Provide secondary education scholarships for 120 girls in Malawi.

Why we care: Education provides girls a brighter future. Educated girls are less likely to be exploited, fall victim to trafficking and be infected with HIV.

How we’re solving this: We will provide 120 girls with scholarships, textbooks, transportation, uniforms, and other learning supplies.

For girls in particular, schooling offers the chance to be independent. Although significant strides have been made to provide girls with a free primary education, access to and completion of a secondary education continues to be a challenge for girls – only 22% of girls enroll in secondary school and just 7% of girls complete it. Many girls cannot enter or complete their secondary education because of the costs. Poverty is the most serious barrier to parents for sending their daughters to school. Since girls are responsible for performing household tasks, the loss of labor in addition to the direct cost of schools fees result in an opportunity cost families living in poverty cannot afford.

However, a girl who has an education is more likely to contribute socially and economically.   She will be more productive at home and better paid in the workplace. She will grow up to be a mother whose own children are more likely to survive, be better nourished and go to school themselves. Above all, she will be better able to protect herself and her children by breaking the cycle of poverty that entraps so many families.

To meet this need, UNICEF will provide scholarships, textbooks, uniforms, transportation, and other school supplies (i.e. pens, pencils, school bags) to 120 vulnerable girls in Malawi to enroll, retain, and complete secondary school education for one year.

Administrative costs for this project include salaries, rent, supplies, and evaluations.