By Monica Malata | Fundraising and Administrative Intern
What an exciting quarter it has been! We recruited a new cohort of dreamers from both Chancellor College and Domasi College of Education and, for the first time, our new partner Malawi College of Health Sciences. We now have a total of 14 new projects, led by 34 vibrant and motivated young leaders. Their projects address different social problems including HIV/Aids, gender equity in education, and illiteracy.
We held the orientation weekend for the students on the campsites of Zomba Plateau. The orientation was graced with the presence of our mentors Madalo, Lekodi, Thelma, Zola, Reginald, Bright, Susan and Winnie, AGHCA staff and of course, the dreamers themselves. The dreamers had intensive training in program design, program implementation, financial management, monitoring and evaluation and communication. These trainings helped them develop their project idea for social impact and gain a better understanding of the skills they would need to make their projects a success.
It wasn’t all work, with the dreamers playing games and telling ghost stories around a blazing campfire. The schools we partner with serve different populations, and our students expressed excitement to interact with people from different backgrounds, experiences, and academic interests to them. The greatest resource of our young leaders is each other, and they began building those relationships throughout the orientation weekend.
The dreamers also learned what it really means to be a dreamer and how this is an opportunity for them to grow as leaders and have a positive impact on their communities.
Current SWD mentor and former dreamer Madalo recently received the Queens Young Leaders award for her 2015 Students With Dreams Program “Loud-Ink”, which she cofounded with her Students With Dreams partner Lekodi. Their project provides a platform for young people in secondary schools to express themselves through written word.
Madalo’s project, and subsequent recognition, would not have been possible without you. Your support makes dreams happen!
Zikomo kwambiri! ( Chichewa for ‘thank you’)
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