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. She is a dedicated grandmother to her two grandsons, Vincent and Joseph, who are 16 and 17 years old, respectively.
Noria faced significant challenges after the loss of her daughter, who left behind two sons. Despite living with a disability and lacking a stable income, she was determined to support her grandsons. With no reliable source of income, Noria relied on her resourcefulness to ensure that the boys received an education. The financial burden of school fees loomed large, and her disability prevented her from engaging in physical labour. Despite these challenges, both grandsons excelled in their Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Examinations Vincent passing the examination with 17 points, and Joseph scoring 18 points.
However, despite their academic excellence, Noria faced a new challenge: the inability to afford their tertiary education. Fortunately, she and her grandchildren were identified and registered for support through the Skills Development Support for Youths from the Social Cash Transfer Beneficiary Household Programme. This initiative is supported by UNICEF under the Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP-GEAR) Project and is being implemented by the Malawi government in partnership with various institutions, including TEVET and YONECO, which is providing tailored technical support.
Through this initiative, Vincent and Joseph have been registered to pursue vocational courses at any technical college of their choice. This opportunity is expected to open new doors for them, allowing them to develop skills that will enable them to earn a decent living in the near future.
