Family Development servicesProfile for Family Development Services Legal status:Family Development Services (FDS) is a registered social service non-government organization (NGO) registered under the Trustees Incorporation Act of Malawi in 2006. It has board of trustees and Rev. Fr. Graciano Kunkeyani is its current board chairperson. Objectives of existence:
Future plans
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upcoming events 1.Training women in business management and agri-business with emphasis on pig farming to be conducted in 7 Districts. Details to be announced.
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Family Development Services is currently looking for more funding to help train more women in business management and agri-business with emphasis on pig farming. |
QUATERLY REPORT OF FAMILY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES - MEMBER OF NGOGCN PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN BACKGROUND We all come from families and are what we are because of what we got from there. When we become adults says Louise Hay, we frequently bring our child into the present. If we were Ill-treated by our parents, we will fail to love those we take care of. There is a lot that families offer to their children who will eventually become parents themselves. Family Development Services is a newly established NGO. The Chairperson is Rev. Father Grasiyano Kunkeyani. The Executive Director is Mrs Jean Nkwanda. We have four Board of Trustees. The idea of FDS was found by concerned women who thought Gender Violence was the order of the day and how about finding a resolution for the vulnerable women by way of economic empowerment. The idea was thought to be a good tool for the women to be happy and forget their family problems. God created the family with all its goodness but due to our weaknesses, we sometimes create hell out of it. FDS would like to cut so finely into the secret world of spouses and help members to come up with solutions to what hinders them from crocking desired happiness. The target are married women, men, boys and girls and women and men in long term cohabitation. Vision We visualize a happy family that will be able to contribute to the socio-economic and political development of Malawi. If families are helped enough, cases of HIV/AIDS will be reduced and so we will boost the lives of the people. If people are not happy they resort to bad behaviour. We cannot keep on blaming people for what they have not done right, but rather come up with a mechanism of helping them out. Mission To enable everybody contribute in a positive way to family values and cultural rights. If we loose out these, we die to our values and cultures and in the end we become dependent on others. No person is too poor as not to contribute anything to the nation. As responsible citizens, we would like to empower all Malawians to help in bringing about order and love in society. Those who attend our sessions will have something to bring to the neighbour in crisis. We would like to take into consideration the saying "If you want to change the world, start with yourself". Those who come to us will be helped on how to sort out their issues before they help others. We are situated in Bvumbwe for the sake of reaching out to the grassroots. Again this is where cases of child abuse, Gender Based Violence are reported on the more. Families are breaking up due to poverty and growing population of the town. Family Development Services (FDS) was assigned to Agricultural and Economic Empowerment of women committee as most of its objectives are similar to economic empowerment i.e. (in brief) - FDS believes the pride of a family is the pride of the nation - hence it is committed to 'creating a safe, caring and progressive Malawian family. FDS attended a two days workshop at Malawi Post Telecommunications Centre organized by NABW. Three officers were trained in TNAs. The workshop was very good and the knolwledge gained enabled our staff conduct the TNAS in Bvumbwe, Balaka and Ntcheu. After the training by NABW, FDS did TNAs in 3 districts namely Thyolo, Ntcheu and Balaka on 28th February and 6th March 2008. The turn up of the TNA's was alarming. This indicated that most women need knowledge of economic empowerment. I append below a picture of women who FDS did TNAs in Bvumbwe which is self explanatory. After we had finished the TNAs some women were asking when is the next TNAs. In Balaka most women also feel we should do more TNA's to accommodate them. This also indicates that women are eager to learn how they can empower themselves economically. From 7th - 11th April 2008 FDS started training in Business Management and Agri-Business with emphasis in piggery farming. The turn up was very encouraging. We selected 28 participants and we ended training 30 participants. The training was very successful indeed. Mrs S Kasasi did Business Management which was very good and successful. The closing ceremony was attended by the District Commissioner, Mr. Thyangathyanga, 7 TA's from Balaka district including TA Msamala, the chairperson of FDS Rev. Fr. D. Kunkeyani and members of the press. The District Commissioner presented the certificates of attendance to the trainees. The District Commissioner said he was very impressed with what FDS is doing in TA Msamala as could be witnessed by the women songs. He asked the women to make 4 groups so that he could recommend them to get loans from MARDEV for piggery. He said what FDS and NORAD has done is in line with the government's rural development plan. The District Commissioner said he was satisfied with the objectives of FDS. The Veterinary Officers present at the closing ceremony informed the participants that they would try to organise free pigs to be given to FDS members who have done the training and help them with the kraal (khola) building and management as part of Agri-Business. The veterinary staff pledged their whole support to all trained women of FDS. They said when women get trained in business they would be able to look after the pigs. TA Msamala thanked FDS and its Executive Director, Mrs J Nkwanda for choosing his area. He said the women from his village were privileged and they would share the knowledge with their friends when they go back to the village. The women formed 4 groups and are waiting to get the loans now. Thanks to NGOGCN, NORAND funding these women said they were failing to get MARDEV loans and FDS training has given them short cut to MARDEV loans. Ntcheu FDS did TNAs in TA Kwataine, Ntcheu district and the turn up was very encouraging. The ladies felt it was a good opportunity for them to uplift their families with new ideas.TA Kwataine thanked NORAD and FDS for bringing TNAs as most women were marginalized and lacked an opportunity to uplift themselves economically. He was looking forward to the training so that the women could gain good knowledge in business. We are planning to do a five days' training in piggery at TA Kwataine in Ntcheu from 28th April to 2nd May 2008. Challenges The challenges were the trainees expected to be getting allowances as paid by World Vision and other NGOs. Planning We are planning to have another training in Bvumbwe. |
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