• admin

Village Savings and Loans transform lives in Machinga: The inspiring rise of Dafutala Symon.

Machinga, Malawi — For 53-year-old Dafutala Symon, a smallholder farmer from Mtembo Village in Group Village Headman Tandauko, financial independence once felt like a distant dream. Years of farming challenges, limited resources and recurring food shortages left him struggling to make ends meet. But today, Dafutala’s story is one of transformation a testament to the power of community savings and the right kind of support.

His turning point came in 2024, when the Tikondane Village Savings and Loans (VSL) group, of which he is a member, received a MK2.4 million revolving fund from Community-led Planning and Management for Biodiversity protection and resilient Communities in the catchment area of Lake Chilwa project. The support aimed to strengthen agribusiness ventures and promote self-reliance among rural farmers.

Instead of hiring outside labor, the group decided to pay themselves MK65,000 each for the work done, a move that ensured members directly benefited from their collective effort. For Dafutala, this was the breakthrough he had been waiting for.

“I had one acre of land that had remained unused for years because I could not afford farm inputs,” he recalled. “When the VSL received funding, I knew my chance had finally come.”

With the funds he received, Dafutala invested in tomato farming and the results exceeded expectations he earned MK3,500,000 from his harvest. With the proceeds, he bought two goats, a bicycle and reinvested part of his profits into rice farming, further expanding his agribusiness

But it was not just the money that changed his life. Through financial literacy and business management trainings within the project, Dafutala learnt how to budget, save and invest wisely. The new skills transformed him from a subsistence farmer into a confident, profit-oriented entrepreneur.

“I appreciate CARD through the JOA Project for giving me the opportunity to grow,” he said with a smile. “I can proudly say that I have graduated from poverty. In the past, I struggled with food shortages and could not support my family’s needs. Today, I am happy and self-reliant and I see a brighter future ahead.” Dafutala Symon