AWE Global Launches Groundbreaking “Train the Trainer” Program in Malawi

AWE Global has launched a new women’s empowerment initiative in Malawi, marking a pivotal expansion of its global mission. Built on a “Train the Trainer” model, the program is designed to create long-term, sustainable impact by equipping a cohort of 66 women farmers with the tools and skills to become entrepreneurs and local leaders and, in turn, to pass on their knowledge to others in their communities.

Each of these 66 women will be trained not only to improve their own economic standing, but also to train an additional 10 women in their villages, allowing the program’s impact to multiply tenfold. This cascading structure ensures that the knowledge and resources shared are embedded locally, generating wide-reaching and durable change.

The initiative directly addresses the intractable poverty faced by women in rural Malawi, where economic hardship severely limits access to opportunity.

“Some of the women have told us they don’t send their children to school because they can’t afford to pack a lunch,” said the executive director, Dr. Jennifer Lonergan from AWE Global. “They feel embarrassed to send them with nothing, so the kids stay home. It’s not a lack of will — it’s simply a lack of means.”

This reality reflects the urgent need for sustainable, community-rooted support — not just to improve livelihoods, but to restore dignity and choice.

The Malawi program reflects AWE Global’s broader shift toward scalable, community-led initiatives that support women as catalysts of economic and social progress. Over time, these networks are expected to grow organically, reaching hundreds — even thousands — of women with practical tools for self-sufficiency and leadership.

“This model allows us to invest deeply in local potential,” said Dr. Jennifer Lonergan. “By training leaders who then become trainers, we’re creating a ripple effect of empowerment that extends well beyond the scope of a single program.”

More updates from the field — including stories from the inaugural cohort — will be shared in the coming months, as the program takes root and begins to shape new possibilities for women across Malawi.

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