Ministry of Education has commended the Scottish Government-funded Girls-Marz Project for keeping vulnerable girls in Balaka and Machinga districts in school.
The ministry’s deputy director for inclusive education Lucy Magagula said on Monday during a meeting with beneficiaries at Balaka Secondary School that the project, implemented by Concerned Youth Organisation (CYO) in partnership with Oxfam in Malawi, is a model on how partnerships can complement government’s efforts to promote inclusive education.
“We could have lost these children had the two organisations not initiated this intervention. So, I urge you girls to utilise the opportunity
and excel in your education,” she said.
Magagula said government is pleased that more than 500 girls who were on the verge of dropping out due to lack of school fees, uniforms and learning materials are now back in class and performing well.
Oxfam education lead for Africa Eduard Beukman also praised the project’s impact, saying it is restoring hope among girls who once believed
education was out of reach.
“We have seen that they are now happy to be in school. We are here to listen and understand what more we can do to sustain this impact,” he said.
Beukman said Oxfam remains concerned with the rising number of girls dropping out of school due to poverty, early marriages and other social challenges.
For 16-year-old Trinity Mandolo, a Form Two student at Balaka Secondary School, the project has been a lifeline.
“I come from a family that struggles to provide basic needs and at one point I thought my education dream was over,” she said.
Launched in May last year, the five-year Girls-Marz project is targeting at least 500 girls with bursaries, school uniforms, bicycles, solar lamps and mentorship to help them stay in school.
