Our Work

Malawi is in desperate need of qualified women to solve the region’s development issues but statistics predict that most girls will never make it past the fifth grade. Nationwide, less than one quarter of female students who enroll in secondary education finish all four years of high school.  AGE Scholars’ pass rates are approximately triple the national average, and our retention rate has been perfect since 2008.

AGE Africa’s mission is to create life-changing opportunities for young women in Malawi through targeted initiatives in education, mentoring and leadership development.

Our vision is that all girls in Africa will have equal access to secondary education, and that young scholars will be empowered through their own learning to finish school and become leaders in their communities and beyond.

In the short-term AGE Africa’s goal is to graduate talented and disadvantaged young women who are equipped with the knowledge, resources, and self-confidence they need to make healthy and informed choices about their futures.

In the long-term AGE Africa seeks to narrow the retention gap, and produce better outcomes for girls nationwide by creating a model for girls’ achievement and retention in public school that can inform public education throughout the country.

Meet Three Generations:

In 2010, AGE scholar Emmie Chilenga became the first woman in three generations of her family to finish high school. Emmie’s story is not unusual-most of AGE Africa’s students will be first generation high school graduates. This is no small accomplishment in Malawi, a country where 50% of adolescent girls are married by the age of 18, and 20% bear children by the age of 15. AGE transforms lives, by providing comprehensive educational opportunities for our young women. To learn more about how, visit our activities page!