Malawi Kuyamika Awards 2021
It is with great pleasure that we launch The Kuyamika Reward and Recognition Program in Malawi. The “Thank You” Awards recognise hard-working and high-achieving members of staff that go above and beyond to reach and serve women entrepreneurs facing poverty.
Regional Meetings were held in the Southern and Northern Regions of Malawi in December 2021 to celebrate and recognise the incredible efforts of our team throughout 2021. Thanks to them, we have seen impressive growth in the past year. We currently have over 200 staff in Malawi who, at year end of 2021, were actively supporting over 58,000 women with loans and training to build businesses.
The winners at the Kuyamika Awards in December 2021 are some of our most outstanding members of staff. MicroLoan’s mission is to provide the poorest women in sub-Saharan Africa with the tools and skills to enable them to work their own way out of poverty. This is the team that make it possible.
The awards:
Branch Manager of the Year
Catherine Sinoya
Catherine Sinoya was awarded Branch Manager of the Year 2021 and received a trophy and a cash prize of MK80,000. Overall, Catherine manages seven client officers at the Mulanje Branch and has successfully rolled out the Centre Model* and is managing a new product, a loan for Tea farming, very well. She is a huge asset to MicroLoan Malawi and has also received a promotion on account of her triumphs in 2021.
*The Centre Model brings five loan groups of five women together as one centre group to deliver business training and support. This enables our team to reach more women faster and more efficiently and facilitates peer-to-peer support.
Best Overall Branch 2021
Mulanje Branch
Mulanje Branch was awarded the Best Overall Branch 2021, managed by Catherine Sinoya.
Mulanje has experienced exponential growth during 2021, with two satellite offices which are performing well. Overall, the branch consists of seven Loan & Training Officers and has successfully rolled out the Centre Model. During 2021, the Mulanje branch team also managed a new product launch, an agricultural loan for growing Tea.
The team received a trophy, certificate, and cash prize of MK150,000.
High achieving staff receiving recognition
Billy Mhango
Alongside Mulanje Branch Manager Catherine Sinoya, a promotion was also awarded to Billy Mhango who was recognized for his dedication and hard work. Billy has also been earmarked to open a new branch that launched on January 1st 2022, in Karonga.
Best Client Officer
Godfrey Chagwa
Recognised for exceptional performance, Godfrey Chagwa from the Mchinji Branch was awarded Best Client Officer 2021. Godfrey had the highest caseload of all Loan & Training Officers, actively supporting over 600 women with business training, mentoring and disbursement of loans at one time. He also had the lowest PAR*, which he attributes to managing all of his meetings efficiently by implementing the Centre Model. He was awarded a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize of MK40,000.00.
*Portfolio at Risk (PAR) is an indicator of loan portfolio quality and PAR30 indicates the ratio of loan book overdue by more than 30 days.
Whole Planet Field Officer Awards
Alex Chisuse
Alex Chisuse was recognised in the Whole Planet Foundation Field Officer Awards 2021 for his work at MicroLoan Malawi’s Mulanje branch. The award from Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market Foundation, is an external award recognising commendable Field Officers. Whole Planet Foundation is a longstanding partner and supports our operations in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Since receiving this award, he secured a promotion and has moved to Nkhatabay which is a satellite office.
Best Manager of PAR
Gracious Frederick – Mchinji Branch
Gracious Fredericks scooped the Best Manager of PAR 2021 prize, as his branch has kept their average PAR at 0% for the past 12 months. He won a trophy, certificate and cash prize of MK80,000.00.
Best Average PAR
Mchinji Branch
The Best Average PAR award went to the Mchinji branch. Their average PAR has been at 0% for the past 12 months. This is a fantastic result and is testament to the team’s hard work.
Leadership Award
Richard Mwazambumba – Kasungu Branch
The 2021 Leadership Award was presented to Richard Mwazambumba from the Kasungu Branch. In all of the branches he has managed, there has been a drastic improvement in the performance of staff overall. For example, he mentored one member of staff, Lonjezo, to secure an impressive promotion of managing a branch on his own.
Overall, Richard’s Loan & Training Officers work hard and produce fantastic results because he is a natural leader. Richard is dependable and is often called upon by the Head Office when there is a need for a branch manager to recruit and induct new Loan & Training Officers.
Throughout 2021, MicroLoan Foundation Malawi has scaled up to reach more rural women facing poverty than ever before. Thanks to the commendable support from the MicroLoan team, these women are able to build profitable businesses and provide for their families. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in 2022.