Govt hails Norway, UN for supporting girls education

Minister of Education, Science and Technology William Susuwele-Banda has commended the Norwegian Government and the United Nations (UN) for the financial and technical support in uplifting girls’ education in the country.

The  minister said this when director general for economic relations and development in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Katja Nordgaard visited Chapita Primary School in Salima which is benefiting from a UN Joint Programme on Girls Education (JPGE) funded by the Norwegian Government.

He said: “This programme has greatly improved education for the girl-child at this school. Among the notable achievements is that there has been increased enrolment since the programme started in 2014. As government, we really are grateful.”

On her part, Nordgaard said she was impressed with the way the programme has been implemented.

“We are glad to see that the programme is successful and its objectives are being achieved. There is tremendous progress. It’s pleasing to see girls getting education which will empower them to lead better lives,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the UN, World Food Programme (WFP) country director Benoit Thiry said educating girls is not only the right thing to do, but it is the best investment one can make.

JPGE is being implemented in 169 schools in Dedza, Mangochi and Salima.

It aims to improve access, quality and relevance of education for girls by addressing challenges girls face in accessing education.