Two years ago, Beatrice walked back into Chikande 1 Primary School in Ntcheu, the same classrooms where she once sat as a student, now welcomed her as a mother and against all odds, a student once again.
At 20 years old, Beatrice has already faced life-changing challenges. In 2021, while in Standard 6, she became pregnant and married off to the man responsible. She is now a mother of one.
At first, the marriage flourished, but soon, her husband began having affairs and impregnated another girl. Beatrice knew she deserved better. With quiet determination, she ended the marriage and returned home to live with her two brothers. Her parents had divorced years earlier and remarried, leaving the siblings to rely on each other.
But Beatrice refused to let her story end there.
Driven by a fierce desire to rebuild her future, Beatrice turned to her aunt for help in returning to school. Her aunt appealed to the teachers at Chikande 1 Primary School in GVH Ostin, under Senior Chief Makwangwala, for a second chance. The school welcomed her with open arms.
“it’s not about finding a job after school, when you are educated, you make smart choices”. say Beatrice.
Balancing motherhood and studies hasn’t been easy. Her son attends a nearby Community-Based Childcare Center (CBCC), and sometimes, he stops by her classroom. But Beatrice doesn’t mind. “When he comes, it doesn’t distract me. I check on him, and then he goes home,” she says with a smile.
Though some teachers doubted she would last, Beatrice has proven them wrong. Now in Standard 7, she is writing her final exams and expects to rank among the top ten students in her class, as she did in the first term.
Her older brother, the family’s breadwinner, supports them through his phone repair business at Pengapenga Trading Center. He ensures Beatrice and her son have the school materials they need.
Her teacher, Mrs. Funsani, beams with pride. “At our school, we tell our girls: ‘School doesn’t wait, marriage does,’” she says. Beatrice embodies that message.
Thanks to Girls Solidarity Clubs established by Save the Children Malawi through the Abwenzi A Ana program, with YODEP as implementing partner, Beatrice has become a mentor to other girls. She encourages them to focus on education rather than rushing into marriage.
“If you decide to marry, go into it with something to rely on, not your husband,” she advises.
