By Cedric Nkungula
Girls who are in secondary school should be considered as a rare commodity because the majority of them drop out at primary level.
First Lady Madame Chakwera made the remarks on Monday 31st July 2023 when she officially launched 2023 Girls’ Empowerment Retreat at Mzuzu University (MZUNI) Open Distance Learning Ground.
The five – day retreat, which has drawn 500 girls from various secondary schools across the country, has been co – organised by Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF) and Girls’ Empowerment Trust.
In her remarks, the first lady emphasized that secondary school going girls must be supported at all cost.
“Parents should take a leading role in ensuring that girl children are educated,” added the first lady.
“Women should support girls to get educated by providing them with resources and encouragement until they attain tertiary education.”
She then advised girls to concentrate on their studies.
She explained that opportunities can only be unlocked through education.
“International and local development partners should consider supporting girls especially those in community day secondary schools by constructing hostels because a lot of girls cover long distances to and from school fueling school dropout among girls,” said Madame Chakwera.
Speaking earlier, Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima said the retreat will teach girls how to surmount stumbling blocks in their education.
