Keeping girls in school is estimated to generate five billion dollars for Malawi's economy over the next 10 years.
economic growth
99.6% of girls stay in school by providing facilities and resources like menstrual hygiene management.
Girls Empowerment
Every additional year of schooling provided for girls lowers their risk of contracting HIV/AIDS by 6%.
Health & Wellbeing
Education is the answer to real, lasting change. It improves lives, strengthens communities, and shapes a better society. By transforming how we connect, interact, and create opportunities, education breaks down the barriers that hold people back and opens doors to a more equitable future.
Why Education?
Education creates new job opportunities, empowers more women to enter business, and paves diverse employment pathways. By integrating practical skills into education through our life-skills programs, we equip students with the tools they need to thrive in various professional environments, expand their career opportunities, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Economic Growth
Initiatives that dramatically improve girls' school enrollment and attendance create a population of economically and socially empowered women, leading to greater participation in decision-making, economic independence, and business ownership, significantly enhancing their socio-economic status.
girls' empowerment
School is where we teach essential health practices like nutrition, hygiene, and disease prevention and engage mobile health clinics to provide critical health services. By fostering awareness about issues like malaria, clean water, and HIV/AIDS, schools help shape healthier communities, while also providing direct access to care that improves long-term wellbeing.
Health & Wellbeing
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Malawi faced a devastating cyclone and the worst cholera outbreak in modern history, straining a nation already under-resourced. At this pivotal crossroad, we saw an opportunity to fine-tune our mission and increase our impact.
Uplift Malawi reflects our unwavering commitment to building sustainable school campuses, implementing life-skills programs, and forging strong local partnerships in rural Malawi.
In our first year as Uplift Malawi, we've increased the number of students served annually from 600 to 1,200, implemented new extracurricular learning opportunities, established monthly mobile health clinics, and created systems like needs assessment tools to better identify and meet the needs of the community.
Where We Are Today
amplifying our vision
serving malawi and globally for 15+ years
Since 2009, we've believed that access to comprehensive education within empowered communities is the answer to social change. This belief originated from a transformative journey to Malawi in 2006, after our founder, Heidi Hamels, met Bill Rankin of GAIA Global Health.
While pursuing her master’s degree in secondary education, Heidi was inspired by the urgent need to help girls affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and realized the lack of preventive education. This led to the establishment of The Hamels Foundation in 2009, with a vision to break the cycle of illness and poverty by building primary schools in underserved rural areas.
Over the past 15 years, we've impacted over 600,000 lives, educated more than 200,000 students, invested $4.7 million in educational support, and constructed the Namunda Primary School in Mulanje, Malawi.
Where We Started
A look at our history
our organization was founded in 2009
2009
Received IRS 501(c)(3) designation, providing The Hamels Foundation with the approval to operate as a charitable organization.
Beginning Operations
2012
After 2 thoughtful years of planning and acquiring the land in partnership with the community, the proper permits, materials, and labor, we broke ground on the Namunda Primary School campus.
Breaking Ground
2014
Construction of the Namunda Primary School took nearly two years, opening for the first day of school on September 2014.
School Opening
2018
On our annual visit to Malawi, our team sees major improvements to the Namunda Primary School campus with furnished school blocks and completed construction of teacher housing. Hand-planted grass, landscaping, and the orchard enhanced the already bright and inviting environment.
School Improvements
2020-2022
School closures and a lack of medical resources at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic posed severe challenges, halting education. We responded by adapting to critical needs, such as distributing handwashing kits. Following COVID-19, Cyclone Freddy turned our campus into a vital shelter. Upon recovery, one of the worst cholera outbreaks in recent history devastated Malawi once again. These crises have been pivotal and prompted us to refine our mission and amplify our impact.
COVID-19 Response
2023-2024
We proudly introduced Uplift Malawi, a new chapter and a new name reaffirming our vision: the belief that access to comprehensive education within empowered communities is the answer to social change, bridging the gap between opportunity and improved outcomes. With student enrollment increasing from 600 to over 1,000, our efforts not only ensured each student’s needs were fulfilled, but also maintained retention and exam pass rates, while expanding our life-skills programs and forging stronger partnerships.
New Name, Same Vision
Our Journey
Given in Educational Support
$3 Million
Students Educated
12,000
Individuals Served
75,000
Our Impact
“There are many ways to advance education in a pre-existing infrastructure. But to build a groundbreaking school campus in one of the poorest nations in the world to make education a possibility...now that’s a mission. It’s a difficult task in a challenging environment, but to change the life of just one person by making education available will make a significant impact on the lives of many in years to come. Our mission goes beyond education; it’s about uplifting lives.”
While earning her master’s degree in secondary education, Heidi Hamels was deeply moved by the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on young girls in Africa. Recognizing the critical need for preventive education, Heidi was driven to take action. In 2009, she founded The Hamels Foundation with a bold vision: to break the cycle of illness and poverty by building primary schools in underserved, rural communities.
A visit to Malawi forever changed Heidi’s life. She describes the country as "devastatingly beautiful"—a place where the purity of human connection contrasts starkly with overwhelming poverty, illness, and loss. Deeply touched by the resilience of the Malawian people, Heidi was inspired to focus her efforts on creating educational opportunities that empower children to build brighter futures.
Heidi Hamels
meet our founder
Advisor
Kathy Greene
executive director
Alaina Baker
Our Dedicated Team
contact alaina@upliftmalawi.org
secretary
Open Position
General Sales Manager, Beasley Philadelphia
vice president
Rob Keegan
Member, BurnsWhite
president
Stuart T. O’Neal III, Esq.
Our Board of Directors
We value transparency in all our operations and maintain open communication about organizational goals, processes, and outcomes. We actively seek feedback from the communities we work with, using it to make informed decisions that enhance the effectiveness of our programs and maintain the trust of our donors and partners.
Transparency, Feedback & Accountability
We are strongly committed to empowering local leaders and forming partnerships with local organizations to ensure that educational initiatives are deeply rooted in the community. By collaborating closely with community stakeholders, we ensure that our initiatives are relevant, sustainable, and aligned with local priorities.
Local Participation & Partners
We value cultural competence and sensitivity, ensuring that our team understands and respects the culture, diversity, and beliefs of the communities we serve. We remain adaptable, continuously learning from our experiences to refine our approach, ensuring that our interventions are culturally appropriate and impactful.
cultural competence & adaptive learning
We unite by acknowledging our unique differences. Here, every voice is heard and valued. Together, we are stronger, growing through mutual respect and understanding. Our diverse perspectives guide our work and strengthen our community.
Education Is For Everyone
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