Determination to pursue education is amazing
The circumstances in which young people in Malawi find themselves can be extremely challenging. This is one of the reasons why we started the Orphan Education Programme. According to UNICEF (2022 data) primary education completion rates in Malawi are at 33% and secondary education completion rates are at 15%. Those figures change when you look at rural rates compared to urban rates - rural primary completion is at 27% and rural secondary completiion is at 10%. Mbedza operates mainly in rural communities although not entirely. Some of our orphan education students live in Zomba and Blantyre but the rest are in rural schools.
MOEP students after a motivation day held at the Songani Centre.
Poverty is the main factor causing young people to not be in school. In Malawi an orphan is defined as the loss of one parent. Some of the students who we support have a mother but no father, some are being brought up by grandparents, others by relatives such as aunties and uncles, others by guardians and in the worst of circumstances there is no adult and we define this situation as a ‘child headed home’.
There are many reasons why 90% of young people in rural areas are not completing secondary school and for many not even starting. Secondary education is not free and school fees have to be paid. The priority for most rural families is the daily struggle of putting food on the table. This has been exacerbated in recent years by damage to crops caused by cyclones, unreliable rains, the increasing costs of fertiliser and food inflation. Paying school fees and equipping a student with shoes, school unform, a school bag and school equipment is beyond most families ability. The following stories illustate the challenge.
A Form One student, Mishek (not his real name) faced unimaginable hardship after the passing of his mother in January. Overnight, he became the head of his household, responsible for caring for his younger siblings. A well-wisher stepped in to cover the rent for a small house he secured and occasionally provides food, but the support is neither consistent nor sufficient. Balancing the demands of school and the responsibilities of parenthood is overwhelming for a child his age. Regardless of these challenges, Mishek continues to pursue his education with resilience.
MOEP students following a distribution of school materials
Recognizing his vulnerability, MOEP has provided Mishek with financial assistance, food support, and ongoing psychosocial care to keep his spirit strong and hopeful. MOEP believes that no child should choose between survival and education. Through all the support, mentorship and care, we are determined to stand with students like him, ensuring that hope remains alive, and that education paves the way for a better future.
Lucy (not her real name) is a MOEP student currently studying at a Secondary School in Zomba in Form 2. She is the second born in a family of five. Her mother, who relies on piece work for survival, struggles to provide for her children without a stable source of income. Life has been especially difficult, with the weight of caring for five children resting solely on her shoulders.
Because of these hardships, Lucy’s elder sister was unable to continue her education at Secondary School. With no one to support her, she eventually dropped out, became pregnant, and later got married. Poverty triumphantly robbed her of her dreams. This could have easily been Lucy’s story as well, until MOEP intervened at exactly the right time.
Daphney Phiri, Deputy Director of Mbedza and Head of our Orphan
Education programme
Daphney works with and supports our students in their schools but also in their homes.
Lucy dreams of becoming a doctor. She is determined to succeed so she can support her mother and siblings and, one day, build her mother a beautiful house. As MOEP, we are committed to standing by Lucy’s side, providing her with the necessary support and mentorship to ensure she works toward her dreams.
MOEP students attend a workshop with support from Mphatso Tanganyika, one of Mbedza’s staff members.
Fatima (not her real name) lives with her mother and two brothers. Fatima’s place in the MOEP scheme came about as a result of a grant from the Coles-Medlock Foundation. While one brother is still in school, the other was forced to drop out after completing Standard 8 due to difficult life circumstances. He left school to help their mother earn a living and manage the household. Life at home is difficult. Fatima often goes to school without breakfast and returns home to face the same situation. "This is nothing new," she says. Hunger has become a part of her daily life, but she holds onto hope that one day things will be better. In March, the family’s situation slightly improved when they were able to harvest pumpkins planted during the rainy season. Thanks to reliable rains, the pumpkins provided them with something to cook for breakfast or supper during particularly hard days.
Despite facing persistent hardship and coming from a community where education is not highly valued, where many of her friends have dropped out of school or gotten married young, Fatima remains focused and determined to pursue her studies. She dreams of becoming a nurse. Her vision goes beyond herself, she hopes to see her siblings and relatives attain education or start small businesses, empowering them to build better lives for themselves. Fatima’s resilience and ambition are a testament to the difference that support from Coles Medlock can make in keeping girls in school as well as keeping hope alive for vulnerable students.