Our Story
Our story
In 2019, a group of MBA students from University of Michigan traveled to Malawi on a school project, and were inspired by the amazing work of Ida Puliwa, who helps educate and empower the most vulnerable people in her district through her unique organization – Othakarhaka (OTK) – which translates to “passing on the kindness.”
Students were so inspired that even after their project finished, they decided to continue supporting OTK, and in 2019 they founded I Demand Access (IDA), a US non-profit to help support girls and women in Malawi. The project was so successful that the University of Michigan continues sending student teams to Malawi to this day.
Today, many of our board members are University of Michigan alumni, who worked with Othakarhaka. Those alumni saw the impact of Othakarhaka Foundation in Malawi and witnessed how far the dollars and time can positively impact girls, women, and the underserved in one of the world’s poorest countries.
We’re excited for the continued partnership with University of Michigan and Ross School of Business, and grateful to the staff and faculty who continue to bring new opportunities to its students to continuously drive excellence in non-profits.
Vision
Smashing inequalities for girls and women in Malawi
Mission
To fuel Malawian girls to transform their world and inspire a limitless future
A SELF-SUSTAINING MODEL
Every year, a group of volunteer educators offer girls empowering Arts camp that provide a platform for girls to participate in different activities such as poetry, dancing, soccer.
We support communities with seedlings and our volunteers including girls under our scholarship help with planting trees.
Empowering Girls in Marginalized Communities
Your support helps girls from villages where access to education is limited due to factors like poverty, cultural norms, and gender inequality