Mercy Children Center: Empowering Orphaned Children and Young Mothers to Build a Brighter Future

Malawi-Mercy Children Center, a charity organization that was founded in 2011 in Blantyre's populous town of Ndirande, has been providing much-needed support to orphaned children and young mothers in the community, writes Happy Valirani.

Besides offering basic necessities, the organization provides free education to orphaned children and those from poor households in and around the township, including a daycare centre and a junior primary school that runs from standards one to three.

Simon Nkhambala, the founder and Director of Mercy Children Center, shared his motivation for starting the centre with AfricaBrief, stating, "I grew up as an orphan and I knew how tough life is, so when I noticed the increase in the number of orphaned children in Ndirande, I wanted to do something for them."

Over the years, the centre has expanded to accommodate a total of 75 children from both nursery and primary schools, some of whom have graduated from different secondary schools.

The organization also supports girls who dropped out of school due to financial challenges or those who fell pregnant, with the "Young Mothers Go Back to School" project, which covers school fees and necessities.

Christiana Marko, a young mother and beneficiary of the project, shared, "I was very happy to hear that there was an opportunity for us young mothers who wanted to go back to school, so I did not hesitate. I am working very hard in class, I cannot repeat the past mistakes I made. My dream is to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area."

Aside from secondary education, young mothers will also be equipped with different skills, such as tailoring, to become self-reliant.

Although the centre has had significant successes, financial constraints continue to hamper its progress.

Nkhalamba stated that the organization is constructing another campus in Machinjiri township but is facing challenges due to its dependence on well-wishers for daily operations.

Despite these challenges, Mercy Children's Center remains committed to empowering orphaned children and young mothers in the community, providing them with the resources they need to build a brighter future.

Susan Kabwazi and Grace Misomali, caregivers at the Mercy Children Center, express their gratitude for the organization's work, stating, "We are very happy to be working with this organization because it is in our community and Mmera mpoyamba nursery schools are very essential for the development of the children before they graduate to primary schools."

Henry Jambo, Headteacher at Ndirande Central High Private Secondary School, emphasized the importance of the partnership with Mercy Children Center, stating, "We recognized the plight of teen mothers who were desperate to return to school but could not do so due to a lack of fees and other basic necessities. We realized that some have been out of school for maybe 3 to 4 years, so we conduct make-up classes for them to catch up on life in school."

Mercy Children Center's commitment to empowering orphaned children and young mothers is truly commendable, and their efforts are changing lives in the Blantyre community.

This story was made possible with the support of Google News Initiative's News Equity Fund. #GNIChallenge