It was a surprise to meet Gift Phiri aged 9 who makes beautiful and nice charcoal burners (Mbaula) in an effort to feed the family and alleviate his household poverty.
“I started making these mbaula, you are seeing here when I was six years old, I learnt this skilled work from my grandfather, past 5 years till his death 3 years back” Gift added.
Gift who happens to be the first born son in the family of three, is the bread winner of entire family, caring for his grandmother Anya Banda, divorced mother and other two children. His parents divorced in 2014 while he was still a baby.
Gift is currently manning the whole family with few resources he gathers through mbaula making business as his father is nowhere to be located. He dropped out of school when he was in grade 3, because he forced himself to concentrate on business to make ends meet.
Gift Phiri is pleading to all Malawians of good faith and good will to bail him out of the current situation by providing a business start up capital to his mum. “I believe when my mother has a business she will be able to provide good care for the family using the profits she will be realising from the business, if it happens in that way it will be a relief to me so that I concentrate on my studies”. Gift hells from Mchengautuwa, group village headman Mzomera Ngwira in Mzuzu.
To communicate with Gift Phiri’s call his grandmother Anya Banda on 0881 83 95 79
Or you can send an email on info@avantmalawi.com
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