From Survival to Strength: A Young Mother Rebuilding Her Life

Children & Youth

Apr 20

In a busy corner of Lilongwe, Malawi, the smell of freshly fried doughnuts draws a steady stream of customers. Behind the stand, 22-year-old Tadala serves with confidence and a smile- a quiet but powerful contrast to the life she once knew.

Just a few years ago, Tadala’s life was defined by hardship. Born in Dedza as the second of seven children, she dropped out of school at the age of six to help her family survive. “I left school before I even learned how to write properly,” she recalls. Her childhood was further disrupted when her family lost their home due to a land dispute, forcing them to move in search of work.

Later, Tadala married, hoping for stability, but was abandoned while pregnant. “After my child was born, we had nothing. My baby stayed for five months without clothes,” she says. Determined to provide for her son, she moved to Lilongwe and survived through piecework, taking on any job she could find.

A moment that changed her direction

Her turning point came unexpectedly when she saw a graduation ceremony at the SOS Children’s Villages Malawi Vocational Training Centre for the Young Women Technical Skills Empowerment Project (YWTSEP). “I told myself, ‘I can do this too.’”

Tadala enrolled in the project, funded by the Grieg Foundation through SOS Children’s Villages Norway.

For Tadala, the journey was transformative, but not without challenges. As a single mother, she struggled to balance training, childcare, and income generation to care for her family. She worked before and after classes - farming and washing clothes - to ensure there was food at home. “I was always worried and tired,” she recalls.

I used to struggle just to survive- now I am building a life I am proud of

With no childcare support for her three-year-old son, her parents withdrew her younger sister from school and sent her to Lilongwe to help. This meant Tadala now had to support three people, while also sending money back home.

Recognising these barriers, the project provided additional support. Tadala’s son was enrolled in daycare, and her sister was supported to return to school. “I felt relief. For the first time, I could really focus,” she says.

Today, Tadala runs her own small business selling doughnuts, earning enough to support herself and her family. “I pay rent, buy food, and take care of my child,” she says proudly. “I also send money home to my parents.”

“I felt relief. For the first time, I could really focus”

More than income: a shift in self-image

Beyond income, Tadala has gained something deeper- self-worth. “I was told never to look down on myself,” she says. “Now I see myself as a boss because my life has changed.” She is already planning her next steps- investing in farming, building a home, and expanding her business.

Standing behind her stall, serving another customer, she smiles, not just as a survivor, but as a young entrepreneur shaping her own future. “I used to struggle just to survive- now I am building a life I am proud of.”