school in the past two years, thanks to male champions under the 18+ Project implemented by Girls Empowerment Network (GENET).

The male champions’ chairperson McFarry Simbota said they involved chiefs, mother groups and parents’ circles to convince the drop outs to go back to school.

As one way of ensuring that needy students should not be using poverty as an excuse to stay away from school, they are provided with scholastic materials.

“Needy students are provided with scholastic materials including uniforms to ensure that poverty is not an excuse to the drop outs,” said Simbota.

Project Officer Enifa Masaka said that male champions, chiefs, mentors and head teachers are working together in readmitting those who dropped out of school.

“We at GENET believe that through engagements with local leaders and school authorities, many early marriages will be reduced and dropouts will go back to school,” said Masaka.

Primary Education Advisor for Chambe Education Zone Jimmy Viriela thanked GENET and the male champions for their collaboration in ending child marriages and encouraging dropouts to go back to school.

Mulanje is among the country’s top five districts with high school dropout rate.