Innes Chayamba, Cheyard village Mchinji, Malawi

Innes Chayamba, 26 lives in Cheyard village Mchinji district in Malawi. Her family relies on farming and small scale business for a living. Innes dropped out of school in her 3^rd year of high school because of pregnancy. After she delivered she started working for some months  as a house maid as she wanted to earn sufficient money to be able to go back to school for her 4^th and final year and the school exams. Innes participated in financial literacy training as well as the Village Saving and Loan Groups that were started by  MTBA  in her community. Innes says that “At first there were no chances for youth, especially girls to assemble in groups and be empowered economically, as  girls are still taken second from boys culturally”. She has learned a lot of financial skills and about SRHR and child protection issues; especially that girls should not to be forced to get married before 18 years. “I and the society have learned that forcing young girls to get married is an abuse and against the laws of Malawi. And the society as a whole is now withdrawing young girls from the marriages.” she says.  “The programme has also affected me in a way that I have been empowered to do business and think positively about my life and my future hence avoiding things that can bring me down” And this is true not only for Innes, but also for other girls in her community, or Innes words: “The programme has rely changed the mindset of girls by not staying idle but engaged in small business activities for a living “I myself have managed to build a three bedroomed house with and have started taking agriculture as business as I am rearing pigs and have cultivated and planted 1 acre of land with hybrid maize,”