Andiamo
Helping disadvantaged girls access quality secondary education in Malawi
In the rural area of Balaka, Malawi, Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust operates four nursery schools, a care home for street children, a secondary school and a technical college, as well as a community hospital that in 2022 enabled the safe delivery of 2,094 babies. Together, these programmes have created a holistic model of development in Balaka.
Together with Andiamo, BTG launched a scholarship programme for vulnerable girls to attend the Andiamo secondary boarding school, which has achieved graduation rates much higher than the national average, as well as superior life outcomes, in terms of employment and tertiary education, for its graduates
In 2022 and 2023, the first two cohorts of 20 girls to receive a BTG scholarship were chosen, based on criteria of economic need and academic potential, through a selection process that involved over 100 primary schools in the area, including some of the most remote.
The school operates on a boarding model, with students living on campus, which allows them to take part in extracurricular activities, such as sports, life skills training and music school, while living in a safe environment and receiving daily nutritious food and essential healthcare through the nearby clinic. The boarding school allows girls living far from school to continue their education while removed from household duties, which often cut into girls’ study time. As part of the programme, the BTG scholars are matched to a mentor, a teacher or Andiamo staff with whom they meet in group once a week to discuss topics such as self-confidence, interpersonal relationships and sexual and reproductive health.
Education is proven to reduce the chances of early marriage, which is rife in Malawi, with 42% of women having married before age 18.
While Malawi has achieved primary school enrolment of around 98%, only 38% of primary education graduates can be absorbed into existing places in public and private secondary schools, and many families cannot finance the cost of secondary school fees, transport and accommodation.
This partnership helps fill this gap by giving bright girls in need of financial support a chance to fulfil their potential. At present, just 17% of women aged 25 and over in Malawi have some secondary education. The scholarship programme, which will recruit 20 more students each year for the 4-years secondary school cycle, will help drive change for the next generation.
Key numbers
>100 primary schools in the Balaka area involved in the selection
>200 girls interviewed for the Be That Girl scholarships in 2023.
20 girls started at Andiamo on BTG scholarships in 2022, and 20 in 2023.
From >10 districts in the Balaka area of Malawi.
All girls provided with a care package to start school, including clothes, shoes, hygiene and school supplies.
All girls assigned a mentor for weekly group meetings to discuss concerns and life skills such as self-esteem and navigating interpersonal relationships.
At the end of the 2022/23 academic year, 9 out of 10 of the top performers in the class were BTG scholars.
