Hi, I’m Racheal, a nurse and second lieutenant from Malawi - Video Transcript
Racheal, CAMFED Association member, Malawi Hi, everyone. I’m Racheal Banda, a CAMFED Association member from Nkhata Bay, Malawi. I work as a nurse and also as a second lieutenant in the Malawi Defense force.
Text on screen What is your role as a nurse and as a second lieutenant?
Racheal, CAMFED Association member, Malawi As a nurse my role does not only include caring for the sick, but also as an educator, a researcher, a manager and also an advocator. Most of the time, we nurses we’re in the position where we advocate for our clients and also our patients. When we’re working in our wards we manage my fellow nurses and also the resources that we have, that we’re supposed to use in the wards.
I’ve been a nurse for two years. And the time I was working as a midwife, mostly we would meet young girls and young women coming to the labor ward and I would find that time to reach out to young women about the dangers of getting pregnant early and the importance of continuing with her education.
Text on screen Can you tell us about the day you met the president?
Racheal, CAMFED Association member, Malawi On the 2nd of November, the day I went to the state house, it was inauguration day for Poppy Week, in which we remember those who fought in World War Two and World War One. So my job the day I went to meet the President as a nurse was just to pin the poppy on the President’s jacket as one way of fundraising. So the President was buying the poppy as one way of fundraising for those veterans, those people that they fought during the Second World War and First World War, and also those that are retired.
Text on screen What do you do as a CAMFED Association member?
Racheal, CAMFED Association member, Malawi Since I joined CAMFED Association in 2014, I’ve been active. Mostly, I attend meetings with my friends. We go for different philanthropic activities, doing role modeling sessions, encouraging our fellow CAMFED Association members who have not maybe done well in their Form 4 exams to go back to school. If they did not do well in MSCE (Malawi School Certificate of Education), they can pursue other things.
And also last year during the dialogue that we used to have every Friday, I pledged to pay school fees for one college student for a semester which I’m fulfilling this year. I’ve paid school fees for one student at Kamuzu College of Nursing.
Text on screen How has your life changed since CAMFED’s support?
Racheal, CAMFED Association member, Malawi Before CAMFED, life wasn’t easy. As a young girl, I was lacking school fees, basic needs. But then, when CAMFED came in, my school was easy because I had tuition fees, I had everything that CAMFED paid for. I’m very proud of myself because I’ve managed to get that degree, I’ve managed to reach this far, to join Malawi Defense Force. I’ve managed to help my siblings with school fees. I take myself as a hard worker and most resilient young woman. And it’s something that my fellow young women admire of me.
Text on screen Why is girls’ education so important?
Racheal, CAMFED Association member, Malawi Educating a girl child is very important because if you educate a girl child, you easily make informed decisions regarding your health, regarding who you marry. When it comes to a game changer, you can say someone who takes risks, someone who does things differently from others and who’s willing to sacrifice their own resources to get things done. Thank you very much.