There is a strong market for affordable poultry in Malawi and an attractive balance of risk versus return. Chickens are resilient to climate fluctuations during the dry and rainy seasons and do not require as much land as larger animals that graze. We give our farms competitive advantages by installing green technologies, such as drip irrigation, solar power, and rocket stove heating to keep our chicks healthy and warm.

Capitalizing on the success of our Tailor Training Program, we ensure our tailors have the opportunity to turn their skills into income. Tailors in Malawi often run their own private shops, limiting their ability to source large contracts and grow their businesses. We demonstrate the power of jointly owned enterprises by helping our tailors form co-ops and win major clothing and accessory contracts in both the African and U.S. marketplaces. In 2012, one community center’s co-op sewed over 300 tote bags using excess fabric from KnollTextiles and designs by Cynthia Vincent for sale across the United States. Other co-ops have completed contracts for school uniforms and work suits for agriculture companies.

90% of Malawians support themselves through subsistence farming, harvesting crops to feed their families.¹ This means that almost all Malawians are engaged in agriculture, not for profit, but as a means of survival. It also means that agricultural knowledge is widespread. Many children grow up helping their relatives grow food for the family. We give our community centers the chance to turn farming for survival into farming for profit.

23,728 uniforms

Uniforms are required for children to attend school. But their $3 cost often prevents orphans from being able to afford them. Rather than simply give away uniforms, goods for good provides surplus fabric to community centers for vocational tailoring programs. These training programs teach adults marketable skills and give them the chance to form a community enterprise and earn an income. As a graduation requirement, our tailoring students sew uniforms with excess fabric, which are then donated to local orphans.

1.4 million pens

The cost of pens is often a major barrier to education. Since we began our pen program in 2007, we have consistently witnessed an increase in school attendance and in students completing assignments, and a decrease in piecework performed by students trying to earn money for school materials. All of the pens we provide are new, unused surplus materials from the United States and Malawi.

206,325 pairs of shoes

Children in Malawi often walk miles barefoot to attend the nearest school. This discourages them from attending regularly and puts them at risk for diseases and injury. Children who do graduate from primary school are only admitted into high school if they own a pair of shoes. We complement the provision of school uniforms and pens with a pair of new school shoes and where possible, a single dose of de-worming medicine. In partnership with TOMS Shoes and the Ministry of Health, we give 40,000 children shoes each year.