The First Lady Madame Monica Chakwera has emphasized the importance of educating a girl child saying it unlocks an entire generation to a sustainable future.
Madame Chakwera made the remarks at Blantyre Secondary School (BSS), when she presented awards to 15 – 2023 Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF) top performing students from different schools across the country.
The First Lady indicated that through the bursaries and tailored mentorship, SOFF is bridging the gap and ensuring equal opportunities between boys and girls.
“Investing in education, particularly for girls, is not merely an obligation, it is an opportunity to unlock the potential of an entire generation, paving the way for a brighter tomorrow,” said Madame Chakwera.
She also highlighted the need for people in the country to work together in addressing the low numbers of students who make it to secondary schools, saying concerted efforts will help deal with gender disparities on the low number of students enrolled in secondary schools.
“The statistics of net enrollment in secondary schools could be much higher than at 15%, with only 34% being girls. The school dropout rate is alarmingly high, especially for girls from rural areas,” she added.
Madame Chakwera also indicated that her foundation will continue supporting girl child education as well as vulnerable boys.
She, however, asked for more support from all stakeholders to promote girl child education not only through her foundation but also in their own capacity.
In her remarks, Minister responsible, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, indicated that the First Lady’s Foundation is complimenting government’s efforts in providing quality education.
Meanwhile, Madame Chakwera has donated bags of maize and beans, cooking oil, tea leaves and menstrual pads to Blantyre Secondary School.
