Local courier company CTS says it plans to establish women’s cooperatives to help beneficiaries access capital and start small-scale businesses.
CTS Courier Marketing and Communications Officer Vannessa Kameza said this on Saturday in Zomba during a training of more than 500 women from three constituencies in Zomba City.
The women were trained in soap making, peanut butter production, cooking oil production and financial management.
The training, held at Gymkhana Ground in Zomba, was facilitated by officials from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO).
Kameza said the initiative was aimed at equipping women with practical skills to help them become financially independent, adding that the programme would be extended to Lilongwe and Mzuzu between January and March next year.
“The main objective of the project is to empower women to become self-reliant, financially independent, and capable of creating sustainable sources of income for themselves and their families,” she said.
Member of Parliament for Zomba Malosa and Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Chairperson Grace Kwelepeta commended CTS Courier for the initiative, saying the skills would improve the economic well-being of women and their families.
Kwelepeta said the training could also contribute to Malawi’s economy by promoting local production and reducing reliance on imported products.
She encouraged the women to take advantage of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) loans to establish businesses using the skills acquired.
“These women as they leave here they will have skills that will contribute a lot to our Malawi economy the will making soap, peanut butter and cooking oil and if we are getting these things locally they are going to reduce the challenges of forex because we will be getting some of these products locally,” she said.
One of the participants, Emily Bwalambo from Zomba Malosa, said the training had equipped her with essential business skills and that she planned to start a peanut butter production business.
SMEDCO Communications Officer Micah Nthere said the training was intended to help women become self-reliant rather than depend entirely on their husbands.
CTS Courier is one of Malawi’s fast-growing domestic delivery companies, providing parcel tracking, city-to-city transportation, and premium shipping services.
It is managed by CTS Courier Malawi, the network operates 25 branches across major urban hubs including Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba, and Mzuzu.
