Memory Mdyetseni

An orphan from a young age, Memory struggled hard to complete her education. In 2006, Memory graduated from university with a degree in education, a lifelong dream she once thought to be unattainable. She is now the Director of APU Secondary School for Girls in rural Malawi. She is putting her considerable talents and passion into improving the lives of hundreds of other young girls who are suffering the same hardships that she has overcome.

During the 2005 famine in Malawi, Memory undertook the daunting task of launching her own Famine Relief Effort in her home region of Kasungu. She and her husband Henry Mdyetseni, risked their lives to purchase, transport and distribute hundreds of bags of maize to thousands of the poorest villagers in Chamama, near Kasungu.

Through her work with girls education, as well as through her Famine Relief Effort, Memory has become a respected role model in her community. She has single-handedly changed the views of the male leaders in her community. They are now encouraging their daughters to continue with their schooling. Not only are they willingly accepting leadership from a woman, but they are actively seeking Memory’s advice. Because of Memory, hundreds of little girls can now believe that they too can have a future – a future that includes education, health, independence and empowerment.