Speaking of Courage

NGOWE, Malawi - At age 13, Juliet Nkunika already knows exactly what she wants to do.  “I want to be a teacher, because I admire the work that my teachers do.  They are good people, and they have motivated me,” she says.

This afternoon Juliet is standing in a bright white dress outside her dusty classroom at the Ngowe primary school in rural central Malawi, where she is currently in the seventh grade.  CARE began partnering with a local organization in 2003 to help the school address the needs of AIDS orphans, fight stigma associated with the disease and build greater community support for education.

Juliet herself is an orphan.  Her mother died while giving birth to Juliet’s younger sister and her father died five years ago.  She and her three siblings now live with their uncle.  According to UNICEF, there are around 1.2 million orphans in Malawi – a crisis fueled by poverty and the rampant spread of HIV.  CARE addresses the impact of HIV and AIDS in all of our programming in Malawi.  At the Ngowe school, where more than 13 percent of the students have lost one or both of their parents, the project has helped teachers and students strengthen HIV prevention clubs, which disseminate information and offer support to pupils and other community members affected by the disease.

For Juliet, getting a good education is of paramount importance.  “Some of my classmates have dropped out of school because they lost interest and others because they got married.  Many girls here marry when they are 15 or 16 years old.  But I don’t want to get married until I have completed my education.  I never miss class unless I am sick.”

To enable Juliet and her schoolmates to receive a better education, CARE helped the Ngowe school establish a parent-run school management committee.  The committee monitors teachers’ performance and raises money for the school.  The funds have been used to buy school materials, such as notebooks for exams, and to build latrines.  The parents want to raise enough to build a sustainable water source for the school.

“We are happy to be part of the committee because we are helping our children get a better education.  Many parents here did not complete primary school, but now they understand the value of education and support their students in going to school.  This is a change from the past,” says Selena Kachale, a school management committee member.  

Juliet knows that education is her ticket to a better life.  “I want to finish school so that I can be financially independent.  I want to be able to pay for my little sister’s school fees and help her buy new clothes.  I admire women who are working,” she says.

By helping teachers, parents and students build stronger schools, CARE is working to ensure that Juliet and other girls like her in Malawi get the opportunity to fulfill their ambitions.  Juliet already possesses intelligence and determination.  Equipped with a good education, she will go on to teach other young girls how to achieve their goals.