Empowered by GALS: How Augustine transformed his passion into profit
Seven years after acquiring tailoring and designing skills, Augustine Symon, a young man from the traditional authority Namasoko in the Phalombe district, was not making full use of them.
Augustine, who is a member of the Ngangande Youth Club, one of the youth groups supported by PYAO in Phalombe district, says that in 2018, he studied and completed a tailoring and designing course, but since then, he had never considered starting his own business.
The 28-year-old says had been earning income by doing small jobs for other tailors in his area.
However, he began to look at things differently after attending the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) training in August 2025, where he acquired entrepreneurial skills that changed his mindset.
Interestingly, Augustine reveals that he never used any of the allowances he received for lunch or transport refunds; instead, he invested them as capital to establish his business, which is now flourishing.
“I saved around Mk65,000.00 from the allowances I was getting, which I invested in buying start-up materials for my business, such as fabric. I made several items, such as dresses, shirts, and shorts, and went around our local market selling them, earning me around Mk155,000.00.
“Afterwards, I also bought materials that cost me around Mk110,000.00 and made around Mk180,000.00 in profit from the sales of the products I created,” he said.
Augustine mentioned that after realising his business was progressing well in September of last year, he employed two young men to sell the clothes he made on a commission-based payment.
In October of the same year, Augustine bought two piglets for Mk50,000 each, which he later sold for around Mk450,000 in April of this year. He used this money to buy tobacco from farmers, which he made into three bales that are now at the auction floors waiting to be sold.
Augustine says he plans to establish a large tailoring shop where he will employ two or more young men. He has moved from his village to Migowi Township in the same district.
“I have moved here to Migowi so that I can access raw materials more easily and also operate at night using electricity,” he said.
Currently, he says he has bought 10 iron sheets and has 20,000 bricks, which he has got through his tailoring business since he attended the GALS training 11 months ago. He added that monthly he earns around Mk500,000.00 in profits.
Augustine is among 26 adolescents and young people that PYAO trained in the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) last year, with support from The Hilden Charitable Fund.
