Education in rural Malawi is increasingly becoming more challenging due to deteriorating infrastructure and learners’ demand for better standards. This is amidst a myriad of reasons that have rocked the education sector. Keeping learners motivated is one of the most critical aspects for realizing high learner retention, less drop-out and increased completion rate. This is not withstanding that teachers have a pivotal role to play in all this. The Girl Inspire Initiative, a program of Teams Advancing Women in Agriculture (TAWINA), is expanding education opportunities for rural girls in various ways. One is introduction of chess as a tool for achieving academic excellence. Since its inception in October 2014, 4 schools and Bwalo la Atsikana have benefitted in Mzuzu City. In Dowa, 2 schools have established chess clubs. A total of 140 students are now playing chess with emphasis on improving their performance especially in science subjects.
