Despite the weight of her circumstances, she
refused to surrender to despair. Her turning point
came in 2024, when she joined the Khamalipindula
Village Savings and Loan (VSL) Group, supported
by Floresta in Malawi under the Lwafwa
Watershed Transformation Program, funded by
Plant With Purpose.
Khamalipindula VSL group had 17 members, 16
women and 1 man, all determined to build better
lives through saving and lending. From her first
small loan of MK 30,000, Patuma bought 5
kilograms of baking flour and