Fwilane Banda

The creator and manager of the clubs for boys and girls performs a fundamental job for the young people of the area. Her empathy and understanding of the situation help to ensure that the role of women in the community is one of respect and dignity. Girls learn to value themselves and to make and express their own decisions. But Fwilane doesn’t neglect the boys; she recognizes that without the support of their peers, girls will not be able to get ahead, so she also works closely with the boys to help them see girls as the intelligent, capable people they are.

boys and girls clubs

In their meetings, the young people discuss the serious problems they encounter in their daily lives. It is a safe place for girls where they exchange their difficulties and problems about the expectations that families have for them to marry young, without being able to finish school, and other subjects that were previously taboo. The ability to speak frankly about the situation makes changes in their daily lives possible and also offers them hope for a better life.

Ufulu Sanitary pads

Traditionally, girls must stay home during menstruation. This means missing about one week of school per month. Eventually the girls fall so behind the rest of the class they end up dropping out of school and having to tend to chores at home. Dropping out of school at such a young age many times results in early pregnancies and child marriages.

With the advent of “Ufulu” pads, washable sanitary pads, a girl can continue to go to class and has better chances of finishing her studies and having a decent job and future.