St. Mary’s Secondary School For Girls

On the M-1 Highway in Malawi, some 200 kilometers south of St. Mary’s Secondary School for Girls, sits a tattered sign with a simple message: “Educate Me, Don’t Marry Me.” Those words have become a mantra for girls, in one of the poorest countries in the world, who are convinced they can do anything boys in Malawi can do, and who are no longer willing to be married off when they are 12 or 13 in exchange for a modest dowry. They recognize that a secondary school diploma and a university degree are their keys to a quality life.

St. Mary’s was built over a three-year period at an approximate cost of $4 million, funded almost entirely by a generous family in Dayton, Ohio. The school includes classroom blocks and laboratories, an administration building and computer lab, two kitchens and a dining hall, hostels and restrooms, 27 staff houses, a convent, and sports fields.

The boarding school for 600 girls hosted its sixth graduation in June, 2025. More than 99% of all graduating seniors pass the Malawi college entrance exam. In addition to academics, St. Mary’s fosters leadership skills, a faith that is lived, and lifelong friendships.

More than 300 students from the six graduating classes are currently registered or attending college in universities throughout Malawi. Many of the girls are pursuing careers in medicine, engineering, social work and business. A four-year college degree, which costs a total of $7,000, will forever change the trajectory of their lives and that of their families.