By Dumbani Mzale, contributor, in Addis Ababa:
It is often said that every child deserves quality and equitable education in Malawi.
However, for Junior Magwegwe Magwalangwa from Mataya Village, Traditional Authority Chulu in Kasungu District, this statement was a stark contrast to his reality.
Magwegwe sat for the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education examinations five times at Khuza Primary School in the district and was selected for various secondary schools.
However, he could not proceed due to a lack of fees.
- Advertisement -
On his last attempt, when he was on the verge of giving up, he was selected for Chulu Community Day Secondary School, about five kilometres from his village.
However, he never attended the school due to his parents’ financial constraints.
“I told him to repeat Standard 8 again and again, hoping that in the future we would secure some resources. But I had no way of getting money to support his secondary school education,” Magwegwe’s father, William Magwalangwa, said.
Magwegwe’s bleak future immediately transformed into a promising academic journey in 2021 when the Shaping Our Future Foundation (Soff) provided him with a full education scholarship for his secondary school education.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
Since 2020, Soff, a brainchild of First Lady Monica Chakwera, has worked tirelessly to support vulnerable students like Magwegwe and ensure they remain in school and complete their education.
Soff collaborates with the Government of Malawi, international and local non-governmental organisations, community structures, women, girls and others who share the vision of an inclusive and prosperous Malawi.
According to available figures, 2,744 students have benefited from the bursary programme so far, with 54 students successfully completing secondary school in 2023 and 176 students graduating in 2024.
Magwegwe successfully completed Form Four, passed the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) exams and is currently awaiting university applications.
As the founder and chairperson of Soff, Chakwera is leaving no stone unturned in her effort to reach out to as many vulnerable youths and communities as possible, in order to improve their daily living standards and livelihoods.
It is in this same vein that she travelled this week to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 29th General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (Oaflad), scheduled for February 12- 16, 2025.
In an interview in Addis Ababa, on the sidelines of technical meetings ahead of the assembly, Doreen Ali, Director for Reproductive Health in the Ministry of Health and chairperson for Oaflad Malawi Chapter, said Chakwera would use the visit to lobby for funding and partnerships.
These are aimed at mobilising funds to support vulnerable boys and girls, as well as supporting leadership programmes in Malawi through her Soff.
Ali also mentioned that Chakwera would take advantage of the trip to advocate for increased support from international organisations, donors and private sector partners to expand youth employment programmes for young women, which are at the heart of her foundation.
“The First Lady’s visit will reinforce Malawi’s international influence, positioning it as a leading advocate for gender equality and youth empowerment in Africa,” she said.
According to Ali, through Chakwera’s attendance at the assembly, Malawi will seek to increase investment in Malawian girls and women by engaging with Plan International, the Global Girls Foundation and other key partners.
Chakwera will also leverage funding and resources to implement projects aimed at improving the lives of young girls and women in Malawi.
“By forging collaborations with the Oaflad network, she will champion initiatives to enhance healthcare services, especially in maternal health, HIV and AIDS prevention and tuberculosis (TB) treatment programmes.
“She will also strengthen Malawi’s health initiatives, particularly in maternal health and the fight against TB and other communicable diseases,” Ali added.
Soff also intends to strengthen Malawi’s health initiatives, particularly in maternal health and the fight against TB, HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases.
For hardworking students like Magwegwe, the First Lady sees them as the future of Malawi and believes they deserve much support from various stakeholders, both local and international.
“These students are not just numbers; they represent hope, determination, and the future of Malawi. Their hard work proves that with the right support, every child can rise and shine,” Chakwera said on February 7, 2026.
On that day, she awarded 29 top-performing students from the Soff programme who achieved 15 points or fewer in the 2024 MSCE examinations.
On this occasion, the First Lady also awarded 30 of the best-performing students nationwide, who attained 10 points or fewer.
In 2023, out of the 54 students under the Soff bursary programme who sat for MSCE examinations, 47 passed, achieving an 87.75 percent pass rate.
In 2024, the success continued, as out of the 176 students who sat for MSCE exams, 144 passed, recording an 81 percent pass rate.
Back in Addis Ababa, published information on the Oaflad website shows that this year’s assembly provides member states, including Malawi and development partners with the opportunity to engage in ‘transformative discussions,’ the benefits of which are expected to trickle down to vulnerable students like Magwegwe.
The meeting, which will take place on the margins of the African Union (AU) Assembly, is also expected to foster meaningful participation from women, youth and marginalised communities in the development agenda.
