"I'm proud to have defeated hunger"

Salafina, 35, from the Majete 8 Epicentre in Malawi, has stopped hunger in her household and gained financial independence by attending The Hunger Project’s workshops and savings groups.

Since her husband worked in South Africa, she used to rely on him to send money before she could make plans, feed her family, or invest in anything of her own. She realised she wanted to be more independent.

“I did not want to rely on my husband to build the life I envision,” she says.

Salafina attended a Vision, Commitment and Action (VCA) workshop – a community-led process that helps people identify their goals and build a concrete plan to reach them, a cornerstone of The Hunger Project’s methodology. It was the shift she needed. She joined a Village Economic and Social Association (VESA), a community savings and lending group, and put that plan into motion.

Through regular contributions and small loans, she built up enough capital to launch her own retail business – a consistent, independent income stream she controls entirely.

The results have been profound. In the past year alone, she’s grown her goat herd from three to five, furnished her home, and she now buys her farm inputs, like fertiliser, on time, which means better harvests instead of missed seasons. She’s also taken on wetland farming, growing tomatoes and vegetables to keep food on the table year-round.

“I am proud to say that I have defeated hunger in my household,” she says.

Her annual VESA returns are around $630 AUD on average. Salafina has her sights set on cattle, a new home, and her daughter’s university education next.

Her journey shows what’s possible when women and communities are empowered to believe, and supported with tools and resources to create new futures for themselves.