The Graça Machel Trust has been running a Youth Advocates programme. This is a mentorship programme targeting young people from Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia on how to champion Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) in their countries. In this series we bring you the people behind the programme - the
 This year, the 33rd Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) took place between 13th and 20th March 2019. The Trust Child Rights team took part in the sessions which focused on; Consideration of five (5) state party reports from the following State Parties;
 Meet 18 year old Pili Nyairaa one the many success stories coming out from the Mara Out of School programme. Pili lives with her grandmother who survives on cattle farming and was forced to leave school in order to help on the farm and with other household chores until 2017 when she got an
Some of the trainers, para-professionals and students supported by the programme  The Trust has been working in the Mara region of Tanzania, to get at least 20,000 children who were out of school back into school. This project that has been underway since July 2016 identified and helped prepare children to be
The Graça Machel Trust, (GMT), the Nelson Mandela Childrenâs Fund, (NMCF) and the Foundation for Community Development (FDC) are greatly concerned about the unfolding effects of Cyclone Idai across parts of Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The increasing death toll and numbers of women and children uncounted for is extremely worrisome. The devastation has left communities
Christina and the mayor after the meeting Graça Machel Trust Youth Advocate, Christina Chilimba was part of the team of youth leaders who met with Mayor of Blantyre, His Worship Councillor Wild Ndipo, to present and come up with solutions to some of the challenges the youth are facing in their youth development
âQuality of education is a sine qua non condition for children and youth to grasp the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Centuryâ- Graça Machel.     The Graça Machel Trust, through its Childrenâs Rights Programme recognises the International Day of Education which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 03
Nqobile Masondo is one of the beneficiaries of the Graça Machel Scholarship programme who graduated with a doctoral degree in Botany in 2018. She shares her academic journey and her thoughts on the importance of education.  âIt was expected of me to go to university. My brothers and sisters expected me to go to
 âEach of you young people is doing amazing work, but alone you are a drop. You must join with others to become a river and then an ocean.â- Graça Machel.   On the 1st of December, 2018 Mrs. Machel gave an interview to Loyiso Madinga at the Goalkeepers event. The interview session titled âThe
  Today is the International Day of the Girl Child. A day set aside by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate the girl child, who often is left behind in development. This yearâs theme is With Her: A Skilled Girl Force. As the Graça Machel Trust, this day is very special for us
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs 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 Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ 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 Trustâs 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 motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.