The K.I.N.D. Fund Helps Girls in Malawi Stay in School
UNICEF and Lawrence O'Donnell's K.I.N.D. Fund gave 15-year-old aspiring doctor Joyce Chisale the power — and the platform — to change her world.
The world’s 600 million adolescent girls have what it takes to be the innovators, artists, scientists and mentors of tomorrow. But, today, poverty, violence and lack of opportunity prevent 130 million of them from getting the education they need to reach their potential.
After her father lost his job and could no longer afford her school fees, Joyce Chisale, a 15-year-old from Malawi, was nearly forced to give up on her dreams. The poorest country in the world, Malawi sees far too many of its girls drop out due to the high cost of education, early pregnancy and child marriage.
Without a miracle, Joyce, a straight-A student, seemed destined for that very same fate. But she got a second chance when she was awarded a scholarship from The K.I.N.D. Fund, a partnership between MSNBC's Lawrence O’Donnell and UNICEF to provide schools with desks and girls with tuition.
“Without being able to go back to school, my life would have been miserable,” says Joyce, who earns the highest marks in everything from the Chichewa language to biology to history. “Maybe I would have been married, maybe I would have just stayed home with my parents.”
Now Joyce is out in the world, studying hard in hopes of being a doctor one day. She’s also a prolific poet who writes verses of encouragement to help girls who aren’t as fortunate as she find the will and a way to stay in school.
But judging from the reception she received during her visit to the U.S. this past summer, girls in Malawi aren't the only ones she's inspired to aim high. One of the stops on her tour was a Brooklyn school, where the students were transformed by the peace walk they held to raise money for the K.I.N.D. Fund.
"When I heard and saw Joyce today, I felt like Robin from Batman, because like, you know how Robin is Batman’s sidekick," said Genesis, clearly starstruck by Joyce and proud to have been able to help. "I felt like I was in the presence of a leader."
Meet Happiness Ndawu, another girl from Malawi, now in high school thanks to the K.I.N.D. Fund.
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.
