Summary
Impoverished adolescent girls in Mchinji face enormous obstacles to completing education needed for self-supporting work. Girl Empowerment to Rise and Shine (GERIS) programme paves a path to success through a comprehensive program focusing on health education, positive relationships, life skills and girls’ rights. Community women are trained to serve as mentors, and professional women provide vocational guidance. With effective support, girls learn to Rise Up instead of giving up
Challenge
Impoverished adolescent girls in rural western Malawi, many of whom have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and live without strong adult support, face enormous obstacles to completing education needed for self-supporting work and livelihood. Family pressures and responsibilities, sexual exploitation that often leads to pregnancy, and cultural norms which discourage equal opportunities all diminish girls’ futures.
Solution
GERIS equips girls to stay in school and make healthy choices through girls’ clubs focusing on health education, positive relationships, life skills, and girls’ rights. Local women are trained as mentors to offer guidance and support, and women professionals inspire and provide vocational guidance.
Long-Term Impact
Girls’ lives are transformed when they are given the skills, information, and support needed to make confident and healthy decisions, and to establish and work towards goals which develop their full potential.
$10 (USD) purchases a one year supply of feminine hygiene products for 1 girl, allowing her to attend school regularly
$30 (USD) funds one middle school girls’ club meeting, benefiting 150 girls
$50 (USD) purchases a school uniform and supplies needed for 1 secondary school girl to attend school
$60 (USD) trains one community woman to serve as mentor, benefiting 5 girls
$75 (USD) contributes to vocational counseling and psychosocial support for 1 secondary school girl
$120 (USD) sends 4 secondary school girls to a weekend leadership development program
$500 (USD) will provide one year university scholarship for our highest achieving girl
CISE Malawi 
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