By Teresa Masale | Project officer
Hello (Mulibwanji)
I hope you are doing fine? I write to to give you an update our first term in the 2023-2024 academic year. It has been one of the busy month as we managed to visit different schools to conduct girl talk session, train girls on to sew reusables feminine products and other materials and also introduce sewing clubs.
Girl Talk
Interacting with the girls through this program has proved to be very effective and productictive as many girls are now opening up and speak up on sensitive issues and challenges they face in their day to day lifes.We have managed to provide immediate solutions and counselling to girls who approached us to provide them with guidance. The number of girls that were reached through this program from September –November is 143 girls. Schools visited were New Insight, Mseche, Minga and Kaps.
Girls were able to make own vision boards that is serves as a constant reminder of the goals that are to be achieved by investing their full focus on their studies.
Sewing Lessons
During this quarter, go for girls project visited 2 schools namely; Mseche and Minga secondary school where we conducted sewing lessons and trained 63 girls. Sewing club has been introduced in these schools so that girls may be able to acquired sewing skills whilst at school.so apart from girls making own reusable pads, other girls did a simple pattern of draw string bags. .
It is very encouraging to see girls interested in the introduction of the sewing club in their schools. The skills that they will acquire will be of a benefit to them personally as well as their siblings and the community as they are advised to pass on the skills to others. Economically, these girls are hereby also empowered.
During this quarter we have managed to maintain the program of assisting Kaps girls with the sanitaries so that they stay in school. This mechanism has also proved to be contributing factor to low absenteeism amongst girls.
Achievements
- Introduction of sewing clubs
- Boosted confidence in girls( opening up and asking of general question)
- Menstrual hygiene practised
- Sewing skills acquired
- Girls become carrier focused
Challenges
- Under resourced : this still stands as our main challenge as we only visit few schools and all this are in the central region, whilst our vision is to extend to other districts and reach as many girls as possible.
- Sewing clubs that have been introduced requires sewing machines so that the program may run effectively and efficiently.
- Visiting the schools regularly to monitor the progress of the project becomes a challenge due to lack of funds for transportation.
Future Plans
- The project to expand to other regions in the country.
- To introduce counselling programmes in areas of mental health, relationships and
HIV/Aids.
Conclusion
Studies in Malawi shows that many female students in the rural and urban area stay away from schools for at least five days during their biological cycle, a development that affects their performance in class. Training these girls how to make own hygienic protection as well as advising them to be goal oriented and take full responsibility of their lives is the best way of promoting education and building futures in Malawi amongst girls.
We continue to THANK YOU for the support you render to our organisation. Many girls’ livelihood has changed because of your kind gesture.
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