Providing Shelter to the most Vulnerable

The Makazi Foundation

From Vulnerability to Stability; District by District

The Makazi Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Diana Kalitera’s mission; delivering structured psychosocial support, holistic education, and vocational skills development to vulnerable youth across Malawi.

Our vision is bold: to reach all 28 districts, equipping young people with the emotional strength, knowledge, and practical skills required to break cycles of poverty. permanently.

Why Makazi Exists

Makazi means shelter in Swanili. For us, shelter does not simply mean protection from hardship, but a foundation strong enough to build a future upon.

The Makazi Foundation was born from lived understanding: poverty is not only economic. It is emotional, psychological, and structural. True empowerment cannot be layered on top of unresolved trauma or limited opportunity.

Real progress, the kind that lasts; begins from the inside out.

We exist because vulnerable youth deserve more than survival.

They deserve psychosocial resilience.
They deserve holistic education.
They deserve vocational competence.

These are not add-ons. They are the architecture of dignity and independence.

Our National Vision

Makazi is building a structured empowerment model designed to scale across all 28 districts of Malawi.

Our mission is not short-term relief.

It is generational protection from poverty.

By combining psychosocial support, education, and skills training, we create integrated pathways that move young people from vulnerability to stability and from stability to contribution.

District by district.

Community by community.

Life by life.

Our Impact

Since our founding, Makazi has empowered thousands of young people across Malawi; strengthening emotional resilience, expanding opportunity, and restoring hope.

But we are building beyond numbers.

We are building stability.
We are building skill.
We are building self-determined futures.

2800+

9

Volunteers

Young people reached

Our Approach

At Makazi, impact is engineered; not accidental.

Lasting change emerges when:

1. Emotional Wellness Becomes the Foundation: We create safe spaces where youth receive psychosocial support, build emotional regulation skills, and develop self-belief.

2. Education Becomes Holistic: From health awareness and life skills to rights education and career guidance, we equip young people with knowledge that shapes confident, informed decision-making.

3. Skills Translate Into Economic Agency: Through vocational training in beauty, fashion, agriculture, and other practical trades, we convert potential into income-generating capability.

4. Inclusion Anchors Progress: We believe no young person should be left behind. Our expansion strategy prioritizes equitable access across rural and underserved communities nationwide.