Part of the Council for the Handicapped Program
The Bangwe Weaving Factory opened in 1976 as a result of the creation of the Malawi Council For The Handicapped (MACOHA) by an act of the Malawi Parliament in 1971 (Chapter 35:02) under the administration of Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda the First President of the nation. With the advent of MACOHA came a series of nationwide programs and initiatives designed to find ways to support and assist the handicapped to live full and productive lives. Programs were put into place in every region of the country by the Administration.
MACOHA continues today to carry out the same mission for which it was chartered when the Republic was in its infancy. The familiar mission statement in some of its literature repeats a page from the past. MACOHA functions today “as a government implementing agent responsible for services and programs designed to improve the livelihoods of persons with disabilities.”
As one of its functions MACOHA oversees the activities of the Bangwe Factory. The factory is located just south of the commercial center of Blantyre, and has a capacity to employ about 150 people of which 75% have varying degrees of disabilities. A disastrous fire a few years ago destroyed much of the equipment and placed in question the future of the facility and its workers. Since then it has been a long, difficult climb up from the ashes. The program continues to run short of equipment and supplies for all of the handicapped people who need the resources it can offer. Currently there are 100 men and women with disabilities being trained in hand weaving, screen-printing, tailoring, embroidery, tie-dyeing, carpentry and other trades that lead to productive lives.
Project Begins Giving Assistance
The Malawi Project is pleased to announce the Bangwe Weaving Factory and the nearby Orthopedic Hospital are two of the newest additions to the facilities that are being helped by Project supporters.
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