But Christie Johnson, 41, who now works at Pearson College of the Pacific in Metchosin, managed to stay on and be part of an effort to build a new school, now regarded as one of the best in the country of about 14 million people.

The new school now boards 320 high school-aged girls and has recently graduated its first class of 80. And while it exists with the help of donations, Johnson said it is only about 10 years away from being self-sustaining.

"It's gone country-wide," said Johnson. "We have a waiting list of hundreds and hundreds of girls whose parents are willing to pay a serious tuition."

But she said back in 2000, when another school, the one where she had been assigned as a volunteer, had first closed, it looked considerably bleaker.

Johnson said Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with a mostly rural population.

And girls have few opportunities.

So when the school closed, Johnson said it was likely the 24 girls attending would be pressured into early marriages and give up on education.

So Johnson and her friend, Malawian teacher Memory Chazeza, decided to see if they could help out.

Back in Canada and beginning with Rotary clubs, Johnson eventually helped raised enough money to see the 24 finish their high school education

In addition, five of those girls earned university scholarships and the rest managed to launch careers or businesses.

But Johnson said the real proof of success of the education program came in 2005 during a famine.

"It just became really obvious that those girls were already being seen in their villages as the problem-solvers, the thinkers, the ones who were going to get them through the famine," said Johnson.

Since then, the effort to build a new school with a bigger enrolment has gone forward, with Johnson fundraising in Canada and Chazeza and her husband working in Malawi.

Every year, the school has added one more grade, or form as they are called in Malawi, of 80 girls. It now has four forms for a total of 320 boarding students.

It goes by the name of Atsikana Pa Ulendo, which means Girls on the Move in Chichewa, the principal language of Malawi.

It's located in a rural area about 40 kilometres outside of Lilongwe, the country's capital city. And it has been able to hire 16 qualified teachers.

Johnson said right from the start, she and Chazeza were determined to build a serious school offering quality education. This would not only attract students, but also high-quality teachers.

The big moment for the school came last year when the first class graduated and took the national exam.

Nationally, the pass rate on the exam in Malawi is about 57 per cent. But the graduating class managed a 95 per cent pass rate.

The school's students still need help. It costs $1,000 for each student annually. And sponsors are always required.

For information on how to donate go to

malawigirlsonthemove.com. rwatts@timescolonist.com