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Transforming Lives

Jofati reading out loud, thanks to EGRA

July 2014—In the rural outskirts of Lilongwe, Malawi, a 9-year-old boy named Jofati Levison stands in front of a wall with giant letters written across it. David Kaphikire, a parent from the same village, stands next to him. A crowd gathers as Jofati takes a breath and begins to speak in a loud, clear voice.

A volunteer teacher discusses the letter “n” at an after-school reading camp in Mbeti, Malawi.

June 2014—On a sunny Monday afternoon, dozens of children have gathered just outside the small village of Mbeti, Malawi. One group sits in a circle, reading a story about a hippo and a hare.

Stella reading out loud in front of her classmates.

June 2014—Like many girls in Malawi, 7-year-old Stella Chibonga did not feel safe at school. She hadn't yet mastered the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, and she performed far below grade level. She had trouble keeping up with the curriculum.

Rhoda Liwani and Frank Zagwa, smallholder farmers

May 2014—During the 2012-2013 growing season, many farmers in Malawi were affected by extended drought. But the Mtumbwe farmers of Balaka district were thriving, successfully selling their crops to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), earning profits as never before.

Photo of Malawian woman and man weaving baskets together

It is rare to find a woman in Malawi weaving baskets, a task considered only for men. Esmy Malufela, who lives in Njoloma village in the Chikumbu Traditional Authority of Mulanje district, is one of those rare women.

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