Malawi is the second poorest country in the world. Most children lack the basic skills required to improve their quality of life, causing a cycle of poverty to become the norm. To attend secondary school not only must you pass a test, you must pay. Both of these things are particularly difficult for the poorest children in Malawi, who often cannot even afford school supplies. The Malawi Project’s key aim is to give young girls in Malawi the skills they need to create a better life for themselves, and generations yet to come.

We are three students from Oakham School: Charlie Jones, Tess Davenport, and Jenny Matthisen. We actively aware of how fortunate we are, and we are determined to make a real difference for children who haven’t been so fortunate. As a result, we have partnered with Kamuzu Academy, an international school in Malawi, to provide classes for young girls living in a nearby orphanage that will teach them skills they can use to improve their quality of life. The first class we are working on will involve the seamstress from Kamuzu Academy teaching young girls from the orphanage the art that she has devoted her life to. This skill is unquestionably valuable in Malawi. We believe it would be a fantastic way for the girls to make an income they can use to substantially improve their quality of life. This income can also stimulate their local economy. The Malawi Project is also hoping to raise money to provide the means for the girls to learn how to make reusable sanitary pads for themselves and their local community. As a nation we take for granted such a simple necessity, but for many girls in Malawi not having access to this form of hygiene holds them back from going to school, meaning they cannot fulfil their full potential.

The Malawi project is about the empowerment of girls who lack opportunity. Not only do we want to inspire their journey to success, but we need to help reduce the number of obstacles in their way. It would be very easy to just throw money at the issue however this is not something we want to do. We want to enable these girls to thrive on their own.

Your generous donations allow us to provide sewing machines and initial materials to get the sewing classes and the production of the reusable sanitary pads off the ground. The girls will learn to make bags and dresses which can be sold. A portion of the money from these sales will go back into the project, to fund the production of more sanitary pads and increase the scope of the classes on offer. This cycle of prosperity will allow generations of future girls girls to have bright, fulfilled futures.