Empowering Girls in Malawi
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Our team is fundraising for the Othakarhaka Foundation (OTK) based in Mulanje, Malawi, Africa. Since 2011, OTK has been changing the lives of girls in rural villages by providing access to education and empowerment programs. While OTK is well on its way to becoming a 501(c)(3) organization through the U.S. based non-profit, I Demand Access, until the approval is formally granted, we are asking for your help fundraising in order to continue empowering OTK to help the girls in these rural villages invest in their future and the future of their communities through dedicated access to education and community building programs.
As part of our executive MBA program at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, we are creating a long-term plan to empower OTK to become self-sustaining. When our team visited Malawi in September, we learned there were 54 girls on a waiting list to go to school, with no money at all available to send them. While OTK had already been providing scholarships and programs for over 100 girls, we knew all deserved an equal chance. The 54 girls were at home when we met them, not in school, and school had started just the day before. With no time to spare, our team pooled every dollar we had among us and got all 54 girls into school that same week. It was an incredible feeling—making a difference in the life of a young girl and providing her with opportunities she could only dream of in her wildest imagination.
We knew it was a band-aid of sorts, a temporary solution to simply fund the first step, but we HAD to do SOMETHING. While we are working to do more—much more—we need to provide OTK with enough capital to keep all of their girls in school, and ensure if more are able to join the program, they too will have access to a scholarship.
The Othakarhaka Foundation (OTK) plays a crucial role in the development and empowerment of girls in Malawi's poorest villages. Over 60% of girls in Malawi do not finish secondary school—there are simply too many obstacles that get in the way of their right to an education beyond primary school. Here are just some of them:
First, there is an extreme lack of financial resources. With the lowest GDP in all of Africa, the average per capita income in Malawi is only $338 USD per year. While primary school is provided to all children through the Malawian government, secondary school (equivalent to grade 8+ in the US) is not. Without the resources to pay for tuition, fees, uniforms, supplies, and food, school simply isn’t an option for many children. Families often have to make difficult choices—do they send their son to school, or their daughter? If they have five children, and can only send one, who gets to go? Unfortunately, these challenges are all too common.
Second, girls in Malawi are often their family’s primary caregiver. When tasked with caring for sick or elderly family members, most girls have no choice but to withdraw from school. With nearly 10% of the Malawian population living with HIV/AIDS*, it is an all too common occurrence for a girl to stay home and act as a caretaker rather than be able to spend her day in school.
Third, transportation is a major hurdle, as options are severely limited. The majority of individuals walk everywhere they go. There are very few vehicles in Malawi; and while bicycles are a great option, there are very few to go around. Furthermore, with unpaved roads and uneven terrain, bicycles must be in good enough condition to withstand the rocky roads in the villages. An overwhelming majority of children travel to and from school on foot, some traveling as far as 12 kilometers (approximately 7 miles) each way, every day, just to get to and from school. Clearly, when education is available, it is a priority, a privilege, and one worth spending several hours on foot to get to.
Founded by Ida Puliwa, a local pioneer in women’s education, “Othakarhaka”, means "passing on the kindness." Girls who are fortunate enough to be sponsored by the foundation pledge to pass the kindness they receive onto others, and continue the spirit of “Othakarhaka.”
Please join us on our mission to make a difference in the life of a young girl who would otherwise not have a chance to succeed. With your help, we too can pass on the kindness.
As part of our executive MBA program at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, we are creating a long-term plan to empower OTK to become self-sustaining. When our team visited Malawi in September, we learned there were 54 girls on a waiting list to go to school, with no money at all available to send them. While OTK had already been providing scholarships and programs for over 100 girls, we knew all deserved an equal chance. The 54 girls were at home when we met them, not in school, and school had started just the day before. With no time to spare, our team pooled every dollar we had among us and got all 54 girls into school that same week. It was an incredible feeling—making a difference in the life of a young girl and providing her with opportunities she could only dream of in her wildest imagination.
We knew it was a band-aid of sorts, a temporary solution to simply fund the first step, but we HAD to do SOMETHING. While we are working to do more—much more—we need to provide OTK with enough capital to keep all of their girls in school, and ensure if more are able to join the program, they too will have access to a scholarship.
The Othakarhaka Foundation (OTK) plays a crucial role in the development and empowerment of girls in Malawi's poorest villages. Over 60% of girls in Malawi do not finish secondary school—there are simply too many obstacles that get in the way of their right to an education beyond primary school. Here are just some of them:
First, there is an extreme lack of financial resources. With the lowest GDP in all of Africa, the average per capita income in Malawi is only $338 USD per year. While primary school is provided to all children through the Malawian government, secondary school (equivalent to grade 8+ in the US) is not. Without the resources to pay for tuition, fees, uniforms, supplies, and food, school simply isn’t an option for many children. Families often have to make difficult choices—do they send their son to school, or their daughter? If they have five children, and can only send one, who gets to go? Unfortunately, these challenges are all too common.
Second, girls in Malawi are often their family’s primary caregiver. When tasked with caring for sick or elderly family members, most girls have no choice but to withdraw from school. With nearly 10% of the Malawian population living with HIV/AIDS*, it is an all too common occurrence for a girl to stay home and act as a caretaker rather than be able to spend her day in school.
Third, transportation is a major hurdle, as options are severely limited. The majority of individuals walk everywhere they go. There are very few vehicles in Malawi; and while bicycles are a great option, there are very few to go around. Furthermore, with unpaved roads and uneven terrain, bicycles must be in good enough condition to withstand the rocky roads in the villages. An overwhelming majority of children travel to and from school on foot, some traveling as far as 12 kilometers (approximately 7 miles) each way, every day, just to get to and from school. Clearly, when education is available, it is a priority, a privilege, and one worth spending several hours on foot to get to.
Founded by Ida Puliwa, a local pioneer in women’s education, “Othakarhaka”, means "passing on the kindness." Girls who are fortunate enough to be sponsored by the foundation pledge to pass the kindness they receive onto others, and continue the spirit of “Othakarhaka.”
Please join us on our mission to make a difference in the life of a young girl who would otherwise not have a chance to succeed. With your help, we too can pass on the kindness.
Fundraising team: OTK Team (5)
Erin Helgerson
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
Victor Linares
Beneficiary
Stephanie Johnson
Team member
Rosalie Villapando
Team member
Dmitriy Geler
Team member
Vijay Kompella
Team member
