It was a great two days as 39 girls from four schools in Blantyre got intensive training in leadership at the Malawi Post Corporation College.
Girls from Chichiri, Manja and Mpapa primary schools and others from Bangwe Community Day Secondary School gathered to get skills in leadership, to instill a sense in them the mindset that girls and women can be effective leaders.
Apart from the leadership skills that were imparted on the girls, they also had a session where some role models came to encourage the girls to work hard in class and not be discouraged because of poverty or peer pressure.
Challenges should not stop us from pursuing our goals. The problem with most girls is that we are so quick to quit when things get tough. We don’t even try to think for what best alternatives can I do to help me excel in life.
- Josephine Muhasuwa - Role Model, nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre
She gave her own example that during the early stages of her education she was failing miserably but she never gave up and worked hard until she got to Kamuzu College of Nursing where she graduated as a nurse.
Nurse Muhasuwa makes a point during the training
I worked very hard and was selected to a good secondary school where I worked hard and focused to go to a nursing college. It may appear like the journey was smooth. It took strength to go through it all.
- Josephine Muhasuwa - Role Model, nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre
Another role model was Patricia, who is an engineer. She noted that one of the great works she is doing at the moment is designing an important road in Blantyre. Sher is doing that as part of her final year project at the Malawi
University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas).
We live in a world that attaches superiority to men. They are listened to, while an independent woman can’t be heard. I therefore encourage you girls to have no fear and go for things not many people go for.
Problems do not end. Your background should not be the reason you should not be a reason for you to fail in life.
- Patricia Chuka - Role Model, Engineer
She said education is a must and girls must invest in it so that they can improve their lives. She encouraged them to work hard in Science subjects and work hard in class, although they may face problems and challenges.
Another role model, Tionge who is studying Land Surveying at Mubas, emphasised that girls are classified as being vulnerable because of their gender and also because adolescence brings its own storms.
It is hard especially for girls coming from poor families as they lack necessities like school fees but with resilience girls can succeed. In my case, I am studying what some feel is for men only. I trust myself and I don’t want
- Tionge - Role Model, Student at MUBAS
stereotypes to keep me from my goal.
Touching on leadership, Tionge said girls must have confidence in their voice and they need to speak out.
“As a leader, one ought to stand up and fight for what she and others deserve. If you think a man will rise up and fight for us is wasting your time because that will never happen,” she said.
The role modeling session was impactful as participants were motivated, inspired and influenced, looking at their comments and questions after the speakers.
Another interesting session was the psycho-social session by a psychologist who articulated well that everyone has needs from society and family which can be physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cognitive.
“Mental health can be caused by ones thoughts and feelings. For instance, a boy who attains puberty may start having sexual feelings for girls. He never had that experience before and he used to have stress. Stress comes when one feels threatened,” he said.
Among other things, the learners mentioned lack of school fees, failing an exam, lacking money to buy bags and separation from parents as some of the reasons they may have stress. Among other things, the learners gave examples like identifying people who can positively influence them positively, joining religious activities, reading books, enjoying nature, playing with friends and doing exercises as some of the ways to ease stress.
They were advised not to use drugs and alcohol to end stress. What was even interesting the following day is how each of the students were engaged in one-to-one sessions where they told the psychologist what problems they were facing.
Among others, some girls talked about being abused by parents, peer pressure from friends to have sex, being bullied for being more intelligent and knowledgeable, quarrels between step children, while another girl talked of the problems she has been facing after returning to school on delivering her baby.
“It has been a great training. I have learned a lot from the role models and even our discussion. I was very impressed by the psychologist and what he has achieved in the country and Africa as a whole. I have been motivated and will work hard so that I can achieve the goals I have set in my life,” she said.
