64-year-old Noria Likisi has emerged as an inspiring figure in her community. Noria hails from the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mbenje in Nsanje district. Noria is dedicated grandmother to her two grandsons Vincent and Joseph aged 16 and 17 respectively.
Noria faced significant challenges after the loss of her daughter who survived by the two grandchildren. Despite living with a disability and lacking a stable income, she was determined to continuously support her two grandsons. With no any reliable source of income, Noria relied on her resourcefulness to ensure that the two boys received an education. The financial burden of school fees loomed large, and her disability prevented her from engaging in physical labour. In spite of all the challenges, the grandsons excelled in their Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Examinations. Vincent passed the examination with 17 and Joseph scored 18 points.
Despite the two boys’ academic excellence, Noria faced a new challenge: the inability to afford their tertiary education. Fortunately, Noria and her grandchildren were identified and registered for support through Skills Development Support for Youths from Social Cash Transfer Beneficiary Household Programme. The initiative is being supported by UNICEF under Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP-GEAR) Project. The project is being implemented by the Malawi government in partnership with various institutions including TEVET and YONECO that are providing tailored technical support.
Through the initiative, Vincent and Joseph have been registered to pursue vocational courses at any technical college of their choice. This opportunity is expected to will open new doors for the two, allowing them to develop skills that would enable them to earn a decent living in the near future.
