Girls Development Association (GDA) is an all girl organization that was established in 2005 as an initiative of Centre for Youth and Children Affairs (CEYCA); to decrease the problem low female participation in communities. Its first activities to attain girl involvement began with sports and dance as mobilization tools. Over the years the group has grown to incorporate more activities other than sports and dance and has become independent of CEYCA. GDA is an advocacy organization fighting for girl’s rights. The organization has about ten girls that are actively running it.
 
GDA’s mission is to empower girls and young women through skills and information sharing so as to enable them to participate in various sectors of the Malawian society. It aims to create in Malawi a society in which girls are valued and are able to contribute in social, political and economical development of the country.
 
Since its establishment in 2005 the organization has been involved in various activities. In 2006 the organization showcased a photo exhibition project. The exhibition displayed the positive female perceptive. Funded by British Council the exhibition run for a week on their premises and then was taken on a cross country tour for another week. The exhibition was a display of pictures taken by girls form GDA after undergoing a picture taking training course. In the same year GDA run a project called “Girls Can Project;” The project used sports to mobilize girls and to disseminate information about HIV and AIDS. This project was funded by UNICEF and was functional in five urban zones ; Area 49, Area 25, Likuni, Kawale and Chilinde area, Falls and Biwi area where some members of GDA were either residential or schooled in.
 
In 2007, GDA held the “Life Skills in Schools Project.” This project was also sponsored by UNICEF and it helped formulate GDA’s first training manual. The training manual utilizes the photos taken in the exhibition project, as discussion points in the life skills training therefore promoting trainee interaction.
 
GDA in 2009 held the “Youth and HIV and AIDS Project.” This is also a UNICEF funded project and it has seen the expansion of GDA’s work to semi urban areas of Chimwala (Likuni), Dzenza (Area 25) and Chimwala (along Blantyre M1 Road). This project aims to empower young girls to deal with the problems related to HIV and AIDs such as nutrition. It has introduced the farming of vegetable gardens among the youth and also a support system for youth who are HIV positive. These youth meet in post test clubs.
   
Girls Development Associations’ main demographic is primarily made of young women from the ages of 10 to 30 years old. GDA is challenged by the fact that it is a small organization. Its formation has created a high demand in the communities in which it works, which makes it difficult to operate due to inadequate funding that GDA gets.
 
Another challenge faced by GDA is that it functions on a voluntary basis and as such long term commitment and sustainability by girl volunteers is hard to maintain. They usually leave to find paying jobs to take care of their families or they go to pursue further education and sometimes they go to get married.
 
With more support and participation, GDA hopes to become a national organization that empowers young women to play actives roles in their communities, whether it is in the political, governmental, economical, and or academic or health sectors in Malawi.

You can contact them on:

Postal Address:
Girls Development Association,
C/O Centre for Youth and Children Affairs,
P.O. Box 30861
Lilongwe 3.

Contact Number: +265 99 346 5019
Contact Person: Patricia Sangaya