First Lady inspires girls

First Lady Gertrude Mutharika yesterday challenged girls who attended a week-long science and technology camp at Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) to return to their respective countries and make a difference.

Mutharika commended the camp for empowering the girls through education, saying they will be able to develop the nation while gender-based violence will be reduced.

She said: “Make sure you make an impact on your society with the lessons you have learned from this camp. You girls have shown that girls can learn science just like boys.”

In her remarks, US Ambassador Virginia Palmer said she was happy that the girls attended the camp from which they were able to learn a lot, including leadership skills.

“These girls were inspired by female pilots, a former Nasa astronaut and many others whose stories will spur them to achieve a lot of things in their lives,” she said.

One of the students, Nomsa Msimuko of Kalibu Academy, an international high school in Blantyre, said the camp taught her a lot, especially in science.

“Through the interaction with girls from different cultural backgrounds, I have learned to work with others as a team. Most importantly, I have now acquired knowledge in science, mathematics and technology and I will apply this knowledge in my life to solve problems,” she said.

The girls’ camp ran for two and half weeks and was a public-private partnership between the US Department of State, the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up Campaign, and private sector partners such as Google and Intel.

It brought together 100 high school girls from Africa and the US.