CAVWOC inspires CDSS girls in Phalombe that attaining MSCE is possible

 

By Sam Majamanda, MANA

Centre for Alternatives for Victimized Women and Children (CAVWOC) has emphasized on the need to break the belief in Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) students that they cannot pass the Malawi School Certificate of Education and proceed with their education.

CAVWOC’s Project Officer in Phalombe, Linda Alimoso made the remarks on Thursday during a girls’ conference involving 100 girls from three CDSSs in the district.

Nurse Chimwemwe Kalolo stressing a point

She said on top of serious challenges hindering vulnerable girls from attaining education such as lack of financial support and Gender Based Violence (GBV), the organization has observed that there was a prevailing misconception among students that a CDSS cannot produce a University material.

This, she said, is preventing most girls from working hard as it is generally believed among girls and it leads them into failure because they stop working hard.

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“That is why we decided to bring together girls in schools that are within our catchment area so that they can interact with role models who share similar backgrounds with the girls,” Alimoso said.

During the girls’ camp, CAVWOC paraded female nurses, teachers and journalists who went through the corridors of a CDSS but went on to attain University education and secured good jobs.

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Speaking during the annual event, one of the role models — a nurse at Migowi Health Centre, Chimwemwe Kalolo — reminded the girls that every long journey begins with one step, as such they should not be demoralized with where their journeys start from.

“I started from a CDSS in the village just like you but due to hard work I managed to go to Kamuzu College of Nursing to study nursing,” she explained.

The participants pose for group photograph

“I later on secured a job and now I am just coming from the Netherlands where I was studying for my Masters in Community Health Nursing. I therefore want you to believe that it’s possible.”  

Through implementation of the Improving Secondary Education in Malawi (ISEM) project, CAVWOC identified challenges facing girls in their quest to attain education and in response to the challenges the organization is working on reducing GBV in the area as well as providing school bursary to vulnerable girls.

One of the girls Khongoloni CDSS, Cecilia Maloya said the life stories shared by the role models had greatly encouraged her to go on with education. 

CAVWOC is implementing the ISEM project with funding from European Union through Oxfam.