Life Concern Organisation (LICO)

About us

About us
Life Concern organization (LICO) (previously known as My Village Organization), founded in 2008, is a registered NGO located in Rumphi, Malawi Rumphi district, registered with the Registrar General, the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations of Malawi (CONGOMA) in 2011 and the NGO Board. LICO seeks to over-come HIV/AIDS and poverty in communities through education and awareness.

Our Impact Goal: To contribute to improved livelihoods of vulnerable groups (infants, adolescent children, youths, women and PLWA) in Rumphi district and surrounding areas through interventions aimed at preventing new HIV infections, rape, sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancies. LICO also aims to increase household economic empowerment as well as sustainable management of the environment and biomass energy.

Our Vision: Empowered communities free from HIV/AIDS and defending the rights of children

Mission statement
LICO exists to ensure better health and development of the marginalized and vulnerable local populations

Projects:
A. HEALTH
1. Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT)
- The program strives for increasing the number of men escorting their wives to access antenatal and maternal health care services, couples under-going HTC services, women delivering at the health facility and exposed infants being followed up for DBS. For these initiatives to occur, study circle groups are being formulated under the supervision of volunteers. Chiefs, volunteers and HSA’s are being oriented on referral system, the by-laws on male involvement are established and being strengthened. Volunteers are in forefront referring couples for ANC services and advocating for family planning methods.
2. Integration HIV/TB care and support:
- Our objective is to improve HIV/TB response by promoting community awareness, establishing sputum collection points, and forging partnerships with health facilities
3. Sexual reproductive health and rights
- The program strives for increasing uptake of sexual reproductive health services to prevent HIV, STIs, unintended pregnancies, and early child marriages among the youths aged 10 - 24 years through establishment of youth clubs and youth friendly corners where youths can access youth friendly health services under one roof. Youth clubs are being strengthened through advancing social and behaviour change communication approach in reaching to others with SRH information.
- The program also strives for increasing access to health care services by adolescents living with HIV through formation of teen clubs at designated health facilities.
4. Cervical cancer awareness and screening:
- The program aims at promoting early diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer via community outreach and health facility referrals. The objective is to have sexually active women screened for cervical cancer using visual inspection acetic acid (VIA), provide instant treatment to women found with cancerous lesions and other infections like STIs, cervicitis and gyna problems after been screened and refer clients with advanced cancer symptoms for further treatment.
5. Child sexual abuse prevention and support:
- The program advocates for the rights of abused children to access comprehensive health care services and supportive counselling, ensure the perpetrator is taken to police for justice to prevail and counsel the abused child. In addition, we inform the community on child rights and proper procedures in referring cases of Child Sexual Abuse. We also build the capacity of local responsible stakeholders and opinion leaders to address the lack of education and understanding towards child sexual abuse.
6. Fighting Early Marriages for Girls
- The program aims at fighting the rights of girls who are forced into early marriages by their parents and guardians due to culture and traditional beliefs. LICO creates awareness and strengthening community structures to defend the rights of girls, withdrawing girls from early marriages. LICO provides education support to all girls that have been withdrawn and have been readmitted in schools.

B. EDUCATION
1. Education support
- The program supports the most vulnerable and needy secondary school children with school fees, uniform, stationery (writing materials), menstrual wear/sanitary pads for girls. The program also strives for empowering girls with vocational skills like tailoring, in a bid to improve economic wellbeing of young girls who are jobless after completing secondary education. The program also targets girls who were once victims of early and forced marriages.
2. School Library Development:
- We strive for promotion of reading culture in primary and secondary schools through provision of reading text books of different syllabuses (IGCSE standard), library furniture and desks, stationeries (note books and pens), sports equipment
3. Vocational skills
- The program supports the most vulnerable and needy students who are done with secondary level but are just doing nothing in the community. The project aims at empowering them economically through provision of skills among them.

C. CLIMATE CHANGE
1. Environmental conversation:
- We promote use of energy saving cook stoves, use of briquettes, tree planting, environmental conservation, and clean water services.
2. Water Sanitation and Hygiene
We promote hygiene safe environment as to prevent health related diseases out-breaks and keep environment clean from the disposable waste. We construct toilet sanitation facilities, production and provision of reusable menstrual sanitation pads, production and provision of chitenje cotton bags, and provision of hand washing sanitation facilities.

D. RELIEF
- The Relief project program targets people affected by natural disasters like heavy floods and strong winds. Children, households headed by the elderly people and female-headed households are a priority. The relief support includes a package of assorted basic needs for children and household items.

E. GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
- The project goal is to improve accountability in management of locally generated resources within the district council. Those in authority should be able to account on how much has been realized through reports on collected funds and its use as well as abiding to all the regulations stipulated in the local governing act. This is with an aim of mobilizing more local revenues, controlling the mismanagement of locally generated resources, and empowering citizens to demand their required services

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.