Mamie Martin Fund

The Mamie Martin Fund (MMF) was established in 1993 to support the education of girls in the secondary schools run by the Synod of Livingstonia, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) in Northern Malawi. We now also work through and with the Diocese of Karonga and Mchengautuba Community Day Secondary School.

In Malawi, the net female secondary attendance ratio is 34% (Unicef: October 2015). MMF’s goal is to enable more young women to complete their secondary schooling and therefore to contribute to the long-term development of their country. In addressing the aims of the Sustainable Development Goals – No 4 relates to education – Unicef acknowledges that “Educating girls, in particular, has a ‘multiplier effect’. Educated girls are more likely to marry later and have fewer children, who in turn will be more likely to survive and to be better nourished and educated.

Educated women are more productive at home and better paid in the workplace, and more able to participate in social, economic and political decision-making.” To that effect, the Mamie Martin Fund gives direct support to the girls most in need covering the cost of boarding (where appropriate) and school fees. Our ‘Ready to Learn’ project can also offer our girls some help with travel, uniforms and other necessities.

The beneficiaries are selected by the schools and our work is Malawi is overseen by an MMF Committee composed of school Heads, the MMF Manager and the Education Directors of partner organisations. In 2019/20 MMF is supporting a total of 138 girls, in six secondary schools: Bandawe Girls Secondary School; Karonga Girls Secondary School, Elangeni Secondary School Embagweni Secondary School for Deaf Children, Mchengautuba Community Day Secondary School and St Mary’s Karonga.

In June 2016 the Mamie Martin Fund established a formal partnership with the Soko Fund, an Edinburgh-based charity funding tertiary education for girls in Malawi. We are always eager to hear and learn from other organisations engaged in similar work.