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Mzati Youth Organization Rescues Needy Girls with "Mtsikana Aphunzire" Project
Mzati Youth Org's "Mtsikana Aphunzire" project rescues 25 girls at risk of dropping out due to fees, materials, writes Happy Valirani.
Blantyre, Malawi- A one-year-old project aimed at supporting needy girls with educational support has so far rescued 25 girls who were on the verge of dropping out of school due to a lack of school fees and other basic educational materials, writes Happy Valirani.
The "Mtsikana Aphunzire" project, implemented by the Lunzu-based Mzati Youth Organization in Blantyre, aims to provide support to less privileged girls in communities around Lunzu township in Blantyre.
The project has now completed its first year and has a total of 25 girls enrolled in schools such as Ntenjera Community Day Secondary School and Chisenjere and Chigodi 2 Primary Schools in the areas of Traditional Authority Kuntaja and Kapeni in Blantyre.
Lawrence Kumpama, Executive Director of the organization, explained the motivation behind the project: "We noticed that many girls lacked tuition fees and other school necessities, so we initiated the Mtsikana Aphunzire project to complement our other projects that aim to promote girls' education. We work hand in hand with traditional leaders who identify those who are needy and we register them for the educational support project."
According to Kumpama, the organization also monitors the progress of the girls in school to ensure that the scholarship is utilized effectively.
Dorica Frank, a Form 3 student at Ntenjera Community Day Secondary School, expressed her gratitude for the support she received through the Mtsikana Aphunzire project: "This is like a dream come true for me, because now I see myself completing secondary school. I thank Mzati Youth Organization for this support to us girls from less privileged homes around Lunzu. They pay my school fees and buy school necessities, including sanitary pads. It is my prayer that they should not stop here but reach others who cannot afford to find tuition fees."
Pilirani Wilson, a Form 2 student at Ntenjera Community Day Secondary School, echoed Dorica's sentiments, stating that without the Atsikana Aphunzire project, it would have been difficult for her to even reach Form Two: "I live with my grandmother, who is very old and cannot afford to provide for us, including school fees and other necessities, so I am very happy I was nominated as one of the beneficiaries of this project," said Wilson.
Like many other organizations in Malawi, Mzati Youth Organization is also facing challenges in raising enough funds for the girls' scholarships and has to rely on well-wishers and sometimes contributions from its own staff members to meet the needs of the girls.
However, the organization's director remains hopeful that more well-wishers will come forward to support the project, enabling them to accommodate as many needy girls as possible and help them fulfil their dreams of completing secondary education.