Determined to Develop recognizes that its mission of empowering youth through education would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our local schools and their staff. Educators in our area confront several challenges to education, with limited resources at their disposal and large numbers of students in their classrooms.…
Girls account for the majority of youth in Malawi who do not attend school because of economic hardship or other unfavorable circumstances. In fact, only 27% of Malawian girls enroll in secondary school, and over half of girls in northern Malawi are married by the age of 18 (World Bank).…
The Residential Youth Program is D2D’s second-largest program and one that is very close to our hearts. This program provides the opportunity for vulnerable youth to have a safe, supportive, and structured family-oriented home life, where they may concentrate on their education and personal development. Presently, D2D houses 44 youth…
Summer holiday at D2D is as fun as it is busy, with all 45 residential youth back on campus enjoying their time off. The two-month holiday is especially memorable, allowing the boys to come together for quality time, as many of our residential youth attend boarding schools during the school…
The Girls’ Empowerment Program has been a main focus for Determined to Develop as a way to strengthen girls’ agency to overcome obstacles that often hinder their educational and personal development. Our program consists of three separate initiatives, all focused on creating a platform for female youth to realize their…
Another summer has come and gone with our University of Dayton (UD) student visitors, making it our tenth consecutive year to host the students. The group comprises three programs, the Malawi Research Practicum, Education Practicum, and ETHOS. The Practicum and education students depart July 17th, after staying for eight weeks,…
Each year, Determined to Develop hosts a Cultural Day as a way of celebrating and honoring Malawian culture with members of the Chilumba community. We were lucky to have a diverse group of attendees, among which were Wasambo Boys High School staff and students, D2D youth club members, Group Village…
One barrier to educational attainment faced by girls in Malawi is inadequate menstruation education and access to sanitary products. Lacking sanitary products often leads to school absenteeism and dropout, furthering inequity in girls’ education. This is why the D2D Girls’ Club curriculum includes menstruation education lessons and sanitary pad making.…
Welcome to Robert Chikwezga, who joins us as the new Residential House Manager! Robert is a former residential youth himself, who will graduate from the University of Livingstonia this year with a degree in Environmental Management. “I chose to study Environmental Management because there is an increase in demand and…
We are excited to see two sponsored students complete their first term of technical college! Yalenga and Glory have been sponsored by D2D since 2015 at the start of their second year of secondary school (high school). As regular members of Girls Club, they remained involved in the program after…