Christie Johnson

Christie is a Canadian teacher who met Memory while volunteer teaching at an all-girls secondary school in rural Malawi. When the school they were teaching at closed, she and Memory decided to do what they could to help their former students complete their education. Eight years later, all 22 young women have completed their education. Five of them have earned full scholarships to universities and are now in their fourth year of degree programs. The other 17 girls have completed diploma courses in trades such as Tailoring and Business Studies and are now operating small businesses of their own. This is an almost unheard of achievement. Their story is one of struggle, hardship and courage as they have fought together to remain focused on their education against all odds. In a country filled with pain, theirs is a story of hope and triumph.

Once Christie and Memory’s original 22 students were leading independent and happy lives, Christie took on the next challenge of helping Memory to make her dream of opening her own Secondary School for girls come true. She has returned to Malawi 9 times, working jointly with Memory and her husband Henry to make this dream a reality.

Christie is currently working at Lester B. Pearson College Of The Pacific on Vancouver Island. She spends a great deal of time speaking to young people in schools, and making presentations at Rotary Clubs and other service club meetings.