‘Despite the challenges his spirit was unyielding’

These are the words that Daphney Phiri, our Mbedza Orphan Education support officer wrote about one of our students - Chikondi Mailosi. Chikondi is 18 years old and in Form 4. Daphney explained:.

Upon selection to secondary school, Chikondi's future seemed uncertain as he and his family had no idea as to where the school fees would come from. Despite the challenges, his spirit was unyielding, and his thirst for knowledge remained unquenchable. His life took a hopeful turn when he was recruited for our programme. On my first interview, he clearly stated to me that he wanted to be a journalist after completing his studies and he enjoyed humanity subjects including Geography. Our organisation is dedicated to supporting secondary school orphans.

From the moment Chikondi stepped into secondary school, his determination was evident. He arrived early each day despite the long distance that he had to walk from his home to school, ready to absorb every bit of knowledge his teachers imparted. He had become his classmate’s admiration, often turning to him for help with their studies. Since Form One, Chikondi's grades reflected his hard work, consistently placing him at the top of his class.

Throughout his secondary school journey, Mbedza's education programme provided more than just financial support. I became his mentor, cheerleader, and guardian. The home and school visits we made strengthened him more and created a sense of trust and belonging. With encouragement from me and other colleagues, Chikondi attended study circles, attended extra lessons sometimes and did a lot of reading and studying to continuously improve academically.

In his secondary school years, he underwent the Junior Certificate examinations when he was in form two and he performed beautifully proceeding to senior school. He will soon be sitting for the final secondary school examinations (Malawi School Certificate of Education) and I trust he will perform well as he has always done. In recognition of his outstanding academic performance, He was awarded with the best overall performing student.

Chikondi's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, the impact of support, and the belief that every child, no matter their circumstances, has the potential to achieve greatness. As he awaits his upcoming final examinations, I look on with pride, knowing that our efforts have changed his life and we provided him a stepping stone to reaching his life goals.

Daphney Phiri

Mbedza Deputy Director