The K.I.N.D. Fund Opens Doors to Education in Malawi
Founded by UNICEF and MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, the K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks) Fund provides desks for schools in Malawi and scholarship support to help girls graduate from high school and move confidently in the direction of their dreams.
Investing in girls' education transforms communities
Public high school isn't free in Malawi, and the girls' graduation rate is less than half the boys' graduation rate. Girls are less likely to be able to afford school fees and more likely to drop out and marry early, cutting them off from their full potential.
To improve Malawi's education outcomes, UNICEF and MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell teamed up in 2010 to launch the K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks) Fund. By 2023, the K.I.N.D. Fund had delivered more than 385,000 desks to schools across the country, benefiting over 1.5 million students, and provided high school scholarships to nearly 29,000 teenage girls.
The K.I.N.D. Fund keeps girls in school
One of those girls is 18-year-old Chisomo Daimon from Nsanje District in Malawi's Southern Region. She loves learning and excelled in her classes, but in 2020, when she was in Form 2, she was sent home from school for nearly a week because her family couldn't afford to pay her outstanding fees.
In 2021, with education expenses still out of reach, Chisomo was on the verge of dropping out when she received support from K.I.N.D., covering her school fees and basic needs including school uniforms, shoes, a school bag and exercise books.
Next stop: university
By her first year of high school, Chisomo had already mapped out her future career path: pharmacist. She worked hard at Bangula Secondary School, receiving the highest test scores in her high school class of 151 girls. She threw herself into her studies "so the one who is paying my school fees should feel proud ... your school fees did not go to waste," she told O'Donnell.
Chisomo was thrilled when she learned she had been accepted to Mzuzu University in northern Malawi — but how could she afford it?
In a video featured on MSNBC's "The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell," Chisomo learned that O'Donnell himself had arranged to cover all her university fees and expenses — helping to keep her dreams within reach.
The stunned look on her face soon turned to joy and excitement.
"I am so very happy!" Chisomo said. "I expect to do well in my courses, so that at the end, I will get my degree, and get a job, so that UNICEF should feel proud of me."
Her message to K.I.N.D.? "Continue supporting other girls."
Investing in girls’ education transforms lives and brightens futures. Families, communities and economies are strengthened. The K.I.N.D. Fund continues to provide students with the support they need to keep learning and thriving. Help children in Malawi reach their full potential. Please donate today.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
