Growing up in a rural setting can be challenging, especially for girls.
Chances of making it in life are minimal, especially when there are no sources of inspiration to motivate them, compounded by adverse cultural norms.
This is why Linessie Phiri is keen on supporting young girls in Nkhata Bay District, where she has become a beacon of hope.
Linessie is supporting vulnerable girls from impoverished backgrounds in her area through numerous initiatives, where she wants them to not drop out of school and opt for early marriages.
Among others, she provides the girls with school uniforms, exercise books, school development fund and examination fees—all this is to ensure that the girls stick to their studies.
Through her Together We Rise Foundation, she has impacted lives of 2 000 young girls since she began her initiatives in 2020.
She said: “I am passionate about gender equality and promotion of education among children with different vulnerabilities such as disability and those at risk of abuse. We also promote menstrual hygiene practices where we distribute reusable sanitary pads to adolescent girls and help withdraw child brides from forced and early marriages.”
Since she started her initiatives, she has supported over 1 500 adolescent girls with reusable sanitary pads to remain in school, 721 with school uniform and 25 with school fees.
This is besides ensuring that girls she managed to rescue from early marriages are readmitted into school. This, she credits community leaders for playing an integral role in ensuring girls are fully supported.
Linessie also introduced tailoring training for girls as part of job creation and economic empowerment for vulnerable girls.
Part of the support of her programme, especially a project implemented in Kawalazi area, comes from St. John Paul College Coffs Harbour Australia.
She also receives support from Grace Pads, Female Empowerment Initiative Ghana and well wishers—through fundraising). She also runs other projects in other communities with her personal contributions.
Linessie said she grew up in a community where she witnessed violence and other harmful practices which obstructed many adolescent girls from enjoying their human rights.
“Growing up in a rural community where girls were not valued was not an easy feat. For example, girls were only expected to master household chores to prepare them for marriage instead of being encouraged to go to school.
“Also, there were no female role models in our area to inspire girls. These challenges motivated me to establish Together We Rise Foundation in order to empower vulnerable girls,” said Linessie.
But she pointed out that unlike a majority of girls, she was lucky to have people that believed in her; hence, that alone motivated her to do better and be the best she can.
“I managed to overcome some challenges because I had people who believed in me. For example, my father and St John Paul College Coffs Harbour Australia gave me support and confidence to excel academically,” said Linessie.
Linessie holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Development Studies obtained from the University of Livingstonia and an Advanced Diploma in Community Development from Mzuzu Technical College.
She did her primary education at Kawalazi and Bandawe Primary schools before going to Nkhamenya Girls Secondary School.
Among other achievements, Linessie is currently part of the 65 young fellows selected for the fully-funded 2025-2026 Community Solutions Programme by the United States Department of State.
She is also a fully funded selected participant for the 2025 Youth Rights Academy by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Education Above All Foundation held in Geneva, and a selected delegate for the 2025 World Bank Group Youth Summit.
Additionally, Linessie was selected for the 2025-2027 Global Youth Ambassador for Education for Their World organisation. This is apart from being an alumna of the 2023 African Women Leadership Institute (held in Uganda) by Akina Mama Wa Afrika.
She attributes all the achievements to hard work and self belief.
“Everything is possible. What every girl out there needs is just self-belief and will power to shoot down negativity in society because there are a lot of naysayers who are likely to demotivate them.
“And to every girl growing up in rural community, where you are now shouldn’t stop you from dreaming and achieving your goals. I was there, but here I am today representing not only my community but a country on a global stage. Everything is possible,” said Linessie.
Linessie believes that what she is doing largely contributes to realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
In particular, she cites SDG 5 which aims at empowering girls and women in a bid to achieve gender equality.
“Key aspects of SDG 5 include ending discrimination and violence against women and girls, eliminating harmful practices like child marriage, ensuring women’s equal participation in economic and political life, valuing unpaid care work and promoting women’s access to education and resources,” reads part of SDG 5.
“Achieving SDG 5 is recognised as crucial not only as a fundamental human right, but also for accelerating progress across all other sustainable development goals.”
But for Linessie, what will be important is for partnerships among all stakeholders to ensure realisation of the SDG’s.
She says much as there are individuals like her who are active in ensuring girls and women are empowered, other stakeholders need to come in to offer different kinds of support towards girls and women.
“We need everyone to do their part,” she said.
Linessie said what will also be important is for girls and women to empower each other regardless of their status. She said unity is an important factor that will see to it that girls and women succeed in all their endavours.
She further stressed that above everything else, girls and women need to be encouraged to pray. She said prayer is an important life tool that should never be buried.
