From a student-led idea in Balaka to a national career-guidance organisation.

The Organization is a brain child of Brian Chidampamba Katimba. The idea behind the objectives of the Organization dates back from November 2009 when the founder was a third year Law student pursuing a degree at Chancellor College a constituent college of the University of Malawi. From his educational background, he has constantly been assisted by people. He therefore felt a need to give back to the society particularly to his maternal home district of Balaka.

From his experience whilst teaching at some private secondary school in the district, he discovered that many students lacked clear direction of what they want to do in future. Since this time he was at the University studying Law, many students were motivated and constantly kept asking him as to what they can do to achieve greater academic heights. Again, many of the students that interacted with Brian started to show serious commitments to studies and their performance started improving. Whilst on holiday, Brian further discovered the little interaction that existed between college students and secondary school students from the district. That meant that very few secondary school students were benefiting from experiences of such college students which could help them get exposed to knowledge of their next academic stage namely higher education. It is from this background that Brian in collaboration with his few college friends called for a general assembly of all Balaka tertiary education students on the 29th November, 2009.

At the general assembly, Brian presented his suggestion of starting an association called "Tertiary Education Students Association of Balaka (TESAB)" with the aim of helping the youths of Balaka district to attain tertiary education through career talks, role modelling and coaching them as they prepare to write entrance examinations for different tertiary institutions. The association was also to be advising the said students of social dangers such as HIV/AIDs etc. that would affect them from achieving their goals. Members would also be doing charity work as a social responsibility to the needy and the aged within the district. Lastly, the association was to be commenting on issues of national interest that affect Balaka district and are in line with TESAB objectives. The assembly took place at Balaka Community Youth Library and attracted about 40 participants including local journalists. Members welcomed the idea and adopted it. Brian then became the first Acting President for the Association.

Within two months, TESAB conducted career talks in two private secondary schools in the district namely Mohale Academy and Nkhalango Private. The feedback was overwhelming. On the third month, TESAB started television programmes on Television Luntha after successfully convincing the Board of Directors for the Television about the importance of our mission. In such programmes, TESAB would facilitate an education topic and discuss it live. During the programme the general public would call, ask questions or comment. The programme was called "Kuzama m'maphunziro ndi TESAB (Strengthening our education knowledge with TESAB)". Interestingly during these programmes people from other districts would call and suggest that the association should also be operating in such other districts due to the importance of the mission. This was a challenge considering that we had no any financial support to boost our capacity. The lack of finance is further backed by the fact that the association failed to set up its Secretarial office which would be designing programmes on a serious note. As such, such calls were not implemented despite having the wish to reach every youth in the country on this concept.

From the 2nd to the 3rd April 2010, TESAB conducted free University Entrance Examination (UEE) Coaching. During the exercise, candidates were taught the examinable part of the UEE and how they can choose courses. Later, Dr Dorice Kayambo who was a board member and then working as District Health Officer at Balaka District Hospital gave a motivational speech to the candidates. From the 26 candidates that underwent coaching about 16 were enrolled into the University of Malawi representing 61.5% pass rate. About 7 candidates enrolled with other colleges a year later. This was a success to us considering that we had no any material or financial support apart from our will to help the poor potential souls of our district to attain academic excellence. At the end of the exercise, candidates asked the association to be conducting many of these exercises across the district especially in the rural areas.

TESAB programmes continued up to 2013 but at a low level because of poor co-ordination between members due to different college calendars. Others would be at school while some on holiday, as such General assemblies would not be held to pass some important decisions. Again effort to register the association as a Community Based Organization proved futile due to unavailability of Trustees who were always busy but committed to the ideas. Despite all this, members still felt that the association need not to die considering its importance and the impact it had on Balaka youths for a short time it operated.

In early August 2014, Brian was lecturing Law at the Lilongwe University College of Law and Professional Studies. Whilst in the Principals office, he got shocked with what he saw. Some parents and their girl child entered the office. They wanted to enrol their daughter with the University. The parents asked what the girl wanted to study but the girl had no knowledge of what she wanted. Then they suggested to her to do Human Resource Management. The girl looked not sure if that's what she riley wanted to become in life. Both the parents and the Principal seem not very sure of the advice they were giving on how the girl would choose a course. As such, they gave her ten minutes to think of what she wants to study at the University. Later, the girl was enrolled by the University.

This experience was a shock to Brian in many ways. Firstly, he confirmed from his past experience the fact that many youths are not aware of what they want to become in future. Secondly, parents are a source of career information to their kids. The problem however, would be that not many parents have a good knowledge of career information and that they would not be aware as to what stage can they deliver such information to their kids. Thirdly, and most importantly was that this was a family staying in town (Lilongwe for that matter). If town dwellers have a career identification crisis, what about those poor but potential souls in the village. Lastly, the fact that the victim in the example was a girl child, whom nations and the entire world are working hard to help them excel academically, but here she was; not knowing which direction to take in her academic stage. This was a crisis that ignited Brian to revisit the objectives of TESAB and decided to remedy the situation by forming an organization that would reach every youth in Malawi. He named it the Organization for Career Guidance. The organization would replace TESAB since it never legally existed but also that its objectives would be more less the same but having a national focus.

On the 13th November, 2014, the Organization for Career Guidance was incorporated under the Trustees Incorporation Act, Cap 5:03 of the Laws of Malawi. This was permission from the Malawi government that we meet legal standard to be carrying out our objectives in trying to attain our mission and subsequently our vision throughout the country.