By Suleman Chitera

First Lady Professor Gertrude Mutharika has donated K10 million to the Malawi Police Women Welfare Committee and pledged to provide five sewing machines to strengthen income-generating activities among police women.

Mutharika made the announcement on Wednesday at the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe, where she presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Beautify Malawi (BEAM) Trust and Malawi Police Women Welfare.

The partnership is aimed at promoting cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in police establishments and surrounding communities, while also strengthening initiatives that empower police women economically.

The First Lady’s support has been welcomed as an important boost to police women who are using various entrepreneurial activities to supplement their income, support their families and contribute to the education of their children.

Police Women Turning Skills into Opportunities

Before the signing ceremony, Mutharika toured exhibition pavilions where police women showcased a range of income-generating initiatives.

Among the products and activities on display were tomato production using organic fertiliser, dishwashing liquid, Pine Gel and tailoring.

The initiatives demonstrate how police women are using their skills and available resources to create additional sources of income while building stronger and more self-reliant families.

The women told the First Lady that the businesses were helping them meet household needs and contribute towards the education and welfare of their children.

Mutharika commended the women for taking the initiative and encouraged them to continue exploring opportunities that can improve their livelihoods.

She said her partnership with the women would go beyond financial assistance, stressing the importance of making cleanliness and hygiene a shared responsibility in homes, workplaces and communities.

“We will work together to make sure that cleanliness and hygiene are practised, not only in our homes, but also in our surroundings,” said Mutharika.

Five Sewing Machines Pledged

One of the major challenges raised by the police women was a shortage of sewing machines, which limits their ability to expand their tailoring activities.

In response, Mutharika pledged to provide five sewing machines to help strengthen the initiative.

The equipment is expected to give more women an opportunity to participate in tailoring, increase production and potentially create additional income for their families.

The intervention also highlights the importance of providing practical tools and equipment alongside financial support so that community-based income-generating projects can become sustainable.

BEAM Trust Backs Cleanliness Campaign

BEAM Trust Chairperson Pastor Dingiswayo Jere said the partnership with Malawi Police Women Welfare would provide an opportunity for the organisation to work closely with police women in promoting improved hygiene and sanitation.

Jere said police officers and their families could play an important role as ambassadors for cleanliness, given their visibility and influence within communities.

He said communities could be encouraged to adopt better hygiene practices by observing positive examples demonstrated by people in uniform.

“We have agreed that we need to work together in this journey of bringing hygiene and good sanitation in our surroundings, including police stations,” said Jere.

According to Jere, poor sanitation and hygiene remain a major threat to communities because they can contribute to preventable diseases, including cholera.

He further noted that disease outbreaks can have serious economic consequences by forcing families to spend money on treatment and reducing their ability to engage in productive economic activities.

Police Women Welcome Partnership

Assistant Commissioner of Police Rhoda Longwe Luhanga, who is Patron of the Malawi Police Women Welfare Committee, thanked the First Lady for partnering with the women through the MoU.

Luhanga said the partnership would strengthen welfare programmes for police women while enabling them to participate more actively in initiatives designed to improve hygiene and sanitation.

She said police women have an important role to play not only within the police service but also in promoting positive practices in their families and communities.

The collaboration therefore brings together women’s empowerment, income generation, public health and community development under one initiative.

More Than a Financial Donation

The K10 million donation and pledge of five sewing machines represent more than direct financial and material assistance.

They provide an opportunity for police women to strengthen projects that can contribute to household income and long-term economic empowerment.

For the women involved in tailoring, the sewing machines could help increase production capacity, while the broader support can encourage more members to participate in entrepreneurial activities.

Similarly, the partnership on sanitation has the potential to extend beyond police establishments by encouraging police families and surrounding communities to make cleanliness part of their everyday lives.

Partnership Expected to Deliver Wider Community Benefits

The MoU between BEAM Trust and Malawi Police Women Welfare is expected to strengthen collaboration in promoting clean and hygienic environments across police establishments and surrounding communities.

The initiative comes at a time when public awareness about sanitation and disease prevention remains critical, particularly in the fight against preventable diseases.

By combining community hygiene campaigns with women’s economic empowerment, the partnership has the potential to create benefits that extend beyond the participating police women.

Police women can become champions of cleanliness in their homes, workplaces and communities, while their income-generating activities can provide additional opportunities to improve household welfare.

The First Lady’s intervention has also brought attention to the importance of supporting women with practical resources that allow them to turn their skills into sustainable businesses.

As the partnership takes shape, its success will ultimately depend on continued collaboration, proper implementation and ensuring that the promised support reaches the intended beneficiaries.

For Malawi Police Women Welfare, however, the message from Wednesday’s event is clear: empowering women while promoting healthier and cleaner communities can create benefits that reach far beyond individual households.

The collaboration between BEAM Trust and Malawi Police Women Welfare now provides a platform for police women to become stronger economic actors and influential advocates for cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in Malawi’s communities.