The COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) in partnership with GIZ-MEIRA recently organized a 10-day training in leadership and business management for the Women in Business in Malawi.

The training attracted small scale entrepreneurs from two cooperatives in Malawi: the Luso lawo Cooperative with 12 members and Chiwila Cooperative with 15 members. It was conducted in Nkhata Bay in the Northern region of Malawi.

The objective of the training was to ensure that micro and small scale enterprises  build their businesses and relationships to add value to their products. This would enhance their access to improved services and productive resources, as well as engage in structured markets to increase their income.

The training helped to improve understanding of how each group functions for sustainability and growth and provided a foundation for enhancing their entrepreneurship skills to develop their own personal businesses.

Speaking during the opening session, COMFWB Chief Executive Officer Ruth Negash said that her organization was responding to the identified need to connect business women and SMES to other players in the various sectors by developing their business management skills.

“Although the Northern region has a great tradition of making Nsima (African Pulp) from cassava and dried cassava leaves, they do not produce value added products for the local markets,” Negash said. “Hence the training will equip women entrepreneurs with skills thus enabling them produce value added cassava products for export to other countries in the COMESA region and beyond.”

Participants appreciated COMFWB and GIZ for organizing the training saying it will go a long way in helping the women to reap the benefits of being members of the cooperatives.

“Business management is key to ensuring sustainability of the cooperative. This is my first training on leadership and business management,” said Kaluso Nyimba a participant.

The capacity development offered by COMFWB and GIZ-MEIRA has enabled the two cooperatives to have a coherent shared vision and mission,  develop short term plans and action plan.