Standard Bank supports CARE Malawi’s inclusion of girls in education promotion

Tamanda Ng’ombe presenting the sponsorship to CARE Malawi’s Pamela Kuwali

* Malawi’s growth depends on women who can lead, speak, and act. When a woman leads, families eat, children stay in school — and communities thrive

By Duncan Mlanjira

Standard Bank Plc has invested K20 million towards CARE Malawi in its promotion of  inclusion of girls in education and equip women with leadership and entrepreneurial skills essential for driving community-centred economic growth in Malawi.

The sponsorship was presented today, May 20, during the Women in Leadership Breakfast held at the Bingu International Conference Centre BICC in Lilongwe, aiming to register Standard Bank’s commitment towards CARE Malawi’s Strengthening Opportunities for Adolescent Resilience (SOAR) project.

Head of brand & marketing communications, Tamanda N’gombe said Standard Bank’s contribution “is a continuation of the institution’s efforts to uplift girls and young leaders through support to education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and partnerships with stakeholders advocating for girls and women”. 

“Malawi’s growth depends on women who can lead, speak, and act,” she said. “When a woman leads, families eat, children stay in school, and communities thrive. This K20 million is an investment in Malawi’s future and is aligned with our purpose to drive Malawi’s growth by contributing to inclusive education of girls and empowering women across various sectors.”

Ng’ombe cited some of the initiatives that Standard Bank Plc is undertaking to support girls and women leaders, that include tertiary scholarships, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects, Phuka business incubation programs and infrastructure development through building of school blocks.

These are co-funded in partnerships with NGOs that include CARE Malawi, CAMFED, UN Women, ILO, DAPP, Press Trust, Malawi University of Science & Technology (MUST) and the Ministry of Education.

“Education girls and empowering young women leaders to reach their full potential has a positive multiplier effect,” Ng’ombe said. “It improves household income, reduces maternal mortality, and strengthens national productivity.”

Witnessing the sponsorship presentation was Minister of Gender, Children, Disability & Social Welfare, Mary Navicha, who said the collaboration between Standard Bank and CARE will help to advance MW2063 national vision’s human capital and inclusion pillars.

“The SOAR programme recognises that empowering girls goes beyond education alone,” said Navicha, who was guest of honour at the Women in Leadership Breakfast meeting.

“By building a cohort of women who can influence decision-making at household, district, and national level, both Standard Bank and CARE are contributing to the Malawi government’s vision to create a self-dependent and inclusively wealthy nation.”

On her part, CARE Malawi Country Director, Pamela Kuwali said SOAR project provides catch-up education opportunities to children who have never attended school, or dropped out in early grades, and equips them with requisite life-long skills.

She thus applauded Standard Bank for creating a platform where commitments towards supporting the project were collected.

The Women Leadership Breakfast attracted high profile attendance by influential women in civic leadership, academia, corporate sector, research, and health — whose notable speakers included Eunice Kamwendo, Lusaka-based Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) sub-regional office for southern Africa and Liverpool Welcome Trust HIV/Aids researcher Alice Mbewe Mtalimanja.