Duwa Tote Bag from Tiwale

Duwa Tote bag: Fabric tie-dyed by Tiwale women, cut out by Tiwale women, and sewn by Tiwale tailoring school.

Tiwale is a youth-led community based organization in Mtsiliza (Lilongwe), Malawi, that empowers women through educational and economic opportunities. We empower women to develop sustainable ventures that transform our communities from poverty-stricken to entrepreneur-vital. It is founded by We Are Family Foundation's GTL Ellen Chilemba.

Why We Donated: "Education is core in our programs. Through education, we believe you give everything, you give the right assets one needs to make better choices for that is the existential bucket."

Malawi is the world’s poorest country by per capita GDP. Most families cannot afford to finance their children’s education which can cost up to 30$ or more annually. Only 33% of secondary school aged are attending school. From this 33%, only 42% are girls. Most girls marry early in exchange for dowry; payment from the husband’s family.

With the infrequency of social mobility in Malawi, daughters and her daughter’s daughter often face the same fate: early marriage and insufficient schooling. Over time this vicious cycle has created a substantial population of women who are under-educated, jobless and facing extreme poverty.

More info here http://www.tiwale.org/

• Name : Ellen Chilemba