Milika James

Milika James is one of the women learning tailoring at Our AIM Foundation’s Holistic Community Centre in Tongozala, Mchinji District, Malawi. She hails from Lufina village which is approximately 7km from the centre. She walks to and from the centre every weekday with her infant child, just a year old, strapped to her chest – a journey she describes as strenuous and laborious. But Milika dreams of a brighter future for the child she carries and her other children at home. They motivate her to make this daily journey to the HCC, where she learns the skills of sewing, mending and tailoring.She has always wanted to become a professional tailor and to own her own business. Milika knows well the struggle of being financially limited, and she wants to not only achieve financial independence for herself and her family, but so that she can teach others in the community how to do the same. When she found out that Our AIM Foundation was recruiting women to join a course in tailoring, she was overjoyed, and jumped at the chance.She is a hard worker and operates machine with her little girl slung around her chest. “This baby is my motivation. Knowing that she is depending on me pushes me to learn more, to work hard and be better, so that she can have a better life.” She says that the class instructor is an inspiration to her. She dreams of being an empowered and respected woman like her. We are working with Milika to assist her and the other women in the course to lend out sewing machines and supplies and offer some early investment so that they can open their own shops. We are excited at this prospect, because this is what we at Our AIM love to do – invest in the future of people like Milika, and to change lives through hope and empowerment. We believe in Milika.