Muthange Schools Project

Malawi is a very poor nation, with just over half the population living under the poverty line. Many of the poorest families are subsistence farmers, scraping by on what they can grow. The impacts of Covid-19 and the global economic downturn rendered this fragile nation even less resilient to shocks – like the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy in 2023.

Significant flooding displaced over 500,000 people and devastated the whole of southern Malawi. This deepened the cost of living crisis, with the Malawi Kwatcha losing 44% of its value in the second half of 2023. With families put under increasing financial pressure, education is no longer a priority – or no longer affordable.

What are the challenges in Malawi?

“Coming from a poor family of five children whereby affording two meals a day is a challenge, being selected to a boarding secondary school is a nightmare for both me and my parents, who are mere small-scale farmers,” the young girl explained. “I wondered ‘where will I get school fees and basic needs?’ … A primary school teacher offered me money in exchange for sex.”

This was the story which inspired our grassroots partners, a group of Malawian Christians, to act. Too many families struggle to scrape together a living. Too many girls risk being married off when still children. Many children live a long distance from school, so need to find lodging nearby. This opens up both girls and boys to the risk of abuse and exploitation, and drives high rates of school dropout.

Even if parents want to send their children to school, and can do safely, the costs of uniform, school materials and school fees are prohibitive. All this has only multiplied as the cost of living crisis has deepened.

*Rebekah and her family are small-scale farmers. Sometimes, the food her parents manage to grow isn’t enough to take them through to the next growing season, and they have to survive on one meal a day. But Rebekah did well in primary school, and was selected for secondary school. She and her parents were desperate for her to take up the opportunity of an education – but the costs were very high. It was a struggle to provide enough food for the family, let alone cover the costs of school fees. Rebekah thought it would be impossible for her to finish school.

That’s when Muthange, our partners in Malawi, stepped in. Muthange covered Rebekah’s school fees and provided her with the learning materials she needed. “This was the happiest moment of my life,” she said. “When I told my parents, they could not believe it.” A huge weight has been lifted from their shoulders. Rebekah says, “My prayer is that Muthange will take me through my Secondary School period so that I can finish my school. I promise to try my best, to work very hard to utilise this opportunity.”

What is Global Care doing to help?

Working with Muthange, we are supporting extremely vulnerable children in a number of primary and secondary schools across Malawi. 70% of the children they support are girls, who are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

Muthange work with school staff, students and families to help them overcome challenges which threaten their education. They help in practical ways – they pay school fees, provide uniform and learning materials – but do so much more. The Muthange team deliver mentoring sessions for the children, supporting emotional wellbeing and helping build up confidence at school. They support students in developing study timetables, helping them make the most of their education. On top of that, they meet with parents to discuss the barriers to success which children face.

Our partners hold open discussions with the students about the barriers they face to success at school. One by one, they are finding solutions, beginning with the provision of solar lamps. It seems like such a simple thing, but having consistent, bright light by which to study has helped all the pupils in completing their homework.

After just one year, our partners have seen the success of their approach: Attendance among the children they support has increased by 90%.

How can I help?

Muthange are building on their early success, deepening their partnership with current schools and expanding to more schools across Malawi. Every donation helps them reach out to the most vulnerable children in Malawi, to make their future more secure.