Nurture and Inspire Youth Leaders in Malawi

We have recently said goodbye to our 2014-2015 dreamers at Domasi College. These goodbyes are filled with some sadness, as all goodbyes are, but also pride, joy, and hope - pride for all that our dreamers have accomplished this past year, joy in watching them grow into confident, capable leaders, and hope for a bright future for our graduates and for the impact they will make on Malawi.

The dreamers at Chancellor College will soon follow the Domasi students in graduating from the Students With Dreams program. In the past year, the dreamers have designed projects to address problems in their community, mobilized a team, and conducted their interventions. These last few weeks, the dreamers and their teams have hosted their final projects. These projects are a culmination of a year’s hard work, overcoming the many challenges young leaders face in a low-resource country like Malawi. But it has also been a year where they have seen great change – in themselves as change makers and in their communities, thanks to their creative approaches to solving social issues.

One team that just had its final village intervention is"Kudya Koma Uku," which translates to “This is how to eat.” The project leaders used an arts-based approach to discuss alternative methods for nutrition. They danced and sang with the villagers and then engaged in role plays around hygiene, family budgeting, and healthy market-shopping. In Malawi, maize is the staple food for many families. Unfortunately, most locals are not privy to knowledge about alternative nutritional habits. This has led to malnutrition, hunger and problems where maize is either expensive or scarce. Kudya Koma Uku handled this disturbing narrative by bringing to light indigenous, cheap and nutritious alternatives.

Another project coming to a close is “Front Seat,” led by Tume and her partner Boscoe. During her initial interview for the Students With Dreams program, Tume said of her life living with albinism, "Sometimes we feel like it is us against the world.” She and Boscoe dreamed of a better society, where all people are accepted. In the six months since that initial interview, they mobilized and educated 400 people in local communities about albinism and the challenge of being marginalized.  

Thank you for your generous support in making these young leaders’ dreams come true. We ask you to join us in celebrating the great work that our dreamers are doing in Malawian communities.

Dreamers, we are proud of you and we can’t wait to see what you do next!