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5 days 6 minutes ago

Aubrey Mtusi: graduated welding & fabrication student June 2025 – read about his background and experiences

Mariska: "Aubrey graduated from the OneHeartMalawi vocational training centre in June 2025. During the interview with him, I was reminded of how different life and the future are for young people in Malawi compared to my own future and where I was when I was Aubrey's age. I'll never forget meeting Aubrey - I sat with tears in my eyes listening to his story and vulnerability.

Aubrey is only 20 years old, but he looked much older because of everything he's been through. Pain shone in his eyes, and his entire energy radiated sadness. He has an older brother, and his parents divorced when he was very young. His father left for South Africa, and his mother left for an unknown destination. He and his brother stayed with their grandmother because neither of their parents took care of Aubrey and his brother.

Later, they stayed with their uncle in Blantyre, one of Malawi's bigger cities. Without telling him, their uncle left, leaving them behind. The landlord kicked them out because they couldn't pay the rent. Aubrey was 12 years old at the time. Aubrey and his brother did everything they could to survive. They survived on the streets of Blantyre for five years by begging and doing piece work. At one point, they found work as butchers in a butcher shop, and that's how they survived. They didn't have a roof over their heads. "I never want to beg again," Aubrey said, his eyes filled with pain. He dropped out of school in seventh grade because of his circumstances.

Aubrey's father had been in South Africa all those years and recently returned. He found out where Aubrey was staying and suggested he will come live with him in Monkey Bay to learn a skill. His father knew OneHeartMalawi through church and regularly visited the project site. He paid the school fees so Aubrey could take the welding & fabrication training course. Aubrey says he had a very positive experience at the OneHeartMalawi vocational training centre.

Aubrey: "I enjoyed every moment to the point that I forgot everything I had experienced. I felt free, welcome, and at home. I see so much development in myself and I am so proud of myself because I can make so many things, like window and door frames and repair other products."

At the graduation ceremony, the students had the opportunity to perform, and Aubrey wrote a rap about OneHeartMalawi and his experiences and performed. He is now back in Blantyre and has found a job as a welder there.

All Aubrey wanted was to become independent, get a job, and earn money so he'd never have to end up on the streets again. Sadly, this is just one of the many stories we hear and see around us. Young adults like Aubrey are the reason the vocational training centre was established. Aubrey arrived so sad and hopeless - I'll never forget that look in his eyes. But over the months, the sparkle returned to his eyes, he started to shine again, regained his energy, and regained his hope for the future.”

Do you want to help young vulnerable people like Aubrey? For only 75 euro's you can support by paying the school fees of one student for a 6 months training which will change his or her future completely: oneheartmalawi.com/en/donate/

#successtory #selfreliance #independence #hope #oneheartmalawi