LINC Leader

My name is Mrs Stella Patricia Mwale from Salima District , Malawi but currently I am based in Lilongwe, Malawi. I am married with 5 children. I am a retiree after working for 42 years as Secretary. My personal vision is to see that women, especially women headed homes and youths are empowered financially. I have come to realise that women can do whatever it takes to ensure that there is food in the house and that their children go to school. Women also take on the responsibility of taking care of orphans. So if they are financially handicapped the whole house is in problems. It has also come to my notice there is high unemployment rate in the country as such many youths have dropped out of school and those who have finished their secondary education, are just loitering around with nothing to do. Because of this many youths are depressed and there are many suicide attempts and commit criminal acts. Those who have ventured into businesses their business has crushed due to lack of financial management and business management. As a Leader in my community my mission is to work in close collaboration with organisations that are offering business trainings and also financial institutions who can offer loans to the women and the youths as start up funds for their business. I am will also be coming up with as many business ideas as possible. Through this approach I aspire to eradicate poverty among the women and youths in my community as they will be empowered financially. This will also eliminate the increase rate of suicide attempts among the youth. Personal Experience Growing up in a family of 17 children, and being the eldest, I took on the responsibility of caring for my younger siblings. Tragically most of them passed on, leaving their children behind. I also took it upon myself to provide for these children and put them through school, realising the immense need for support. I managed to support both my children and those of my siblings because I was financially stable. My passion is to make a meaningful impact in the lives of women and youths in my community by empowering them financially thereby reducing poverty, suicide attempts and criminal acts.