The international organization’s programmes area manager, Daniel Kapatuka, said on Thursday when handing over the hostel that girls should not be stopped in their education.

“We are pleased to have embarked on an initiative that today commands smiles from many, within Mulanje and beyond. Achieving the reality of strong girls and women contributing to a strong and healthy Malawi is not the responsibility of any one sector, ministry, or donor, but a collective responsibility.

“With every action we take, we are creating a new world with new rules;  where girls have power in all decisions affecting our lives; where girls are safe to speak up without fear and harassment; where the world stops promoting stereotypes,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Chrissy Phulanya, said the facility “has reduced distance we used to walk to access our right to education at the school.

“In my case, I used to walk over seven kilometer distance to get to school. As girls, we face many challenges along the way. Some boys could molest us and sometimes we choose to stay away from school in fear for that. That affects our performance negatively,” she said.

Director of administration in the ministry of education, Hillary Namainja, said Plan International Malawi has shot them in the arm in their quest to promote girl child education in the country.

“These beautiful hostels will build the capacity of learners and their aspirations with the support of their teachers,” he said.

Plan International Malawi has constructed the K150 million worth hostel after communities complained about the distance girls faced to access secondary school education.

The hostel has been decorated with paintings of female role models; Teresa Ndanga, chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi Chapter and Yolanda Kaunda, a first Malawi Airlines female captain, to inspire the girls that they can make it in life through education.