Ninety learners from Mpirisi Community Day Secondary School in Traditional Authority Kachenga's area, Balaka—70% of whom are girls—are now skilled in developing computer programs, studying online, and more, thanks to the "Malawi Girls Can Code" training project led by UN Women.

One of the beneficiaries, 16-year-old Form 4 student Faith Chitenjere, shared that the training enabled her to create a computer program to assist students in solving mathematics problems and even developing computer games.

The "Malawi Girls Can Code" project, according to UN Women Deputy Country Director Fatima Muhammad, aims to boost girls' interest in ICT and increase the number pursuing science-related programs in universities.

Additionally, Mpirisi CDSS Head Teacher Jaffar Chibwana noted that the project has significantly improved the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) pass rate, which rose from 43% last year to 56% this year.

This improvement is partly attributed to solar lights introduced as part of the project, which have extended students' study hours, said Chibwana.

Launched in 2024, the project concludes this year and has benefited 14 schools across Mzimba, Dowa, and Balaka—four of which are in Balaka.

(Written By Winnie Luwembe)