Emily John has three children, her husband sustained an eye injury in his work as a bricklayer, which has turned chronic. He can no longer work. Emily became the sole breadwinner and would take on casual labour work, cleaning homes and laundry across Lilongwe. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, she sustained her family with her income.
Following the government mitigation measures and lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus, Emily’s income shrank drastically with the family struggling to eat a meal or if they were lucky, two meals a day. Emily’s daughter, Shakira, 11, had been part of the Fount for Nations Stay and Play Programme. The programme offers additional after-school learning customized to the schooling level and the special needs of children. Shakira has special intellectual needs; through the programme she has caught up with her schoolwork and her mother has seen Shakira’s steady academic improvement.
During the weekly group and individual counselling sessions with parents in the Stay and Play programme, it was becoming clear that parents were getting more and more frustrated with the economic challenges of the pandemic. Many are overwhelmed with caring for their children with special needs and finding a livable wage.
Fount for Nations surveyed in 2021 to assess the economic challenges faced by parents and guardians of children in its Stay and Play programme to gauge how best to offer support. Fount for Nations partnered with the King Baoudin Foundation and GiveDirectly, to provide social cash transfers to its beneficiaries to mitigate the socio-economic effects of COVID-19.
Emily’s family was one of 350 households assessed and provided with USD 130, the equivalent of three months’ income, to get back on their feet. Together with 60 other parents and caregivers, Emily received financial literacy and business skills training to guide on investment options for the monies received. Emily used the money to start a small grain store in her neighborhood. She now earns USD 12.50 (MWK 10,000) to USD 18.20 (MWK15,000) daily which is four times more than what she earned previously.
Emily reinvests the profits in purchasing farming inputs to ensure she has food for her family’s consumption ensuring they never miss a meal. “I can now afford three meals for my family members and school necessities for Shakira,” Emily enthuses.
Great programme!!