Community Center for Education & Entrepreneurship
Education
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Tiwale hosts after-school workshops providing educators to support with challenging topics or students struggling in a certain area.
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The workshops include STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) encourage through the learning of computer literacy and using a tablet for art in addition to physical art.
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We have a community library of 200 books allowing participants to borrow books or attend a reading circle where a group reads a book together.
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We also provide school grants to dedicated community members interested in returning to secondary school. Grant recipients are required to submit term reports and teacher updates to the Tiwale team. Our grant covers educational fees, school equipment, transportation costs, and a small living stipend.Our first scholar just got into the Chancellor College of the University of Malawi.
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We making sanitary reusable pads, that are distributed in sets to menstruators at schools across Malawi to cover every two years.
Music Tech Education
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A survey conducted on 651 music producers, found that less than 2% of the producers were women. Women make up 21.7 percent of artists, 12.3 percent of songwriters, and 2.1 percent of producers.
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Women and other marginalized identities such as the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities face overwhelming discrimination from accessing music technological education and resources, platforms, events, and opportunities.
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Across Africa, this is no different, and it is more severe with lacking action in building music opportunities for women and minority identities.
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Our Feminist Sonic Space is free DJ and music production skills fellowship workshop running annually.
Skills Training
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We have five mechanical sewing machines used for sewing classes for our community members. Members learn basic cuts, machine use and maintenance and practice making products such as tote bags, sanitary pads and masks on behalf of Tiwale.
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Currently, graduates of our sewing workshops are making facemasks that have been donated to essentials workers or sold to the public to support programs.
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We host tie-dyeing training workshops every so often. The program has successfully trained 66 members to learn tie-dying skills.
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The dyed fabric that is later sold and profits are distributed as stipends to our community members, as well as to Tiwale to support our programs. The sale of our tie-dyed fabrics has enabled us to buy land and build our community center.
Job Creation
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We host a monthly entrepreneurship workshop focused on equipping community members with design thinking skills for approaching community challenges to encourage sustainable solutions to community challengers.
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Tiwale’s summer microfinance program begins with a two-week-long business education workshop. During this week participants engage in discussions on entrepreneurship, leadership, and business skills including profit calculation, record-keeping, stock accounting, and sustainability planning.
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After the training, participants form teams of three and develop a business plan together. The best business plans are awarded interest-free loans worth USD $70. The program has aided 42 women to successfully start small sustainable businesses.
