Yamba Malawi: Ending Childhood Poverty

Yamba Malawi Theory of Change – Childhoods and Livelihoods Program

Yamba Malawi’s theory of change is that strengthening the economic resilience of ultra-poor households, while improving caregiving environments during early childhood and building climate resilience, reduces immediate suffering and creates lasting pathways out of poverty for families and their children. The program delivers integrated interventions over a 24-month cycle, combining temporary consumption support, seed capital for livelihood development, caregiver training, Savings and Loan Groups (SLGs), partnerships with community leaders and Community-Based Childcare Centers (CBCCs), and tailored linkages and referrals to essential services, with attention to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable practices.

Households with young children are identified through community-based targeting and verification surveys. Initially, families receive consumption support and coaching to stabilize food security, strengthen livelihoods, and improve caregiving practices related to nutrition, hygiene, safe home environments, and climate-smart household resilience. Once basic stability is achieved, households receive entrepreneurship training, livelihood assets, and ongoing coaching to establish or expand sustainable and climate-resilient income-generating activities. Participation in SLGs and access to formal savings accounts further strengthens financial management, savings discipline, and adaptive capacity to economic and environmental shocks.

Caregivers are guided on inclusive household decision-making, budgeting, expenditure prioritization, and disaster preparedness. Yamba strengthens CBCCs through training in early childhood development, early stimulation, nutrition, WASH practices, and leadership. Children, including those with disabilities, benefit from structured play, cognitive stimulation, and improved care at home and in CBCCs. Household- and community-level coaching supports child protection, psychosocial wellbeing, and access to health, nutrition, and social services, while integrating climate- and disaster-sensitive practices.

These activities produce tangible outputs: households establish climate-resilient income-generating activities, maintain functional savings groups, improve child care practices, and strengthen CBCC governance and service quality. Over time, these outputs lead to increased household income and assets, enhanced food security, climate resilience, and improved caregiving environments, while children experience better nutrition, early learning, and protection from harm.

Beyond immediate participants, functional savings groups and improved CBCCs extend benefits to the broader community. By leveraging Malawi’s CBCC network and social protection systems, Yamba Malawi aims to scale this model, enabling more ultra-poor families and children to achieve sustainable economic stability, holistic wellbeing, and resilient, inclusive, and climate-adaptive social environments.