Celebrating 62 Women: Seven Days That Changed What's Possible

After seven intensive days of learning, discussion, laughter, problem-solving, and reflection, our ASSET Entrepreneurship Program in Malawi has officially come to a close.

Or perhaps, more accurately, it has just begun.

This spring, Action for Women's Empowerment (AWE) Global, together with our local partner Emerge Livelihoods, had the privilege of working alongside 62 women farmers and entrepreneurs from the Mzimba and Nkhata Bay districts of northern Malawi. These women came from a wide variety of agricultural and small business backgrounds, producing and selling everything from maize, cassava, groundnuts, and fish to household goods for their local communities.

What united them wasn't the type of business they operated. It was their determination to build stronger futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Throughout the week, participants explored topics including market research, product innovation, sales, pricing, record keeping, financial management, and digital marketing. But this wasn't a classroom where people simply listened to lectures. Women worked together to solve problems, practised presenting their products, challenged one another's ideas, and applied every concept to their own businesses.

Many had been farming or running small enterprises for years—some for decades—yet had never received formal entrepreneurship training. Again and again, we watched familiar practices take on new meaning as participants connected their lived experience with practical business tools.

One participant captured this perfectly during a session on innovation:

"I did not know that something as simple as packaging our products was innovation."

Another reflected on a lesson that transformed the way she thought about production:

"I used to make products first and then look for someone to buy them. Now I know I should find the customer first, then make what they need."

For others, the biggest discoveries came during sessions on financial management.

Many participants had never calculated the true cost of producing their goods or considered the value of their own labour. As they completed costing exercises, there were moments of surprise—and sometimes disbelief.

"Now I understand that I must include all costs, even transport and my time."

Another participant realized that, despite working hard for years, her business had not been as profitable as she believed.

These moments matter because entrepreneurship is not simply about working harder. It is about making informed decisions—understanding costs, recognizing opportunities, and creating businesses that can grow sustainably.

But perhaps the most inspiring transformation we witnessed had little to do with business skills alone.

Throughout the week, participants practised facilitating discussions, presenting ideas, and teaching one another. Many women arrived hesitant to speak in front of a group. By the end of the program, they were confidently standing at the front of the room, sharing knowledge and encouraging their peers.

One participant reflected:

"I came here thinking that I would not understand what was going to be taught. But you have been patient with us and simplified things so that even me, who hasn't been in a classroom in a long time, can learn and have the confidence to teach others."

That confidence was reflected in one of our favourite activities of the week.

At the beginning and again at the end of the program, participants completed a self-identification exercise, choosing the roles that best described how they saw themselves. On Day 1, more than 80% identified primarily as learners. By Day 7, more than 70% identified themselves as trainers.

That shift represents far more than a statistic.

It reflects women beginning to see themselves not only as entrepreneurs, but as leaders, mentors, and people capable of helping others succeed.

For us, that is one of the most meaningful outcomes of the program.

We are deeply grateful to the Gay Lea Foundation for making this work possible through its Community Impact Grant. Their support reflects a shared belief that resilient communities are built by investing in local leadership, sustainable livelihoods, and the extraordinary potential of women.

We are equally grateful to our local partner, Emerge Livelihoods, whose knowledge, commitment, and leadership ensured that the program was firmly grounded in the realities of the communities we served.

As we celebrate the completion of this year's training, we are celebrating much more than a successful week.

We are celebrating 62 women who are returning home with new knowledge, stronger confidence, practical business tools, and an even stronger belief in what they can accomplish.

We cannot wait to see what they build next.