The Malawi Red Cross Society has presented various prizes to secondary school girls in Mwanza district, who performed exceptionally in the last academic season and in essay writing competition.
Leonard Maganga, Mwanza Red Cross District Project Officer said Red Cross, through girl’s group awards is supporting girl’s education by accrediting the best performing students academically and giving awards to winners of essay competitions.
“We want these girls to excel in education and become better citizens. Through this project, we hope many secondary school girls will be encouraged to work harder and eventually pass exams with good grades,” he explained.
He also said apart from enhancing their education, the competition was organized to measure the girls on how they were benefiting from girls groups which Red Cross established in the three secondary schools.
He said the project is being implemented in three secondary schools of Mwanza, Chidoole and Mphande in Traditional Authority Kanduku where among others, the project is addressing gender differences.
“There are many gender disparities that are happening in schools and the essay was basically about all the differences they learn at the girls’ group such as human rights, gender issues and HIV and Aids,” he said.
He assured girls from the three schools that his society would continue supporting them so that they realize their educational goals.
He however, urged them to adopt the project and avoid involving themselves in activities that would compromise their future.
He said Red Cross trained secondary school teachers on girl’s award concept who become trainers of girls in their respective girls’ groups.
District Community Development Officer, Phillip Banda hailed Red Cross Society for initiating the project which he said would improve the girls’ education standards in the district.
He said; “If we teach a girl child, we have taught the whole nation because naturally the girls look after others in the society.”
He appealed to other organizations to assist the girls’ education in the district saying girls face a lot of challenges which, most of the time, make them dropout of school.
Grace Katondo, a form four student at Mwanza secondary school, scooped the first position for her essay which centered on ways to empower a girl child in the society. She was given K12, 000 cash, books, school bag, a bike and a certificate.
She said in the past, girls were discriminated against but nowadays they are given opportunities to expose their potential thereby contributing to the development of the county.
“In the past, girls were not regarded as people who can contribute to the society but now things have completely changed for the better. We have a female president who is doing a very good job even more than other men who have ruled us,” she said.
Katondo who dreams of becoming a nurse encouraged teenage mothers to go back to school now that government introduced night schools in all its secondary schools.
“There is always a second chance in life. The mistake they made can be reversed if they go back to school and study hard. We have many people who excelled after delivering their first or second children,” she noted.
She said she was very excited and motivated that her essay scooped the first position. She said she would use the reward as a motivation not only to her but also to her fellow students to continue working hard in their education.
