Christina - Video Transcript

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Christina When I close my eyes now and see my future. I see it brighter. Brighter and brighter, that I need sunglasses to make it visible. Because since CAMFED is there for me, now I realize that I can reach everywhere I want.

My name is Christina, from Mwanza district [in Malawi].

Before CAMFED I was facing a lot of challenges. For example, lack of school fees, some groceries.

The difficulties which I faced were hindering me from performing [well] at class.

After just hearing that CAMFED can be able to pay school fees and provide some sort of basic needs, I was happy.

We also received blankets, bed sheets, school shoes, uniform that my parents were not able to provide. So I was happy.

After receiving support a lot of things changed. For example, my performance improved. During that time I was not one of CAMFED’s beneficiaries, my examinations were not just good. We were having week-end tests, I was performing poor, but after that support, I managed to be the highest in most of the subjects like that time in history, English, French, I was on top like three after that support and I was able to beat boys. I was just glad.

Text over moving imagery Students in CAMFED partner schools receive additional psychosocial support in the form of Teacher Mentors – government teachers trained in guidance and counseling.

Christina My Teacher Mentor was just [like] my mother, because each and every time she was here for me, advising me, giving me guidance and counseling, and she was also my role model because seeing her in that position, I was admiring her that one day it should be me in that position.

Eliza, Teacher Mentor I’ve been a Teacher Mentor for almost ten years. I was one of the first girls in my home village to do well with education. So that motivated me. And then I thought I should go on encouraging girls.

Christina is just so very good. From when we identified her as a needy student, but who has the potential, I always worked hand in hand to see how she was performing in the class, what she was doing, and indeed she is hard working,

Christina It was just an exciting thing for me to pass [my exams] with ten points [a highest score], because most of the time the highest are boys, so I was just proud of myself to make it. I feel great. I don’t know how to explain. I was just…!

Girls at first, they were not believing themselves that they can do it. Then after me scoring that grades, girls now have been boosted in terms of self-confidence because they are now realizing that they can also make it by taking me as their example.

To be a part of CAMA [the CAMFED Association], it’s my passion now. We share our experiences, we share some solutions to our challenges which we face. We meet agricultural guides, business guides.

I’m also a Transition Guide, I provide transition sessions to my fellow friends. Because after finishing school, we face a lot of challenges. And in that transition manual, there are a lot of modules, like ‘My Wellbeing’ – how we can express ourselves well, how we can manage money. In ‘My Rights, My Choices,’ we learn about sexually transmitted infections. So these things help my young fellow friends because they are some sort of solutions to their challenges.

Now, my plans, I want to open youth clubs in my community that will be there to teach girls what they can do mostly to be successful in life.

I want to help my community and develop it, and once again, I want to be a great role model in my community to make girls believe in themselves that they can really make it in life.