See how we are working towards the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals of 2030 through our programs below.

Youth Entrepreneurship After School Program

Our very first initiative was a Youth Entrepreneurship After School Program (YEP) that would cater to at-risk youth in the community.  We started with two computers and a handful of children. Today, our YEP program has grown to accommodate over 300 primary & secondary school learners who enjoy free computer skills training, literacy, math & life skills classes. For some of our children who can’t afford school uniforms, this is their only access to education.

Secondary School Scholarship

We offer full scholarship to select students who have demonstrated an eagerness and commitment to education and whose economic situation would likely cause them to drop out of school by age 12. Our scholarship program covers school fees for 4 years at a private secondary school (highschool), school uniform, backpack, supplies and a bicycle for transport. Recently we’ve expanded scholarship support to tertiary institutions and universities upon graduation.

Patricia Page Music Foundation

Our music program was named in honor of co-founder Megan Mathis’ mother who passed away suddenly from cancer in early 2018. Megan inherited her mother’s love for music and rhythm and knew that music played a special role in Malawian culture. RiseUp’s music program offers a safe space for our youth to discuss sensitive social issues (like HIV/AIDS, child marriage, women’s rights, etc) through song, dance & poetry.

Farming God’s Way & Drip Irrigation Farming Training

89% of Malawians are subsistence farmers who rely on rain fed agriculture to feed their families. Dependence on rain and lack of irrigation systems results in cyclical country wide hunger crises. And hunger is one of the major barriers preventing our students from learning. Our bi-annual Farming God’s Way & Drip Irrigation workshops are securing harvests, reducing malnutrition and improving overall household economic security.

Village Savings & Loans Associations (VSLA)

In 2023, we introduced a pilot program for financial literacy training to help boost small business in our community. Community members form groups of 25 or less, buy into the investment pool through individual shares, and receive loans from the group to expand their small business or improve their livelihoods. It’s an incredible model launched by CARE International that teaches low income communities how to save, how to invest, and how to grow their businesses when they can’t access bank loans (due to lack of collateral).