Tchapo Tchapo’s dream of becoming a medical doctor was fading away as his guardians failed to keep him in school.
In 2023, the boy from Kalikokha Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Ndamera in Nsanje District was selected to Mtowe Community Day Secondary School (CDSS), but his family could not afford to pay K30 000 fees.
He recalls: “All the joy of making it to secondary school was short lived because there was no one in my family to support my education.”
The 17-year-old boy, an orphan, says circumstances seemed to be stacked against him to complete his education for a better life.
“It [education] was the only hope for my success and improving my family’s life for the better as I would have worked hard to become a doctor,” he says.
outs busy. | Andrew Mtupanyama
Tchapo was sent back home in the third week of first term for not paying fees. He joined other village boys in herding cattle, a downward spiral into the vicious circle of poverty.
However, after three weeks in the bush, Tchapo found himself draped in Mtowe CDSS uniform and equipped with learning materials.
Commitment from development followed the Charismatic Redeemed Ministries International Church pastor, Elena Ndamera that to ensure the boy finishes his education by providing him with his school needs.
Ndamera took responsibility after she was challenged by a faith-based approach to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in Malawi project implemented by Churches Action in Relief and Development (Card).
Bankrolled by Royal Norwegian Embassy through Norwegian Church Aid and Dan Church Aid, the project enlightened faith and traditional leaders in the district of their duties to support rights and wellbeing of children to grow into productive citizens.
Ndamera says she was heartbroken to learn of high school dropout rate and rampant early pregnancy and child marriage cases in the area.
She says: “The bright future of the area was crumbling with more children not finishing school because of poverty. I started paying attention to children’s challenges to access education and I am paying fees for Tchapo to keep him in school.”
Tchapo is in Form Two, with an excellent academic performance.
“I am happy with the gesture made by the pastor. I am on track to becoming a doctor,” he says.
Marka CCAP session clerk Homestone Mkanda is also paying K40 000 fees for Ethel Falanando, a Form Four student at Nsanje Secondary School.
He explains: “I knew something big was wrong because I met her twice on my way to work. The girl was wearing tattered uniform. Her parents could not provide the necessities. I came in to save her from indulging in immoral behaviours and peer pressure that could have gotten her pregnant or into a child marriage.”
Her mother, Mary, thanked the church elder for the support, saying she was struggling to even provide her with two meals a day.
“As a farmer, I am not productive because my field is buried in water and my yields have been dwindling due to drought and floods. I had no money to support Ethel,” she says.
Apart from providing financial support to the needy, the faith leaders are also key in popularising SRHR messages among adolescent girls and boys to tackle early pregnancies, and lead in developing and implementation of child protection bylaws in the area.
The area’s community child protection worker Felix Mkunga says the intervention complements the district council’s efforts to protect children’s rights
“The project has helped us to get on board influential figures in the society to fight these vices. There is progress in terms of reduced early pregnancies from 129 in 2024 to 72 in 2025. Child marriages moved down from 55 in 2024 to 21 in 2025 because of this project,” he says.
Card project coordinator Jemimah Phiri says they are pleased with the leaders’ involvement in the fight against violation of children’s rights to education and well-being.
She says: “Faith and traditional leaders have taken responsibility to ensure children remain in school, and girls are not brides. Sustainable development of the area is certain because more children will be educated.”
