The goal of TDI savings group ministry is to provide transformational Christian witness and improve income diversification amongst people living in poverty in targeted communities. To date, TDI is working with 876 active groups from 408 local churches.
2023 specific project activities include;
- Project Review meetings
Three partnership quarterly review meeting between HOPE Malawi leadership and TDI management were done in 2023. These meetings provide an opportunity to review project progress and finances, discuss new updates and project bottle necks as well as map the way forward.
TDI attended HOPE Malawi 10-year celebration in Salima which provided an opportunity to review how partners have fared for the past ten years. Secondly the celebration also provided good time for spiritual nurturing, encouragement and renewal. Hope awarded the best performing staffs as one way of motivating the staffs.
- Pastors orientation meetings and CF trainings
Pastors’ orientation meetings were held in Namatubi, Township and Misuku Upper, Nthalire, Wenya and Ilanga church networks reaching to 396 pastors/ local church leaders on how they can introduce the ministry in their local church and how they can choose facilitators. 70 church facilitators who were selected from various churches from Ilanga, Ighughu in Misuku upper, Mwamkumbwa and Misuku Upper were trained using the Restore Curriculum. The training was also aimed at helping the Ministry Coordinator and Field Coordinators to have good hands-on experience on how to facilitate Church Facilitators training in future.
- Monthly Mentoring Meetings
Monthly Church Facilitators Mentoring meetings were held and a total of 11 mentoring meetings were done and 185 church Facilitators were mentored and equipped on how to start and nature savings groups.
- Spiritual Nurturing to Church Facilitators
TDI manage to host church facilitators annual retreat which took place at Fwasa and Nthalire respectively, Church facilitators were revived spiritually, shared work experiences and they were given T. shirts as incentives for their volunteer work.
- Project Incentives
70 push bikes were distributed to 70 church facilitators of Mwamkumbwa, Ighughu, Nthalire and Ilanga church networks to ease mobility challenges
Misuku Banana Cooperative
The cooperative is a ripple effect of the ABCD concept and was formed in 2021 to uplift church based small holder farmers out of poverty and help them identify reliable market for their products. The cooperative currently has 61 farmer groups from various churches with a total membership of 701 members. From its formation till now the cooperative has made remarkable progress and some success registered so far include;
- Construction of the warehouse which is being used as a holding shelter for bananas before marketing them,
- Construction of the 6 humid chambers that helps famers to have a good quality planting materials
- The cooperative has also managed to purchase a 7-ton truck used to carry bananas to the market
- The cooperative made their second sales in 2023 and waiting for proceeds from the buyer.