Migrant Women Association Malta (MWAM) is a registered voluntary organisation supporting asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant women to build the skills, confidence and networks needed to integrate and thrive in Maltese society.
MWAM was founded in 2015 by Umayma Elamin, a Sudanese migrant who moved to Malta with her family in 2014. Umayma’s own experience of the intersecting challenges of migration, inclusion and gender inequality drove her to set up the NGO. Migrant women in Malta face significant barriers to accessing employment and achieving financial independence. These include language and financial barriers, limited opportunities to develop skills and experience, low confidence and cultural sensitivities. Holistic services that respond to both the immediate needs and longer-term personal and professional development of migrant women remain limited.
MWAM seeks to fill this gap through practical, personalised and long-term support. Its approach combines assistance with immediate challenges such as accessing information and services, translation, legal documentation and emotional support, with opportunities for women to develop skills, earn an income and build social networks. This is achieved through the ‘Studio MWAM’ Sewing and Creativity Project and the ‘SAĦĦA’ Community Kitchen Project, which provide supportive environments in which women can increase their employability skills while building confidence, connections and greater independence.
SAĦĦA translates to ‘be in good health’ and ‘to enjoy’, often said after offering food. For MWAM, food has become the means for preserving heritage, sharing stories and fostering unity. The SAĦĦA project works with migrant women to prepare and serve a diverse range of meals for purchase at the US Embassy as well as catering services for private companies, public entities and other organisations in Malta. This provides training, volunteering and flexible paid work opportunities for migrant women to support integration and employability skills.
The project cultivates a safe space for migrant women to meet regularly, plan and cook food, as well as learn compliance standards and regulations required for professional kitchens. While some women are hired directly by MWAM, others are supported into jobs in the food industry or to explore creating their own food business. SAĦĦA not only empowers women to enhance their culinary skills, it also cultivates a space for safe connection and collaboration where they can support each other and discuss their challenges. MWAM has been able to offer three flexible paid roles to migrant women, and it supports many more through volunteering. There is also demand and interest to expand SAĦĦA into other services, such as cleaning.
As a small grassroots organisation, MWAM has had limited capacity to proactively develop SAĦĦA to grow its reach and income. With the Foundation’s grant, MWAM will hire a new Operations Officer to oversee day-to-day operations, supervise the team, ensure the smooth delivery of the project, and support the implementation of SAĦĦA’s operational and growth plan. This role will be vital for identifying and closing the gaps within SAĦĦA’s existing processes, while exploring opportunities to expand the project and broaden its impact. This is with the aim of offering more paid work opportunities to migrant women and increasing the financial sustainability of the organisation. The Foundation will also be supporting the team to strengthen its financial planning and to develop a more sustainable model.
