her illness could not allow her to
provide for her household. Ednas dropped out of school.

Ednas’ Dream
 What makes you feel sad? The death of her father.
 What makes you happy? Singing at church and listening to the word of God.
 What happens in the community that you do not like? The way people in her community treat each other;
they always quarrel and fight. She also bemoaned an increase in theft cases within the community.
 What is your dream for the future? To be food secure in the first year and have a grocery shop in the second.
 What will be your guiding principles to achieve your dream? Believing in God.

Family Specific Achievements Because Of Your Partnership

Food security and income generation: Ednas chose farming as an activty that would bring her food and money.
In support of her choice, Zoe provided her with seed, two bags of fertilizer and a grant for renting land. She grew a
maize crop on a two-hectare piece of land. Ednas has started harvesting her crop and is expecting a yield of six
tons of maize. Ednas received entrepreneurial training so that she could better develop her farming activities into
a profitable business.

Group activity: As a group, they received a grant from Zoe to sub-lease agricultural land for crop production. Zoe
also provided the group with four bags of fertilizer to increase their yield. The group is expecting to harvest its
maize crop mid-May, 2018. Apart from crop production, the group is involved in village savings and loans.

Health: Zoe facilitated training programs on health which Ednas attended. During the training, she was equipped
with knowledge on how to enhance hygine in her home so as to prevent diseases.

Faith: Ednas said that the coming of Zoe has positively influenced the growth of her spiritual life and increased
her faith in God. She said that previously she was not attending church services regularly as compared to
nowadays. She said the good things that Zoe is doing in her life is a clear indication of God’s grace at work,
‘‘Nowadays, I attend church services on regular basis. I am a member of the Catholic Church and on top of that I
am also an active member of a singing group at the church. God is doing alot for me and I think giving my time to
Him is the only way I can appreciate this.“

36 households and a total of 85 children

Freza (m) 15
Richard (m) 16

Jimmy (m) 13
Moffat (m) 5
Collings (m) 3
Potfar (m) 20
Maria (f) 19
Rita (f) 8
Cynthia (f) 15
Madalitso (m) 3
Emily (f) 19
Ida (f) 16
Msaiwale (m) 15
Lustica (f) 15
Tadala (f) 8
Pilirani (m) 17
Monica (f) 13
Maligelita (f) 10
Falyse (f) 4
Jennet (f) 15
Ednas (f) 16
Regina (f) 17
Dicto (m) 16
Zikiyele (m) 18
Yamikani (m) 18

Alefa
Lingson
Zione (f) 20
Joseph (m) 4
Kingsley (m) 15
Gloria (f) 13
Stella (f) 5
Climiton (m) 20
Monica (f) 16
Jaqueline (f) 7
Malita (f) 5
Elinat (f) 10
Vanessa (f) 2
Emily (f) 16
Lonjezo (m) 13
Simeon (m) 17
Apatsa (m) 14
Liviness (f) 11
Lyness (f) 7
Lusitiya (f) 4
Misozi (f) 19
Dumisani (m) 12
Miracle (m) infant
Olipa (f) 15
Gilbeta (f) 15
Chisomo (m) 7
Lute (f) 3
Jennifer (f) 15
Henere (m) 23
Eunice (f) 11
Tadala (f) 3
Fresta (f) 15
Alida (f) 19
Thokozani (m) 15
Famous (m) infant
Chisomo (m) 18
Tanaziyo (m) 13
Yosefe (m) 17
Fred (m) 17
Oleen (f) 19
Nesta (f) 18
Promise (m) infant
Kalireni (m) 16
Holace (m) 11
Jennifer (f) 15
Maligelita (f) 4
Precious (m) 10
Loyce (f) 16
Juberi (f) 12
Beatrice (f) 10
Thandiwe (f) 7
Winston (m) 16
Chimwemwe (m) 11
Mark (m) 10
Seleman (m) 16
Nandau (f) 12
Masautso (m) 16
Alberito (m) 11
Modesta (f) 9
Yowasi (m) 4