Teams Advancing Women in Agriculture (TAWINA) is a grassroots based philanthropic organization the educates and empowers women in rural farming communities. TAWINA invests in community organizations and structures that believe in women capacity to realize their full potential and lead social change in society.

Who We Are

TAWINA  exists to support the empowerment, of rural girls and women in Malawi so they can realise their full potential.  The TAWINA team has developed a range of innovative education, training and economic participation programs. These effective interventions reduce the incidences of child bride marriages that lead to full participation in Malawian society.

Our History

TAWINA started in 2009 in Dowa a town in rural Malawi in response to the deteriorating economic situation in rural Malawi that resulted in declining educational opportunities and further entrenching the disadvantage of women and girls.

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We are a young women led organization with a Board and Secretariat comprising of females.

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We educate and empower women and girls in impoverished rural farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa

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We are community based value and value men's contribution towards women’s empowerment and equality

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We believe there is an end to all forms of poverty: female empowerment

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We are guided by principles and values the most important of which are partnership and accountability.

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We believe that a fair and just world for women, girls and everyone is possible.

About Malawi

Malawi is a landlocked southern African country of over 16 million people and one of the world’s poorest. It is bordered by Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania and was the British colony Nyasaland until 1964.
Malawi’s economy is dominated by agriculture with 85% of the population in that sector while requiring substantial foreign aid to meet its development needs. While Malawi has been relatively stable politically, political and bureaucratic corruption has hampered efforts to meet the needs of the population.
About 9% of Malawians live with AIDS/HIV, the infant mortality rate is high and life expectancy around 50 years. Abortion is illegal with heavy prison penalties. There is a very high degree of risk for major infectious diseases, including bacterial and protozoal diarrhoea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, plague, schistosomiasis, and rabies
Malawi relies heavily on hydro-electricity but supplies are unreliable and sporadic particularly in rural areas.  Telecommunications are improving but still poor.

Women and Girls

WOMEN AND GIRLS

Along with high maternal and child mortality rates. Malawian women and girls also suffer from discrimination, high rates of child marriage and early pregnancy, significant school dropout rates due to gender based violence,

The life of rural women is characterised as poor education, poor health outcomes, low status, low income, exposure to domestic and community violence, lack of access to resources and dependence on men.

Tawina Steps In

TAWINA has set out to address the many issues facing women and girls in the Dowa area and has extended its reach to other communities. TAWINA sets out to provide programs designed to improve female education, provide new skills and access to basic economic and infrastructure in order to improve health, safety and income and importantly to build confidence, leadership capacity, empowerment and independence.

Future Project Plans – subject to availability of resources

Solar Power for the Resource Centre

TAWINA is exploring the opportunity for a female community member to attend a Barefoot College solar installation training course in India. Upon completion of the course the trainee would be supported by TAWINA to develop a solar electrification program in their community to provide a basic electricity supply for rural women and their families.

Renewable Energy Traineeship

Following the successful progress of the trainee TAWINA will seek the support of Solar Technician training institutions in Australia for the trainee to receive advanced training including the application of battery technology.

The intention is to assist local Malawian communities with electrification utilising advanced distributed renewable energy starting with the TAWINA community centre as a demonstration facility.

 

Sewing Centre

Electrification will allow local women to engage in sewing and other mechanised craft activities which will enable TAWINA to run basic skill development programs and activities which can have an economic aspect e.g. dressmaking.  

Mushroom Farming

Taking the lead from the Zimbabwean community activist and mushroom farmer Chido Govera TAWINA plans to initiate a mushroom farming training project for local ‘at risk’ women using agricultural vegetable waste. This project is intended to provide skills development, education and mentoring opportunities for disadvantaged women, the development of income generating capacities and greater levels of independence for rural women.