Gravity of the school fees problem

In Malawi, there are a number of barriers to access to education and key among these that have been cited by numerous studies including the government and several other players in the education field is poverty. According to the World Bank report of December, 2025, 75% of the population in Malawi live on less than U$3 per day. With a huge population relying on subsistence farming, it’s an uphill task for most families to afford boarding fees in schools which usually hovers around $120 per term for most schools but can go much higher for others. This problem has for a long time contributed to very low secondary school completion rates and fuelling cases of early marriages when it comes to girls.

The new government realised the gravity of this problem and in a landmark historic reform, introduced free secondary school for all day secondary schools from January, 2026! We greatly commend them for that. However, students in boarding schools – usually where the best performing students are selected are still paying boarding fees. Similarly, students in open day secondary schools equally need help since they are also paying fees. School fees Relief not only supports such students with school fees but also helps with other education related expenses such as stationery, groceries, toiletries, uniform and others. The aim is to help them totally focus on their studies by not having to stress about school fees, stationery and other materials that can make learning difficult. Primary education has been free since the advent of multi-party democracy in 1994 in Malawi.

Your assistance will brng a difference

With a U$30 once off donation, you can contribute towards keeping a child in school