Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world and YOCODESOP with its small local contributions does its part to help the refugee community and its surroundings in Malawi with some school items for the adolescent especially the orphans and girls to achieve their goals.

Since the 1970, Malawi has been a host to asylum seekers fleeing from liberation and civil wars in Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and the Zaire/Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a signatory to international legal instruments governing refugees and asylum seekers, Malawi, whose constitution advocates for education rights for all, is obligated to host the refugees and provide for their needs such as pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education, health, and security.

Adolescent living in Dzaleka Camp and surrounding villages are facing multiple barriers that prevent them from enjoying their rights and realizing their full potential. In Dzaleka, refugees are not allowed to work or to move outside the Camp, resulting in poverty that often means girls are unable to go to school. Most of families cannot afford the costs of scholastic materials including school uniforms, books, bags, shoes, pens, pencils, etc. They prioritize essential needs such as food and shelter, as well as sending boys to school, over girls’ education. Likewise, poverty drives most of families to marry their daughters in exchange for a dowry as a way to cope with economic hardship. As reported, many adolescent girls in Dzaleka Camp and surrounding villages are forced into marriage at 13 or 14 years old and dropped out of school

Under the Education Program in our community and its surroundings, YOCODESOP is working to advance a future where every Adolescent has the opportunity to go to school, stay in school, and reach her full potential. YOCODESOP need some different partners to eliminate violence in schools, make the school environment safe for every child, as well as to ensure that adolescent especially girls in Dzaleka Camp and surrounding villages are healthy, safe and educated. The most vulnerable schoolgirls receive materials needs.

 The program also builds toilets and creates access to water in schools in order to keep learning environments safe and healthy. YOCDESOP also encourage school Adolescent to remain in schools and attend all lessons even during their menses through provision of sustainable sanitary pads, underwear. However, we provide life skills, job skills, and literacy and numeracy skills for out-of-school girls and illiterate teen mothers. Families too poor to send their daughters to school are offered trainings in business development and provided microloans after the training is completed. With an increased income, these families can afford to educate their daughters.