From Piece Work to Prosperity: How PAST Helped Boniface Chavula Rebuild His Life

Boniface Chavula and his wife feeding their goats at their home in Chiotha Village, Mzimba District. The livestock helps support their family’s livelihood.

For many years, Boniface Chavula, a 49-year-old resident of Chiotha Village under Traditional Authority Chindi in Mzimba District, struggled to provide for his family. Feeding his household, buying clothes, and paying school fees for his children were daily challenges. Like many families in the area, Boniface depended on irregular income from piece work, which was often too little to meet the basic needs of his family.

In 2015, Boniface joined the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP), marking the beginning of a gradual but meaningful shift in his family’s fortunes. With the support he received through the programme, he started a small business buying and selling goats. The income generated from this business helped him provide food and other necessities for his family. Over time, the business also enabled him to purchase 27 iron sheets, which he planned to use to build a new house for his family.

A major turning point came in 2019 when Boniface was selected to participate in the Pathways for Successful Transition (PAST) Project. The PAST project focuses on supporting SCTP beneficiaries to transition from ultra-poverty to decent and resilient livelihoods.

Through the project, Boniface received training in savings, business management, sanitation, and mindset transformation. These skills helped him strengthen his financial discipline and make more strategic investment decisions.

When he later received MK147,600 in seed capital from the PAST project, Boniface carefully invested the funds to expand his livelihood activities. He used MK61,000 to purchase timber and finally complete the house he had long dreamed of building for his family. With another MK80,000, he bought four piglets at MK20,000 each, laying the foundation for a growing livestock enterprise.

In addition, Boniface purchased two goats, one of which has since given birth to three kids, further expanding his livestock assets. He also invested the remaining funds into a beer-brewing business, creating another source of income for the household.

These combined investments have significantly improved the family’s well-being. Today, Boniface is better able to provide for his household and plan for the future. He currently has MK45,000 saved in a village bank savings group, demonstrating the financial discipline he gained through the PAST project.

Reflecting on the changes in his life, Boniface expressed deep gratitude for the support he received. "PAST has become like a parent to me. Today I can provide for my family; which I could hardly do a few years ago," he said.

Looking ahead, Boniface plans to further strengthen his livelihood activities. He intends to purchase fertilizer for maize production and cultivate groundnuts in the next rainy season, hoping that proceeds from the harvest will help expand his businesses even further.

The PAST project works with fit-to-work members already benefiting from the Social Cash Transfer Programme, supporting them to graduate from ultra-poverty into sustainable and resilient livelihoods.

In Mzimba District, the project is implemented by Save the Children in partnership with the Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM), with financial and technical support from Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprises (FARMSE).

Boniface’s story demonstrates how the combination of social protection, skills training, and targeted livelihood support can transform lives—turning vulnerability into opportunity and restoring dignity for families working to build a better future.