Created in 2017, the Capacity Foundation works in one of the poorest parts of Malawi, helping local people to build their own businesses and to reduce their dependence on international aid.
Working in Malenga Mzoma, a rural community of some 20,000 people, the Foundation uses a unique combination of microloans and community funding to help create jobs and improve infrastructure.
By enabling local people to improve their literacy and numeracy, gain basic business skills and start their own businesses, the Capacity Foundation is responding directly to a request by local people for help to earn a decent living and to improve their lives and those of their families.
The Foundation’s objective is to create a local economy strong enough to generate money for the community in Malenga Mzoma to fund or co-fund the projects it wants which otherwise would be left to governmental or third sector agencies (infrastructure, programmes, services or whatever may be decided).
This is true sustainability and everything we do is subject to this objective.
Growth of the local economy is being achieved by microloans and social enterprises to which will soon be added an in-country investment programme, the Evergreen Fund.
Achieving our objective requires elements already in place – improved farming methods, adult literacy and numeracy, microloans, business training, social enterprises – plus some yet to come on stream (e.g. a youth programme, a nutrition and health programme, and workshops to teach vocational skills).
