Inspired by what he has learned, Evance has started small business ventures and uses sport as a tool to teach children important life skills such as teamwork, communication, and confidence. The support provided by BILD Malawi has also had a positive effect on his family, enabling him to help his mother establish and run an Airtel Money kiosk business.
One of the programme’s most powerful achievements, according to Evance, is how it has changed attitudes to inclusion. Through recreational games and sporting activities, children and young people with and without disabilities come together, demonstrating cooperation, friendship, and mutual respect. On the playing field, differences are set aside as participants unite through shared experiences and enjoyment.
As a dedicated volunteer, Evance continues to travel to different schools to deliver activities and engage children, believing that every child deserves access to the educational and social benefits that sport can provide.
Looking ahead, Evance hopes to see the BILD project expand its reach to more schools and remote communities.
“The transformation we are creating is tangible, and every child deserves to be part of it."
Taking part in the BILD programme has helped Thokozani to become more confident, develop new skills and take on greater responsibility within his community.
BILD training equipped Thokozani with practical life skills including leadership, decision-making, organisation and time management. Just as importantly, it taught him how to apply these skills in real situations. Today, Thokozani is using what he has learned to serve Tsale Village as a Neighbourhood Watch member, helping to promote safety and security for local residents. For him, BILD has not only provided training; it has inspired action.
His message to other young people:
“Do not underestimate the power of engaging in sports and development programs. They are catalysts for growth. Take that step for your personal well-being, your professional future, and the betterment of our communities. The opportunity to lead starts with your participation.”
Through BILD, Gift has learned to change his mindset and approach life with greater purpose. The training programme taught him how to communicate with different people, including learners, understand and manage behaviour, and plan more effectively—skills he had not previously taken seriously but now sees as essential to his future.
Those lessons are now shaping his daily life. Gift explains that he has become more disciplined, better able to make positive choices, and proud to be seen as a role model in his community. He has also applied his planning skills to build a pig farming business, which continues to grow as he puts his training into practice step by step.
Beyond his own development, Gift now contributes to community activities such as road maintenance, recognising the importance of giving back. For him, BILD has been more than a training programme: it has helped transform the way he sees himself, his responsibilities and the role he can play in building a stronger community.
“The BILD Programme did not just teach me skills it changed who I am.”
