Redburn Atlantic & The Egmont Trust

Working together to transform the lives of women and girls in Malawi

Redburn Atlantic is raising money to support Egmont Partner, Girls Empowerment Network (GENET), in Malawi, who support girls impacted by extreme poverty and HIV & AIDS to improve their future opportunities.

Through mentorship, mental health care and academic assistance, they are supported to remain in school, while their families are provided with business training and income support to provide for the family long-term.

We are very grateful for the support of everyone at Redburn Atlantic for this vital work.

Support and empower girls to change their communities and work towards better, fairer and safer lives.

Your donation, in its entirety, will go to GENET in Malawi. GiftAid your donation to add 25%.

Girls Empowerment Network

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world: over 70% of the population lives on less than $1.90 a day and 63% of children live in poverty. Blantyre, where GENET operate, is Malawi’s second largest city and has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world at 18%.

Young women and girls growing up in this context face many challenges. Only one in five will complete secondary school and 42% of girls in Malawi will experience physical violence before their 18th birthday.

GENET work to improve the safety and life chances of young girls in Malawi, reducing their vulnerability to HIV & AIDS and empowering them to advocate for gender equality and pursue financial independence. Through school-based clubs, GENET work with girls and boys who live in poverty, are victims of sexual abuse or are living with HIV.

Children receive mentorship and academic support, as well as mental health care from trained counsellors. Girls learn about gender-based violence, children’s rights, and are given a vision for their futures beyond marriage and children, while boys learn how to respect and champion girls in their schools.

GENET support the most economically vulnerable children with school fees to keep them in school in the short term, while also providing training and capital support for caregivers’ businesses, ensuring their families can provide longer term.

In their current Egmont-funded project, GENET are expanding their work into five new schools and are establishing new school clubs for 360 pupils and training teachers to support them, they are also providing the most vulnerable children with school bursaries and equipment, while supporting their families to build a sustainable income for the whole family..

A case study from GENET: The story of one young girl who has been supported by GENET to continue attending school.

Joana is 15 years old and attends Mpapa Primary School. She lives in Mpelera, a village on the rural outskirts of Blantyre. There is only one borehole which always has a long queue and sometimes runs out of water completely. Many families in the village cannot provide food for their children and Joana’s parents struggled to feed and clothe her and her two siblings. Joana wakes up at 5am every morning to draw water and look for firewood before going to school.

On a recent trip to Malawi, we met Joana and asked about the difference GENET has made to her life:

“Before, I went to school without eating and had a dirty uniform because we didn’t have soap to wash our clothes. I also couldn’t afford any notebooks. I didn’t want to go to school because people laughed at me.”

With a seed loan from GENET, Joana’s mother started a business selling fruit. The income it provides has been transformational for Joana and her siblings:

“Because of GENET and my mum’s business, I now come to school having eaten and my uniform is clean. I am happy to come to school. My brother is in nursery and my younger sister is at school too. My mum can cover our notebooks and fees.”

Joana is part of the GENET ‘She Dreams’ Club at her school, where girls are encouraged to have a dream and plan for the future. Joana’s favourite subject is maths and she dreams of becoming a bank manager.

“Because of ‘She Dreams’, I have a dream to become a bank manager. I come to school to achieve my dream and also to teach other girls about what I have been through and what you can achieve.”