Mphatso Zathu Foundation (MZF) is a nonprofit organization based in Malawi with a mission to empower girls and women by providing education support and promoting human rights. The organization addresses a range of issues affecting adolescent girls, including child marriage, menstrual health and hygiene, and climate change. MZF also engages in advocacy and works with stakeholders at the local, national, and global levels to promote gender equity and the rights of women, girls, and other groups facing discrimination.
In the Blantyre District of Malawi, where MZF implements many of its programs, adolescent girls are at a high risk for dropping out of school. Period poverty, defined as a lack of access to proper menstrual products and education, contributes to this problem. Many cannot afford products and schools lack proper sanitation facilities, which means girls often do not attend school during their period. Additionally, taboos associated with menstruation cause shame among girls and discourage them from seeking support when they have questions related to their health and bodies. Consequently, many girls fall behind in their classes or leave school altogether, which increases the risk of early marriages and pregnancies.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will support a project focused on health and economic empowerment. The project will be implemented in three local schools wherein more than 150 girls dropped out during the 2024 school year. MZF will establish girls’ clubs within the schools and teach girls about menstrual health management and reproductive health. MZF will also work with mothers and other local women so that girls have support at home and in their communities as they continue their education.
MZF will directly reach 800 adolescent girls with its project. The organization ultimately aims to reduce the stigmas associated with menstruation, increase school attendance rates, and enable girls to learn with dignity, free of shame or fear. MZF hopes to disrupt the pervasive cycle of school dropouts, unplanned pregnancies, and early marriages which currently limit girls’ potential in the Blantyre district.
To learn more about MZF, please visit the organization’s website and Facebook page.
See more projects: Africa, Education, Health & Wellbeing, Menstrual Health