Bettina is 24 and currently expecting her third child. She left school after completing primary education which is free in Malawi. Secondary school is not. Her parents could not afford the fees so she could not continue her studies. She wanted to carry on. 

Living in a remote village in rural Malawi, Bettina had little access to vocational skills training or finance after she left school. When Opportunity International visited her village and offered a new programme focussed on empowering young people, Bettina knew that this was her chance to fcontinue learning.

Through the programme, she joined a Youth Loans Programme and received financial training, a business loan and the encouragement and support of her peers in her group. Bettina started a grocery business, which is now thriving. Her income is now steady and secure-she can provide for her family. She is also saving for the future and hopes that she will be able to provide her children with the secondary education that she never had. 

                Bettina     

Youth unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa is s growing crisis. By providing the right resources, tools and financial access and support, young people, like Bettina, have the opportunity to create their own futures and work their way out of poverty. 

Bettina and her Youth Savings Group