The wonderful story of FOCHTA’s Grassroots Committee Chairperson Hilda Mtiya
Hilda Mtiya is 47 years of age and lives in Thyolo district. Since 1992, she has been working as a volunteer in her area, assisting orphans and other vulnerable children in kindergartens, the elderly, and people living with HIV/AIDS, by providing them with food, clothes, and schools fees. She had been doing this in collaboration with a team of other volunteers in her community through income from farming and help from other well-wishers. In 2002, she was appointed coordinator of a local community based organization focused on caring for the needy.
In 2003, she joined FOCHTA’s Grassroots Committee - a body that acts as a bridge between FOCHTA and people at the community level. In 2005, she was elected as this committee’s chairperson and has made since then a number of remarkable achievements. She has represented FOCHTA at district organisation networks. With the assistance of charitable groups she has had homes built for destitute people in the area. Mrs Mtiya has mobilised a group of elderly to grow maize to donate to orphans in a kindergarten. She offers counselling to FOCHTA student beneficiaries on HIV and pregnancy prevention and encourages others to take the HIV test. She inspires those around her to work as good Samaritans.
Since 2000, she has had 14 orphans staying at her home, assisting them with clothes, food, school fees, and shelter. 4 of these young people have completed school and are working. She currently has 10 orphans living in her home.
Mrs Mtiya has never earned money through formal employment. Though her husband is employed she needs to make ends meet by doing small scale farming, bee-keeping and vegetable growing.