The Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) have been able to offer vocational training opportunities to adults with disabilities living in Nkhotakota district for the first time. Five trainees are undergoing twelve months training attached to a local carpenter and learning how to make furniture and run their own business. We are also very proud of our four tailoring trainees who finished six months training in December 2013, who are now equipped with the skills needed to make all types of clothes for which there is a local demand.



In Salima, fifteen adults with disabilities have completed six months tailoring and knitting training at KODO, with a further fifteen trainees due to complete their training in June. Five trainees are learning basket and chair weaving, and five are learning curios carving. Whilst these are traditionally male vocations, at KODO the majority of the trainees are women.

All trainees at KODO and MACOHA’s Nkhotakota project are undergo training in HIV/AIDS awareness, reproductive health and gender awareness, as well as business training. Trainees also receive start up tools and materials.

The three Scottish Tools for Self Reliance workshops and the Eco-Centre in Fife have done an amazing job and were able to collect and refurbish all tools and machines needed for the trainees in Malawi for this year. Our first shipment of tools and machines arrived in Malawi in January.

The first graduates are continuing to receive support. They have had home-visits to help them at this crucial time of establishing their own businesses. They will also be coming together in April to take part in a skill sharing workshop to help each other by pooling their experiences and ideas.

A short film has been produced about this project, which will be premiered at the Global Gathering.

We are always thrilled to hear about new GCT fundraising. Most recently, thank you to Ishwer Tailor who raised £200 for Global Concerns doing the Three Peak Challenge in September 2013. Another fantastic fundraising effort comes from two Edinburgh University students, Alexa Maclean and Georgie Walker, who completed a RAG Jailbreak raising £560 for Global Concerns. Here is their story:

“The Edinburgh Rag Jailbreak was a once in a lifetime experience. The first day, was a series of ups and downs but we were uplifted by people’s generosity and words of wisdom as they helped us along the way. By the first night we had surpassed our own expectations and managed to successfully hitchhike from Edinburgh to London. We approached Harlequin Event Services and explained our cause; we were taken aback by their enthusiasm. Athens ended up being our final destination because we figured what better place to end a race than at the place where they began: The Olympics.
 
One of our favorite memories of Jailbreak 2014 was sitting on the back of the ferry to Mykonos drifting to sleep thinking about the journey we had and the generosity of those who supported us. It was an incredible opportunity to test the limits of what people are capable of when they come together under a common goal. The Global Concerns Trust provides the platform to bring people together to change communities and it was our privilege to participate in this race on its behalf.”

To read the whole story visit our website.

If you would like to get involved in Global Concerns and write for our next newsletter please contact info@globalconcernstrust.org.uk