In many parts of Africa, adolescent girls still face significant barriers—limited access to health services, inadequate education, and social stigma. These challenges don’t just hinder their personal growth – they can silence potential leaders and changemakers. But what if, instead of being held back, these girls were equipped and supported to lead?? That’s the goal of the Graça Machel Trust, to be achieved one Nest at a time.
Photo: Adolescent girls actively engage in interactive sessions facilitated by peer “Eagles,” developing confidence, leadership skills, and amplifying their voices through the Malawi Nest initiative.
In March 2025, the Trust launched a new Nest in Malawi, marking another significant step forward in the Pan-African Adolescent Girls Movement. In partnership with the Campaign for Adolescent Health Education, Sanitation, and Hygiene (CAHESH), this initiative ensures adolescent girls—especially those with disabilities—gain essential access to education, health resources, and leadership training.
In Malawi, as in many countries across the continent, young girls often face inequity, including cultural taboos, poor sanitation infrastructure, inadequate sexual and reproductive health education, and limited leadership opportunities. For girls with disabilities, these challenges are even more acute.
Photo: Girls collaboratively engage in creative group activities, crafting educational materials to address key issues like teenage pregnancy through the Malawi Nest initiative.
This is where the Nest model makes a difference. By creating safe, supportive spaces led by young facilitators known as “Eagles,” the programme empowers girls to take control of their futures. These spaces offer more than education—they ignite transformation.
Partnerships that drive change
The success of the Malawi Nest relies heavily on collaboration. Working closely with CAHESH, the Trust engages local communities and networks, ensuring programmes reflect the lived realities of the girls involved. By addressing gaps in education and hygiene, they create scalable solutions that uplift broader communities.
Photo: Joyful participants and facilitators celebrate the launch of the Malawi Nest, showcasing the vibrant energy and community spirit at the heart of the Pan-African Adolescent Girls Movement.
Dalree de Lange, Senior Programme Officer at the Trust, explains: “We gathered to establish a new Nest in Malawi and trained eagle facilitators from five different schools to begin sub-national nests in their zones.
Investing in future leaders
The numbers are compelling. Ten Eagle facilitators, aged 10 to 16, have already been trained to deliver three tailored modules within their communities. Module 1 reached 60 adolescent girls, and plans are to involve an additional 410 girls between April and June. These young facilitators are not only learning but mentoring peers and amplifying the programme’s impact.
The network now comprises six national Nests across South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Malawi. By year-end, the Trust’s Pan-African Girls Movement aims to expand to Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Rwanda. With continued support from partners like CAHESH, the movement is building spaces where adolescent girls can gain knowledge, develop confidence, and step into leadership roles.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.