Alex Kasiya is 33 years old and is married with 3 children. Both his legs are deformed due to a childhood illness. He lives in Mtchenjere Village, Salima district, Malawi. Alex used to make and sell charcoal and had an income of 30000mk (£33) per month and he struggled to support himself and his family. Alex took part in the tailoring training at KODO in 2017, which included business training, gender awareness and HIV/AIDS prevention training.

When he finished training he was given a Singer sewing machine, some start up materials and a solar panel. He is now a skilled tailor and runs a very busy tailoring shop selling dresses and shirts. He is also being paid to teach tailoring to 4 students and has invested in a small grocery business. Alex now has an income of 150000mk (£166) per month, an increase of 400%. With his increased income Alex is able to meet all day to day needs and has been able to buy bricks to build a new house and iron sheets for the roof. He is saving money and is working hard to grow his business. ‘The best thing about the training was getting a sewing machine. I love bing a tailor. My life is now transformed.’