CRECCOM Showcases Girls’ Empowerment Efforts at International Day of the Girl Child in Dedza

The Principal Secretary for Gender, Dr. Esmie Kainja, visits the CRECCOM exhibition pavilion to appreciate ongoing initiatives promoting girls’ education and empowerment.

The Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM) joined national commemorations for the International Day of the Girl Child held at Inkosini Resource Centre Ground, Traditional Authority Kachindamoto in Dedza. This year’s event was celebrated under the theme “The Girl I Am, the Change I Lead in the Frontline of Crisis.” The ceremony was presided over by the Principal Secretary for Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Dr. Esmie Kainja, and brought together government officials, NGOs, development partners, and community leaders to honour girls’ leadership, resilience, and agency.

Principal Secretary Dr. Esmie Kainja addresses attendees with a powerful message on advancing girls’ rights, education, and leadership during the International Day of the Girl Child celebrations.

As the current holder of the Best NGO in Girl Education and Transparency Award, CRECCOM showcased its flagship interventions promoting girls’ education, empowerment, and skills development. These included the Let Girls Learn II Project (Echidna Giving), She Creates Change (Room to Read), Green Jobs for Adolescents and Youth (Save the Children), the BEFIT Digital Learning Program (Government of Malawi), psychosocial support for girls under the Girls Opportunity Alliance, and the Girls Get Equal initiative (Plan International). CRECCOM also highlighted its role in education systems research through the Network for Education Systems Transformation (NEST) supported by the Brookings Institution.

In her remarks, Dr. Kainja emphasised the importance of sustained investment in girls’ potential.“When we educate, protect, and empower a girl, we secure the wellbeing of an entire community. Malawi’s development depends on girls who are confident, skilled, and supported to lead change,” she said.

Schoolgirls present a lively performance highlighting their confidence, leadership, and the spirit of this year’s International Day of the Girl Child theme.

The commemorations also honoured the legacy of the late Traditional Authority Kachindamoto, celebrated nationwide for her courageous work in ending child marriages and defending girls’ education. Her final message—“I am a girl, I have a future, I have the power to change things”—was echoed throughout the event, reinforcing the day’s theme and inspiring hundreds of girls in attendance.

Stakeholders collectively called for strengthened collaboration among government, communities, parents, and partners to advance girls’ education, health, economic participation, and climate resilience. CRECCOM reaffirmed its commitment to championing girl-focused programming and to continuing its work in ensuring that every girl in Malawi has the opportunity to learn, lead, and thrive.

CRECCOM staff stand ready at the pavilion, engaging visitors and showcasing the organisation’s interventions in girls’ education, empowerment, and community mobilisation.