McConnel International Foundation (MIF)

McConnel International Foundation (MIF)

The Keep Girls in School Programme commenced in late 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is being implemented by Women’s Legal Resources Centre in partnership with the McConnell International Foundation.

At the peak of the pandemic, girls in Malawi were dropping out of secondary school in large numbers due to pregnancy, poverty and other factors exacerbated by the pandemic. Girls’ education is often not a priority in Malawi as most families struggle to make enough money to survive. Furthermore, life is challenging for Malawian school students, who have to walk long distances to school, even during the rainy season. Therefore, the scholarships provide essential support to help the girls continue their education despite the various challenges posed by the pandemic.

The first phase of the programme was funded by TUUT Charitable Trust (Trade Union Trust) and rolled out in 2021 with 100 scholarships awarded to disadvantaged girls from the Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) in Salima and Balaka. The beneficiary schools are Maganga and Thavite in Salima and Chembera, Kankao and Chiendausiku in Balaka. And in 2023, the programme received additional support from a US based Foundation, ‘Keep A Child Alive,’ which allowed the programme to expand it’s reach and impact.

With the new funding, the program was able to support an additional 100 girls from Ntchisi and Zomba districts. The beneficiary schools are Malomo and Kaulatsitsi in Ntchisi and Naisi and Naming’azi in Zomba.