From Small Businesses to Building a Home: Tereza Chirwa's Journey Towards Self-Reliance

Tereza Chirwa's investment in house construction reflects the progress she has made through small businesses supported by skills acquired under the SP-GEAR project.

“Through my small businesses, I have managed to make progress on building a house for my family. So far, I have used more than 15 bags of cement and 37 iron sheets,” says 30-year-old Tereza Chirwa of Group Village Head Botomani in Traditional Authority Mlumbe, Zomba District.

For Tereza, these building materials represent more than progress towards owning a house. They reflect her determination to create a more secure future for her family through the income she earns from selling second-hand clothes, commonly known as kaunjika, and bakery products.

Tereza is a beneficiary of the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and a member of Nambala Savings and Loan Group under the Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP-GEAR) project.

Her journey towards economic independence has come with challenges. Tereza became pregnant while in Form 3 and is now raising her four-year-old child while also supporting her sister, who has a child of her own. With these family responsibilities, finding reliable sources of income has been an important priority.

Through the SP-GEAR project, Tereza received training that equipped her with knowledge and practical skills in small business management. Drawing on what she learned, she ventured into selling kaunjika and bakery products within her community, including to workers from a nearby estate.

“After receiving the training, I started selling kaunjika and bakery products. I sell to people in my community, including workers from the nearby estate, and the business has helped me support my household,” Tereza explains.

What began as small-scale trading has gradually enabled her to invest in assets intended to improve her family's living conditions. One of her most significant achievements has been making progress on constructing a house, using more than 15 bags of cement and 37 iron sheets.

“I have used the money from my businesses to improve our household. Building this house is one of the important things I have managed to do,” she says.

Beyond trading, Tereza has also diversified her livelihood activities by investing in livestock. She currently owns four goats, providing her household with an additional asset alongside the income generated from her businesses.

“Apart from selling clothes and bakery products, I am also keeping four goats. I now have different activities that can help support my family,” she adds.

Tereza Chirwa feeds one of her four goats in Traditional Authority Mlumbe, Zomba District, as part of her efforts to diversify household livelihoods under the SP-GEAR project.

Although Tereza continues working towards greater financial stability, the progress she has made demonstrates how practical business skills and individual initiative can create opportunities for social cash transfer beneficiaries to strengthen their livelihoods.

For Tereza, the construction of a family home, the establishment of small businesses and the ownership of livestock are tangible steps towards greater household security. Her experience illustrates how social protection support, complemented by livelihood skills, can help participants pursue opportunities beyond immediate household consumption.

The Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP-GEAR) project builds on the Government of Malawi's Social Cash Transfer Programme through a cash-plus approach that combines cash support with livelihood development, savings, skills and resilience building. CRECCOM supports implementation in Zomba, Mzimba North and Mzimba South. The project is funded by the European Union and the Government of Ireland through UNICEF Malawi.