NGO inspires CDSS girls in Phalombe
Centre for Alternatives for Victimised Women and Children (Cavwoc) has motivated community day secondary school (CDSS) students in Phalombe to work hard in school.
Phalombe District Cavwoc project officer Linda Alimoso made the remarks on Thursday during a girls’ conference involving 100 girls from three CDSSs in the district.
She said besides challenges such as lack of financial support and gender-based violence, they have observed that there was misconception among students that a CDSS student cannot be university ‘material’.
“The belief leads to girls’ failing national examinations because they stop working hard; hence, we brought the girls to interact with role models who share similar backgrounds, but went to university,” she said.
During the girls’ camp, Cavwoc paraded female nurses, teachers and journalists who attained university education but attained their secondary school education at CDSS.
One of the role models, a nurse at Migowi Health Centre, Chimwemwe Kalolo, reminded the girls that every long journey begins with a single step.
“I studied at a CDSS in the village just like you, but because of hard work, I was selected to Kamuzu College of Nursing,” she said.
One of the girls from Khongoloni CDSS, Cecilia Maloya, said life stories shared by role models motivated her to work hard in school. Cavwoc is implementing Improving Secondary Education in Malawi (ISEM) project with funding from European Union through Oxfam and provides bursaries to vulnerable girls.
