As the oldest of five children in a family struggling to make ends meet, the odds were stacked against Thoko.
In Malawi, the pressure to marry off a daughter to reduce financial hardship can be intense. The country has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world, with nearly 1 out of 2 girls marrying before they turn 18. Once married, many girls aren’t able to continue with their education. Only 15% even start secondary school, let alone graduate.
Thoko’s parents could have made her drop out of school, because it was an expense they simply couldn’t afford. She could have walked down the aisle, instead of across the stage to receive her diploma. She could have had a child of her own, when she was still a child herself.
Like so many girls, Thoko could have been forced to sacrifice her future, because her family felt like they had no other options. But, fortunately, she didn’t have to.
When Thoko’s parents heard about Plan International’s sponsorship program, they decided to enroll their daughter. And that decision changed everything.
Through sponsorship, Plan helped reduce the financial hardship of paying for school by providing Thoko with school supplies. And, in order to help them build financial independence for the future, Thoko’s parents participated in a Plan training program that led them to set up a small business.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there. As the oldest daughter, Thoko was often left in charge while her parents were working. Between chores and caring for her siblings, there wasn’t a lot of spare time to study. It would have been easy to let her grades slip. But Thoko refused to let that happen. She kept up with her schoolwork, and even found time for extracurricular activities.
In 2015, she joined a child rights club set up by Plan at her school. Her confidence grew as she learned more about her rights as a girl. She became a peer educator and represented Plan International Malawi in meetings on preventing gender-based violence and workshops for girls’ empowerment at the district, national and international levels.
Thoko’s hard work and determination, paired with the support and encouragement of her sponsor, proved to be a powerful combination. She graduated with her Malawi School Certificate of Education. Then, Thoko found a job working for the Ministry of Health.
“As a health worker, I can reach out to people in my community, including adolescents and young mothers on topics such as sexual reproductive health,” Thoko says.
As part of her job, Thoko visits youth clubs and primary schools to teach students about their rights and address the cultural barriers that encourage gender-based violence.
“I think I have inspired a lot of girls to work hard in school,” Thoko says. “I am a role model for girls in my community, showing them that they can make it too. As an empowered woman, I am able to empower other women through my work as a health worker.”
Thoko is grateful for the opportunity to give back.
“I love that Plan International did not just help me as a child, but followed up with me until I was financially independent as an adult,” she says. “It has really helped me, and now I am helping others in my community too.”
