The Mamie Martin Fund (MMF) supports girls at secondary school in Northern Malawi. This is done in memory of Mamie Martin, a Scottish teacher in Nyasaland in the 1920s. In Malawi with her missionary husband, Jack, Mamie was shocked at the disparity in educational opportunity between boys and girls. She set up classes to support girls to continue their schooling. This year, the Mamie Martin Fund is 30 years old. As part of the celebrations, their Country Director, Mercy Sibande, will visit Scotland next month. Mercy strongly believes that ‘For our nation to develop, we need to be serious about girl-child education.’
Mercy manages the MMF work in Malawi. Each term she visits each of the 7 schools which MMF supports. She meets each of the 148 pupils, checks that they are comfortable attending school and have any support they need and encourages them in their schoolwork. These girls are selected by their school on the basis of need alone; they often need extra support such as for notebooks, soap, lotion etc. All MMF girls get reusable sanitary wear from Mercy – sourced from Supreme Malawi, a local business based in Nkhata Bay.
Girls’ education is a vital part of the development and prosperity of any nation. One of the first things to go in a family experiencing financial hardship is their daughters’ education. Mercy is passionate about the importance of educating the girl-child. She says:
“I would love to see a generation that has a lot of women who are empowered. For that dream to come to pass we really need girls that are educated. I have the same vision [as MMF] to have a generation of girls who can take up important positions in a male-dominated world.
When you educate a girl you are 100% sure that she will desire her own children to be educated. She is the mother of the nation. If we educate her, we educate the whole nation.”
You can meet Mercy at some public events during her stay. Alternatively, get in touch with MMF to arrange to see her at another time. The currently planned events where you can hear her speak and meet her are:
- The Cross Party Group, Scottish Parliament, Weds May 17th at 18:00
- The One World Shop, Edinburgh Weds May 24th 14:30–15:30
- Coffee Morning, Dalgety Parish Church, Fife Sat May 27th 10:00–12:30