Dorica Frank, an 18-year-old woman from TA Kapeni, Blantyre, has emerged as a role model for girls facing educational challenges. The Mtenjera CDSS alumna made history as the school’s first female overall top scorer in the 2023 MSCE exams, securing admission to Domasi Institute of Education to pursue BSc in Education History and Theology. Dorica’s success is credited to the support she received from Mzati CSO’s Bwalo la Atsikana project, funded by Art and Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo), which helped her to defy odds and achieve academic excellence.
At just 12 years old, Dorica left her struggling single mother’s home to live with a guardian, a retired nurse. This kind hearted guardian, supported by her own children, provided for Dorica’s needs for seven years. Despite this support, Dorica still faced other challenges, including accessing sanitary pads. A compassionate teacher recognized her struggles and connected her with Mzati, A CSO dedicated to empowering underprivileged girls, offering Dorica a lifeline to a brighter future.
“Mzati CSO made a significant impact on my life. It transformed my life by providing essential school supplies and sanitary pads. Previously, I suffered from period-related stress and was worried about facing embarrassing situations.” She explained.
The absence of dedicated change rooms for female students at the school increased the challenges they faced. Fortunately, the arrival of Mzati CSO brought relief. The CSO provided sanitary products and taught girls to sew their sanitary pads. It bought school uniforms and writing materials for those struggling to meet these needs. It also established the Bwalo la Atsikana initiative, an all-girls club, focused on discussion about sexual health, GBV prevention, and entrepreneurship. Mzati also invited professionals from different fields to motivate the girls through career talks.
Mrs Phiri, one of the teachers at the school, commended the initiative for igniting hope in young girls at the school who are performing wonders like Dorica did. She is very passionate about girl-child education and regularly makes follow-ups on her students. It is through her effort that she got to learn about Dorica’s situation and when an opportunity landed at the school, she recommended her and other girls. Before Mzati, Dorica also had a single pair of school uniform since her mother could not afford to buy them from the very little earnings, she gets from piece works that she does.
“The Bwalo la Atsikana Initiative received financial support from ArtGlo and created a safe space for the young girls to identify, learn and reflect about solutions to the problems they face through artistic expressions. The initiative also trained girls in basic life skills as well as created a conducive environment for the members to discuss about GBV that they face or others have faced.” Explained Lawrence Kumpama, the Executive Director of Mzati CSO.
He added that the girls were also provided with information about referral and reporting structures such as the mothergroup, the police, and one-stop centers which Mzati was working with. At the beginning of each school year, the CSO organizes open days where outstanding performers at the school, including boys, are given awards.
Through the Make Art for Sustainable Action (MAWA) three-year-long project (2020-2023), ArtGlo worked with local CSOs passionate about challenging social and patriarchal norms that perpetrate gender inequality and fuel GBV. Dorica is one of the girls who has been able to challenge these norms by becoming the first female student to be the highest at her school and consequently proceeding to tertiary education.
We extend gratitude to the United Nations Trust Fund (UNTF) for supporting the MAWA project which continues to transform the lives of young girls like Dorica.
