Professional Development

Honorable Gertrude Mkandawire and Kholiwe Mkandawire from Malawi, Africa

Gertrude Mkandawire

Kholiwe Mkandawire

Gertrude and Kholiwe Mkandawire are from Malawi in southern Africa. Malawi is the 6th poorest country in the world. 79% of the population is below the poverty line, and 20% of children do not survive to reach their 5th birthday. Gertrude is a pharmacist and a Member of Parliament and her sister, Kholiwe is a veterinary surgeon and is generally recognized as an unofficial deputy member of Parliament. As she describes it, she is the “one who does all of Gertrude’s donkey work.” In a culture that does not appreciate the leadership of women, they are working to change their country and to provide a better future for children. They have fought against government corruption and indifference which has put them in personal danger. At one time Kholiwe fled the country for her own safety.

During a visit to Wichita, Kansas in 2004, they were introduced to Trees for Life, a locally based program which teaches people how to purchase, plant and care for fruit trees to help break the cycle of poverty. As true pioneers, they implemented Trees for Life in Malawi, but didn’t stop there.

They founded a number of small schools where the main focus is to provide an education to pre-school, at-risk children and orphans who are otherwise surrounded by poverty and disease. These schools provide children with a daily bowl of food, enticing the majority of the children to attend. These children often have no hope or future and education is not a right, but rather a privilege. Therefore, giving these at-risk children a chance to receive some level of education and a daily meal is truly remarkable. Funds for the pre-school programs often come out of their personal resources. Thirty American dollars will feed 60 children one meal a day for 30 days. And they have tens of thousands of children in need.

Gertrude and Kholiwe are changing the lives of children at risk. Gertrude could not be here tonight as Parliament is currently in session. Kholiwe may sometimes may be soft spoken, but don’t let that fool you. Just give her the opportunity and she will share the plight of children in Malawi and her dreams for the future. We would not surprised to see her become the next president of Malawi.

Please join us as we honor Gertrude and Kholiwe Mkandawire with the 2007 Heartspring Award for Innovation and Creativity in Special Education.