The Keep Girls in School programme was established by the McConnell International Foundation in late 2020 in response to the Girls in Malawi – one of the world’s poorest countries - were dropping out of secondary school in larger numbers than ever before, because of pregnancy or poverty.

There are now 200 girls in the programme and each one receives a scholarship which cover all the essentials to help her complete her education: compulsory uniform, books, stationery, dignity packs, extra classes and other costs. The cost per student is £120 a year.

Keep Girls in School supports 200 girls in 8 schools in 4 districts in rural Malawi

Experts estimate household buying power in Malawi has halved in the last year

Across sub-Saharan Africa, 34 million adolescent girls are out of school

If all girls completed secondary school, child marriage would drop by 68 per cent (UNESCO)

A child born in Malawi today will reach only 41 per cent of its full potential (UNESCO)