By Leah Malekano, contributor
Every month, thousands of Malawian girls quietly disappear from classrooms, not because they are ill or unwilling to learn but because their schools lack safe, private spaces where they can manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity.
Menstruation forces many girls to stay home for several days each month.
Those missed lessons accumulate over time, affecting academic performance and increasing the risk of dropping out of school.
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It is a reality the Beautify Malawi (Beam) Trust wants to change. The organisation, championed by First Lady Gertrude Mutharika, has embarked on a nationwide drive to improve sanitation and hygiene in public schools by constructing girls’ changing rooms, improving toilet facilities and installing water storage tanks.
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The initiative forms part of Beam’s broader vision of creating a clean, healthy and beautiful Malawi while improving the learning environment for learners across the country’s approximately 6,942 public schools.
Beam Board Chairperson Dingiswayo Jere says inadequate sanitation facilities continue to deny many girls the opportunity to attend school consistently.
“Many public schools do not have appropriate facilities for girls to manage their menstrual hygiene. As a result, thousands of girls miss classes every month, affecting their academic performance and increasing their risk of dropping out of school,” Jere says.
He adds that the organisation has started constructing sanitation and hygiene facilities in selected primary schools with support from development partners.
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The concerns mirror findings by the Malawi Human Rights Commission, which recently identified inadequate changing rooms, poor menstrual hygiene management facilities and a lack of disability-friendly sanitation infrastructure as major contributors to absenteeism, exclusion and school dropout.
“It is against this background that Beam has embarked on the construction of sanitation and hygiene facilities in selected schools, complementing our ongoing nationwide distribution of waste bins and hand washing facilities to public schools,” Jere says.
Among the beneficiaries is Mtsiliza Primary School in Lilongwe, where poor sanitation has become a daily challenge for both learners and teachers.
Many of the school’s pit latrines are full, damaged or unsafe, creating health risks for children.
“Some toilets have collapsed entrances, while others are already full, exposing learners to serious health risks.
“We are working closely with our partners and government authorities to address these challenges. We expect the changing rooms at Mtsiliza to be completed by the end of this month,” Jere says.
Improving sanitation in schools is one of the priorities in Beam’s 2026-30 Strategic Plan, which seeks to reduce waterborne and hygiene-related diseases, particularly in schools and public markets.
Mtsiliza Primary School Head Teacher Chifundo Malange says the sanitation crisis at the school has become overwhelming.
With nearly 7,141 learners relying on only 11 functional toilets out of 43, maintaining hygiene has become extremely difficult.
“The construction of a girls’ changing room by Beam is a significant step towards restoring dignity and improving school attendance, especially for our female learners,” Malange says.
He is optimistic that more sanitation infrastructure will be provided to meet the needs of the growing learner population.
Speaking on behalf of Mutharika, Fannie Kachale said the First Lady, who is also Beam’s Patron, remains committed to improving sanitation and building a cleaner and healthier Malawi for present and future generations.
Kachale also welcomed Executive Order No. 2 on Sanitation, saying it has strengthened collaboration between government institutions and development partners, enabling sanitation projects to be implemented more effectively.
“Through our partners, including NBS Bank under a five-year partnership, we are doing more than providing sanitation facilities.
“We are rolling out nationwide awareness campaigns to promote proper hygiene practices so that Malawians embrace cleanliness as a way of life,” Kachale said.
Since launching the Beam Strategy (2026- 30) under the theme ‘Improved Hygiene and Sanitation for Sustainable National Development’, the organisation has expanded sanitation and hygiene initiatives in schools and markets.
It has also launched the My Clean School, My Pride’ campaign, provided relief assistance to vulnerable families and supported needy students with school fees and pocket money.
