About Joyce Banda Foundation
Joyce Banda, Joyce Banda Foundation Joyce Banda Foundation An entrepreneur, activist, politician, and philanthropist, Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda was also the President of the Republic of Malawi (2012-2014). She was Malawi’s first female president and Africa’s second. Voted as Africa's most powerful woman by Forbes Magazine for two years running and voted as one of the most powerful women in the world, Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda is a champion for the rights of women, children, the disabled, and other marginalized groups.
Before becoming President of Malawi, Dr. Banda served as a Member of Parliament; Minister of Gender and Child Welfare; and Foreign Minister and Vice President of the Republic of Malawi. While serving as Minister of Gender and Child Welfare, Dr. Banda championed the enactment of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Bill in 2006, which provides a legal framework for the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.
A recipient of more than 15 international accolades including the “Hunger Project Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger†shared with President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique in 1997, President Banda is a strong advocate for women and girls’ emancipation and empowerment and a prominent civil rights campaigner. She founded the Joyce Banda Foundation International, which guides projects that range from empowering women to providing for orphans’ education.
On the international scene, President Dr. Banda was instrumental in the formation of such organizations as the African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (AFWE), currently running in 41 countries in Africa; the Council for the Economic Empowerment of Women in Africa (CEEWA); and the American & African Business Women’s Alliance (AABWA), of which she served as First President.
President Banda sits on a number international organization bodies. These include the Executive Advisory Committee of UNIFEM, the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health, and the Scientific Advisory Board for the program in Global Health and Social Change at Harvard Medical School.
////////////////////////
MWAI Women
MWAI Women is a branch of the Joyce Banda Foundation that was started 2010 to empower local Malawian women. In just over 3 years, MWAI Women has 400,000 members. The program empowers women by helping them become financially independent through saving circles, business training, and other empowerment activities.
Education
JBF FREE SECONDARY SCHOOL
The Joyce Banda Foundation offers free secondary education to over 200 orphans in Domasi, which is President Banda’s hometown. The school is actually on the property that our founder was born. Malawi only has two free secondary schools in Malawi and this JBF School is one of them. JBF just completed the construction of two dormitories and a dining hall for 100 girls. Next they will start construction on the dorms for the boys.
JBF SCHOOL IN BLANTYRE
The Joyce Banda Foundation also runs a school in Blantyre that offers exceptional primary through secondary education to the Malawian children. Proceeds from this school help to fund the other JBF activities.
Orphan Care Centers
The Joyce Banda Foundation has 35 Orphan Care Centers across Malawi where orphans ages 3-5 years old receive education and nutritious food on a daily basis. The centers feed over 1500 children a day.
Youth & Sport
Joyce Banda Foundation has a number of programs targeting the youth through sports and HIV/AIDS education. To empower the youth in sports, the Joyce Banda Foundation has partnered with the Jack Brewer Foundation & One World Futbol Project to hold an Inter-Constituency Trophy Cup launching in the fall of 2013 for soccer and netball. The tournament will be carried out through 2014. To date there have been over 10,000 One World Futbols distributed in conjunction with the Trophy Cup. In 2013, JBF launched a program with Malawi National Aids Commission (NAC) to education over 1 million Malawian on HIV/AIDS
Village Transformation
Across all ages and demographics, JBF works for village transformation. JBF’s agricultural programs help the smallholder farmer with input materials such as seeds and fertilizers as well as training. JBF has also launched a One Goat & One Cow Per Family Program that has been wildly successful. JBF partners with healthcare providers to build clinics as well as partners with local villagers to build new homes.
Share this page