Lillian is a young lady born on 10th August 2003. She comes from Futi village in the area of Traditional Authority Kalonga in Salima district. Lillian has a disability. She has a stiff ankle and a learning disability which resulted from a motor vehicle accident. She was hit by a car while crossing a road in Lilongwe city. Consequently, she is a very slow learner and walks with a limp.
When Lillian started school, she was laughed at by fellow pupils due to her stiff ankle. On the other hand, her learning disability made school performance poor. Unfortunately, her school was not disability inclusive and therefore she did not get the extra support she needed. Her performance in class remained poor. She left school in standard 4.
Her father passed away in January 2018 and her mother remarried. Her new step father would not allow Lilian to stay with them. Being a housewife, her mother could not adequately provide for her. Lilian started buying and selling tomatoes to support herself, making 10,000mk (or £10) per month. However, walking long distances made her stiff ankle painful and swollen. The tomato selling business was a very difficult but necessary experience for her.
Fortunately, in October 2020 Lillian was invited for a tailoring training at KODO in Salima, under the GCT Tools and Training for Livelihood Project. At KODO Lillian learned how to make dresses, shorts short sleeved shirts, petticoats, blouses and skirts. She completed her training in March 2021. The Project gave her a sewing machine and some start up materials.
