First Lady kick-start girls hostel project in Ekwendeni: BEAM in partnership with Plan International Malawi
The First Lady Madam Gertrude Mutharika on Wednesday laid a foundation stone for a girl’s hostel project at Emvuyeni Community Day Secondary School in Ekwendeni, Mzimba district to mark the start of her Beautify Malawi (Beam) Trust girl’s hostel project across the country.
Speaking at the event Madam Mutharika said the project at Emvuyeni CDSS is one of the many projects that BEAM in partnership with Plan International Malawi will undertake in a number of districts in the country to retain girls in school.
The First Lady said hundreds of girls in Malawi have failed to make it in their education because of the long distance that they cover to and from school which also expose them to several ills including sexual abuse by boys and men who impregnate them or infect them with various diseases including HIV and AIDS.
She further explained that self-boarding initiative that many girls have resorted to solve the long distance impediment, has failed to offer a conducive environment for girls education as the girls’ security is compromised.
“This hostel will greatly help in safeguarding the future of the girls schooling at this school. It will completely do away with the challenges that these girls have been facing due to travelling long distances to and from this school. Some of these girls cover about 8 to 12 kilometres every day. Travelling such a long distance definitely impacts on the performance of these students.
“In the morning, the girls reach school too tired for lessons. Likewise, in the evening they also reach home very tired for further studying. So, this girls’ hostel will rescue girls at this school from this situation and in course contribute to improved performance,” said Madam Mutharika.
She commended Plan International Malawi for partnering with BEAM Trust on this project as it embraces BEAM Trust’s ideals of supporting girl child education and also complements government’s efforts in advancing girls education in Malawi.
The First Lady explained that the project marks another milestone in BEAM Trust’s quest to provide a conducive environment for girls to excel in education in Malawi saying it has emphasised BEAM trust’s vision of beauty by considering educating girls as an important ingredient for beautifying Malawi.
“I would like to encourage other development organizations in the country to emulate Plan International Malawi’s gesture by partnering with BEAM Trust on this life changing project. All people in the communities should know that this is not a project for Plan International Malawi and BEAM Trust but rather their own,” she said.
The commencement of the project which will cost about K40 million comes just a month after the First Lady launched the Girls’ hostel Initiative at a fundraising dinner dance held in Blantyre.
Earlier, the First Lady also toured Baula CDSS in the same Mzimba North East constituency where she opened two newly constructed school blocks and a teacher’s house at the school also constructed by Plan International Malawi.
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It is sad that reputable NGOs like are being used as conduits to score political points by powers who do not think some parts of this cashgate country are also Malawians. Shame on you Plan Malawi.
Nzeru za Joyce Banda.
Waoma kuti yosesa misewu nfi yopanda ntchito (yovuta kunyambita za boma)
Mbala za cashgate izi.
Construction of girls hostels will bring in more money than sweeping the streets, who are you fooling?
beautify malawi with hostel…….stupid indeed
….if yu want to beautify malawi start building good roads like 4 ways in M1……M1 in Malawi its like nsewu wa location manyumba a malata ku joburg ……M1 ku jozi ia very nice but atsogoleri a malawi busy kub
a kwambiri ….shame
IMENEYO NDE NKHANIYO A FIRST LADY MUFIKE PALIPONSE NDI CHITUKUKO…..ZITSIYENI ZITSILU ZA KUMPOTOZI ZONGOLOWESA NDALE PA CHILICHONSE..
Beam is confused, gone in another lane. You have realised you can steal easily and more with construction.
Red carpet mpaka a first lady? Beautify Malawi? She rushed into forming this foundation without proper thought in her first month at state house. Now wabalalika poti she realised later that Malawi has other serious problems and not beauty. How do you buy cosmetics when you cannot afford a bath soap?
Beautify Malawi off track. Now building hostels. May be beautifying Malawi thru building hostela. Mesa BEAM was environmental conservation org. Uchitsiru
BEAM trust = beautify malawi tsopano zomanga map hostel is part of beautify Malawi. Koma ku Malawi kkkkk
Hahahahaha! Aputsitseni anthu a dera limeneli, uku ndi kwao kwa Goodall Gondwe ndiye akufuna anthu aziti DPP ndiyabwino, zaziii! Vimbava ivi! Kkkk.