Breaking Barriers Through Education, Malawi

Thuyishime Claire

I grew up in a refugee family of eight in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi. My father believed girls didn’t need education, but my mother—despite battling diabetes and hypertension—worked tirelessly to pay our school fees. Her strength taught me perseverance.

As a refugee girl, I faced constant bullying and discrimination, which led me to change my name to Thokozani Chikoya as an act of self-protection and empowerment. Despite many setbacks, I completed secondary school and earned a scholarship from AGF to study Special Needs Education at the Catholic University of Malawi.

My passion for this field comes from seeing how children with disabilities are often overlooked in refugee communities. Today, I am proud to hold a Bachelor’s degree in Special Needs Education and to be part of a generation of women breaking barriers through education.

My message to girls: never give up—your circumstances do not define your potential.