Girls' education in Malawi
In this update, you’ll hear from VSO staff member and project manager, Wezzie, who is responsible for making sure VSO continues to improve children’s education in Malawi. Wezzie will give you a bit of an insight into her role, project plans for the new year, and why advocating for girls’ education is so important.
January's featured volunteer
Moni onse - hello everyone! I’m Theonas Kalumika, VSO Education Specialist in Malawi, and I’ll be taking you forward on your Sponsor a Volunteer journey. Read on to find out how, with your support, we’re giving children here the education they deserve.
In Malawi, poor learning conditions and a lack of resources have created barriers to children’s education.
Over two thirds of students don’t finish primary school and those that do often lack the skills needed to thrive as older children and adults. Many primary schools have classes full of hundreds of students but only one teacher, meaning many children get left behind in their education, and eventually drop out altogether.
By supporting children with educational tablets, they're taking huge leaps in their learning. I was very excited when I heard about the work VSO is doing in schools in Malawi, and ever since I started volunteering I've been able to share my knowledge with everyone here. I can't wait to update you on how our work here in Malawi is going, and how your support is helping change children's lives.
January '25 volunteer update
Halifax Trading Malawi
Chaka chabwino chatsopano – happy new year!
My name is Wezzie Chimwala. I was so excited when Theo asked if I’d like to write to the people who are helping to transform education for children in my home country. I’ve been with VSO since 2019 and I’m responsible for monitoring and reporting on the project here. This means I track the performance and results to ensure we’re on track to achieving the goals we’ve set. I’ve seen first-hand how your donations are unlocking potential in children here.
Malawi has always been my home – I grew up in Lilongwe (the capital of Malawi). My family are a middle-income household, so my parents could send me to school and afford basics like a uniform. I didn’t have a good pair of shoes or a school bag – I had plastic shoes but I loved them, and I carried my school books in a plastic bag, but it didn’t bother me. I was grateful to go to school; I had a lot of friends and more importantly, I had food.
Halifax Trading Malawi
Like a lot of schools in rural areas, my classroom was very basic. It didn’t really have doors and we didn’t have desks either. Unlike the class of 200 children in teacher Peter’s class, my class was a lot smaller. My school didn’t have many books so my dad would take me to the library to read. I think my love of reading is one of the reasons why I am where I am today.
My role means I travel around the country a lot and see many of the schools VSO works in so I know how much of an impact your donations make. Theo keeps me up to date on how the children are getting on and the stories he tells me are astounding. I’m so happy to hear about how children’s lives are changing, thanks to these educational tablets.
The plan for 2025
We’ll be continuing to provide ongoing support in all the primary schools VSO works with to reach more children. We are also striving to support more learners with disabilities. So far, VSO has set up resource centres with the aim to support 6,000 learners with disabilities and have purchased specialised equipment, such as wheelchairs, projectors and hearing aids. We are training teachers on how to use the equipment so that they know how to use them in the learning centres.
As well as this, we have been working with the local government to strengthen inclusive learning in primary schools. The hope is that this helps to keep more children in school – especially girls.
The importance of girls’ education
Children face many challenges accessing education in Malawi. The overarching problem is poverty – families struggle to pay the fees associated with school and many children end up dropping out. This has a wider impact on young girls as it likely means they’ll fall into early marriage and may become pregnant. Families will often marry off their daughters to ease the financial burden on themselves.
Although the legal age to marry in Malawi is 18, the country has one of the highest child marriage rates globally, with 38% of girls married before this age1. Incredibly, great steps are being made to combat this. Did you know, in October 2024, the government of Malawi launched a strategy to eventually end child marriage? The goal is to reduce child marriage by 20% by focusing on initiatives that keep girls in school, transform harmful social norms, and strengthen legal protections against child marriage2. I’m really hopeful for the future.
Halifax Trading Malawi
When I was in school, I knew some girls who didn’t complete their education. Most of them said they couldn’t afford the fees or their parents had passed away so they had no choice but to marry. I’m so glad that there’s now a big commitment to safeguarding the futures of girls and young women so they have the chance of a better future ahead.
I’d like to tell you a little bit about Sarah*. A sweet little girl who, thanks to your incredible support, has stayed in school and enjoys learning because of the educational tablets your donations have made possible…
Sarah's story
Sarah is 10 years old. She goes to primary school. She lives with her sisters and parents in a village. She tells me there are children in her village who don’t even go to school.
Every morning, Sarah wakes up early, has her breakfast and walks to school. Her parents are very supportive of Sarah’s education and encourage her to go to school every day.
When the learning centres were built in her school, Sarah says she was “so excited to use the tablets and learn”. Since using the educational tablets, Sarah’s writing skills have improved a lot. She looks forward to coming to school every day so she can learn to read and write. When I asked what she wants to be when she’s older, she told me “I want to be a teacher like my teacher, Peter. I want to become a hard-working teacher and teach children how to read.” It’s so heart-warming to know the incredible teachers I get to work with, like Peter, are inspiring the children of Malawi’s future.
With the introduction of the educational tablets, more girls like Sarah have the chance to thrive in school, keeping them in education and out of early marriage. We are now looking at future teachers, potential engineers, nurses, lawyers, bankers, and more. Just imagine what potential could be unlocked with the education they’re now getting! It’s really incredible. Thank you for helping to transform education for them.
You can watch a short video below to see a glimpse of Sarah’s day at school.
Halifax Trading Malawi
Thank you
Thanks to people like you, the opportunity to change the lives of millions of children in Malawi through digital learning, has been presented to us all. As you sow your seed of contribution towards making dreams into a reality, and help to break the cycle of poverty, remember that no contribution is too small. Just like a mustard seed has the force to move a mountain.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you do.
Take care,
Wezzie Chimwala
Project Manager, Malawi
*Pseudonym used to protect identity of children
1 https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/child-marriage-atlas/regions-and-countries/malawi/
2 https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/articles/malawi-launches-national-strategy-to-end-child-marriage/
Want to ask a question?
VSO’s Sponsor a Volunteer team will share your message with the VSO volunteer and get back to you with a response. Your email address will not be used, disclosed or transferred to any VSO personnel, it will be stored securely in accordance with VSOs privacy policy. A sample of messages including display names will be published to the Sponsor a Volunteer homepage each month.
Your latest questions answered
Hi, I just received my first update from you. I think you're doing an amazing job helping children.
Theonas
Hello Hannah,
Thank you so much, Hannah, for reading the update. Indeed it is an amazing job being done here, but it is more amazing because of your support and we appreciate the support you always give to make VSO do it's project all over the world including our country Malawi, please continue. In my country many, many children are encouraged to complete their primary circle because of such education interventions, like the current one that is making children acquire skills of reading and computing during their early grades.
Hannah, you might have some questions about what we are doing in the project. Please, feel free to ask and I will respond accordingly.
Thank you so much, Hannah, and have a lovely time.
Theonas
Thank you so much, Hannah, for reading the update. Indeed it is an amazing job being done here, but it is more amazing because of your support and we appreciate the support you always give to make VSO do it's project all over the world including our country Malawi, please continue. In my country many, many children are encouraged to complete their primary circle because of such education interventions, like the current one that is making children acquire skills of reading and computing during their early grades.
Hannah, you might have some questions about what we are doing in the project. Please, feel free to ask and I will respond accordingly.
Thank you so much, Hannah, and have a lovely time.
Theonas
Hello again Theo, What a great project; I think I might have read about it a while ago in the VSO magazine, now to hear about it now it is helping so many children, and with plans to expand, is really exciting.
Theonas
Hello Alison,
Hope you are fine. Let me first apologize to you for my late coming back to you and share experiences. Indeed it is a great program, Alison, as I might have mentioned in my last email that the program targets all primary schools in our country, totalling to over 6,000 and will run up to 2029, if all goes well. So you should know that there is great appreciation and excitement over here because of your support.
Just to share with you, Alison, attendance of most learners has improved and some learners come to the point of reminding a teacher to have tablets session if they see time elapsing in a day.
Let me thank you so much, Alison for your encouraging words and you should know that your words are a source of strength to us.
Thank you so much and enjoy your time.
Theonas
Hope you are fine. Let me first apologize to you for my late coming back to you and share experiences. Indeed it is a great program, Alison, as I might have mentioned in my last email that the program targets all primary schools in our country, totalling to over 6,000 and will run up to 2029, if all goes well. So you should know that there is great appreciation and excitement over here because of your support.
Just to share with you, Alison, attendance of most learners has improved and some learners come to the point of reminding a teacher to have tablets session if they see time elapsing in a day.
Let me thank you so much, Alison for your encouraging words and you should know that your words are a source of strength to us.
Thank you so much and enjoy your time.
Theonas
Good evening, Theonas, Thank you for telling me about the problems you will be working on in your VSO position. I am enormously sympathetic to you and glad that successfully doing your job can bring great satisfaction to everybody involved.
Theonas
Dear Alison
Thanks for your touching and inspirational word, Alison. It is very nice and encouraging to hear that.
Briefly, Alison, I do monitor and support teachers and learners as they use tablets in all project schools. What happens is that the schools are identified, different experts provide different services to make a school ready to receive tablets. Such services include providing solar charging system for charging tablets and cages for safe keeping of tablets. The community does provide a security guard ( watchman) during the night. It all starts with community sensitisation about the coming of tablets in the community as a project or program of children to learn through the tablet. Then, teachers are trained on how to conduct and support a tablet session. Alison, take note that at the moment children learn mathematics and a vernacular language, "Chichewa" through the tablets.So what I do is go round to these schools and monitor and support the teachers and children during tablet sessions. We also provide information and reports about the way things are happening on the ground in relation to the project. We also support management in carrying out the project activities in the field such as meetings, trainings and open days, including supporting visitors who come and visit us.
Thanks a lot, Alison.
Regards
Theo
Thanks for your touching and inspirational word, Alison. It is very nice and encouraging to hear that.
Briefly, Alison, I do monitor and support teachers and learners as they use tablets in all project schools. What happens is that the schools are identified, different experts provide different services to make a school ready to receive tablets. Such services include providing solar charging system for charging tablets and cages for safe keeping of tablets. The community does provide a security guard ( watchman) during the night. It all starts with community sensitisation about the coming of tablets in the community as a project or program of children to learn through the tablet. Then, teachers are trained on how to conduct and support a tablet session. Alison, take note that at the moment children learn mathematics and a vernacular language, "Chichewa" through the tablets.So what I do is go round to these schools and monitor and support the teachers and children during tablet sessions. We also provide information and reports about the way things are happening on the ground in relation to the project. We also support management in carrying out the project activities in the field such as meetings, trainings and open days, including supporting visitors who come and visit us.
Thanks a lot, Alison.
Regards
Theo
Did you know?
We bring about lasting change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers to empower communities in some of the world’s poorest regions. You can read more about VSO’s areas of work and discover more about our projects here.
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