Graça Machel, Founder, Graça Machel Trust  In 2005, Nelson Mandela announced to the world that his son, Makgatho, had died of an AIDS-related illness. âLet us give publicity to HIV/AIDS and not hide it,â he pleaded. It was a brave move at a time when the disease still carried tremendous stigmaâand one that marked
By Graça Machel, Chair, International Board of Trustees, African Child Policy Forum  We find ourselves at the crossroads of a very opportune time for Africa. The continent has the fastest growing population in the world. The stark reality of this demographic trend is that now, more than ever, it is of critical importance to
By: Graça Machel, Board Chair, African Child Policy Forum (ACPF)  The legendary editor of the Guardian newspaper, CP Scott, famously declared that âComment is free, but facts are sacred.â Unfortunately, when it comes to hard evidence on how many children worldwide are locked up in prisons, detention centres, migrant and refugee camps, rehabilitation units or
23 October, 2018  On October 27, Mrs Graça Machel will be honoured for her contribution towards the health and wellbeing of children by the Nicklaus Childrenâs Hospital in Miami. The honour will see Mrs Machel getting her place in the Ambassador David M. Walters International Paediatric Hall of Fame.  This is her third
13 September, 2018  The Graça Machel Trust has learnt with great disappointment of an alleged Graça Machel scholarship fund that has been run in Zimbabwe with letters signed by a Hopewell Chinâono and dated 13 July 2018. The scam is being perpetrated by individuals that have misappropriated the name and logo of Mrs Graça
26 April 2018,  Panel of respected international development experts select celebrated Mozambican as this yearâs Laureate  The 2018 World Prize for Integrated Development is awarded to Mrs Graça Machel for her significant social justice achievements and tireless work on behalf of women and children. In particular, Mrs Machel is recognised for her leadership of
By Nomsa Daniels, CEO of the Graça Machel Trust  Global and continental research indicates that gender parity in childrenâs education and gender equality remains a big issue. According to UNESCO data, over 235 million children are out of school globally, with Africa having the highest rates of exclusion. This means that on my own continent
For immediate release Lilongwe, 12 March 2018  Mrs. Graça Machel, the Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, and an international advocate for women and children, will be visiting Lilongwe - Malawi from 13th to 16th March, 2018 to hold meetings with Government Ministers, members of the parliament, the United Nations family of organisations, civil
7 April, 2017 Most often in Africa, the smaller the village and remote it is the more it is synonymous with poverty and malnutrition. This is not the case with the small village of Rondo, south eastern Tanzania where women in that community have simply refused to watch their children die or suffer from stunting
First Malabo Biennial Report: Good Progress but More Remains to be done. 30 January 2018  CARE International (CI), the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) and the Food, Agriculture Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) welcome the first Malabo Biennial Report on the Malabo Commitment to accelerate Agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved
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.