By Dumbani Mzale, contributor, in Addis Ababa:

It is often said that every child deserves quality and equitable education in Malawi.

However, for Junior Magwegwe Magwalangwa from Mataya Village, Traditional Authority Chulu in Kasungu District, this statement was a stark contrast to his reality.

Magwegwe sat for the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education examinations five times at Khuza Primary School in the district and was selected for various secondary schools.

However, he could not proceed due to a lack of fees.

On his last attempt, when he was on the verge of giving up, he was selected for Chulu Community Day Secondary School, about five kilometres from his village.

However, he never attended the school due to his parents’ financial constraints.

“I told him to repeat Standard 8 again and again, hoping that in the future we would secure some resources. But I had no way of getting money to support his secondary school education,” Magwegwe’s father, William Magwalangwa, said.

Magwegwe’s bleak future immediately transformed into a promising academic journey in 2021 when the Shaping Our Future Foundation (Soff) provided him with a full education scholarship for his secondary school education.

Since 2020, Soff, a brainchild of First Lady Monica Chakwera, has worked tirelessly to support vulnerable students like Magwegwe and ensure they remain in school and complete their education.

Soff collaborates with the Government of Malawi, international and local non-governmental organisations, community structures, women, girls and others who share the vision of an inclusive and prosperous Malawi.

According to available figures, 2,744 students have benefited from the bursary programme so far, with 54 students successfully completing secondary school in 2023 and 176 students graduating in 2024.

Magwegwe successfully completed Form Four, passed the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) exams and is currently awaiting university applications.

As the founder and chairperson of Soff, Chakwera is leaving no stone unturned in her effort to reach out to as many vulnerable youths and communities as possible, in order to improve their daily living standards and livelihoods.

It is in this same vein that she travelled this week to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 29th General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (Oaflad), scheduled for February 12- 16, 2025.

In an interview in Addis Ababa, on the sidelines of technical meetings ahead of the assembly, Doreen Ali, Director for Reproductive Health in the Ministry of Health and chairperson for Oaflad Malawi Chapter, said Chakwera would use the visit to lobby for funding and partnerships.

These are aimed at mobilising funds to support vulnerable boys and girls, as well as supporting