It has been a long time coming, but the students have proven the school’s name to be true.
Atsikana Pa Ulendo (APU), or Girls on the Move, is holding its first graduating class today. The school near Lilongwe, Malawi opened a little more than four years ago in response to the closure of a similar school because its Canadian charity had gone bankrupt.
In a country where girls and women have few opportunities for education and independence, the 29 students were devastated to have their dreams put on hold.
Today, there are 72 graduates out of an original enrolment of 80 who will start to prove how to make your own dreams come true. Some will even receive small business loans for an extra boost in self-sufficiency.
Three others will be travelling to Canada on scholarships to further their studies in British Columbia. There are now thousands of applicants each year.
Malawian women struggle with low social status based on gender so good schooling is tough to get and there are many obstacles.
“Back home you educate a man, you educate an individual. You educate a woman, you educate a nation,” school co-founder Memory Chazeza famously said during a presentation to the Rotary Club of St. Albert back in 2008. “Education is very powerful for women and girls.”
The local chapter of the international service agency has made APU one of the many beneficiaries of its ongoing fundraising efforts.
Club member and founding president Larry Johnson said this is one of those stories that Rotarians are especially proud of, but especially him.
“Everybody is just thrilled at the success of the project. When you do international service projects, generally the ones that are successful are the ones where you have a real personal connection on the ground in the other location,” he stated.
His daughter Christie is the school’s other co-founder.
“We couldn’t have a more solid partner.”
While Christie was unavailable for comment from the southeast African country, she recently sent an update letter that speaks glowingly of the facility.
“Everyone that comes onto APU property is in awe of the buildings, the girls and their ability and confidence in speaking English, the cleanliness of the grounds, and the air of excitement and happiness that surrounds the place,” she wrote. “I have been told again and again that this school is unlike any other school in the country.”
The development on site is not yet complete and organizers are constantly seeking funding. There are four student-housing facilities and two for staff members, three class blocks, a water tower and a cafeteria. Apart from building a teacher training college, the long-term plan also calls for a science lab and another staff housing duplex and class block.
Sponsors are also being sought for the 20 students starting in September. General donations can be made to the tertiary education fund as well.
For more information on the school, visit www.malawigirlsonthemove.com. The Rotary Club of St. Albert can be contacted at 780-233-6401.
