Education Minister Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima has launched the Forum for African Women Educationists Malawi (FAWEMA) Strategic Plan for four years and MasterCard Fund Phase Two Project.
Speaking on Friday, she described the initiative as a champion for young people’s empowerment, especially girls.
Wirima told ProjectM that the initiatives allign with the principal strategy for development development in the Malawi’s 2063 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The youths are key in the equation of the successful implementation of the country’s vision as they form the largest population in Malawi,” she said.
According to the minister, the project has come soon after the 2024 Ministry of Education Joint Sector Review (JSR) that among it has Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as priority area.
She added that, by supporting girls in STEM at tertiary level will increase the gender parity index from 0.065 to 0.9 by 2030.
Board Chairperson for FAWEMA, Dr. Maggie Madimbo said the second phase of MasterCard program has been supported 3 FAWEMA Chapters in Africa for 10 years.
She said following its success the programme has been extended for another 10 years which includes Malawi.
“Through the MasterCard programme, 1,100 will support direct students at tertiary or universities and 1034 indirect students benefit from the JR indirectly,” she said.
Madimbo said MasterCard scholarships will cater for tuition, upkeep money, laptop and laptop bags to the students awarded the scholarships.
