On International Nurses Day 2026, the theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.” recognizes the essential role nurses play in building stronger and healthier communities. In Malawi, nurses are often the backbone of the healthcare system, delivering lifesaving care in facilities facing persistent staff shortages and growing demand for services.

From maternal and newborn care to disease prevention and emergency response, nurses are on the frontlines every day. Their work is especially critical in rural communities, where access to healthcare can be limited and one nurse may serve hundreds of patients. Despite these challenges, nurses continue to provide compassionate care that improves health outcomes and saves lives.

For more than two decades, GAIA has invested in strengthening Malawi’s nursing workforce through scholarships and fellowships that expand access to training and support deployment where the need is greatest. Building on its proven model, GAIA recently expanded the scholarship and fellowship programs to Zambia to tackle urgent maternal and neonatal health challenges with immediate results. To date, GAIA has supported 906 nursing scholars and deployed 370 nursing fellows across all 28 districts of Malawi and in Zambia’s Eastern Province, contributing to a stronger and more resilient public health system.

The impact of these investments can be seen across health facilities nationwide. Nurses are helping reduce pressure on overstretched clinics and hospitals, improving continuity of care, mentoring new providers, and ensuring patients receive essential services closer to home. Their leadership and dedication continue to strengthen healthcare delivery for thousands of families. GAIA fellow Louiser Galetta and scholar Edward Namaheya reflect on the importance of investing in an empowered workforce: 

‍My name is Louiser Galetta, a GAIA Fellow from Dowa District. I hold a diploma in Nursing and Midwifery and I am currently deployed at Mponela Rural Hospital. I'm the 3rd born in a family of five raised by a single mom. Growing up I saw healthcare challenges first hand. My aunt was a nurse and seeing her impact as well as my mom’s strength and dedication sparked my passion for nursing.

I am deployed at Mponela Rural Hospital, where I provide compassionate evidence based care to expectant mothers, and guide nursing students through various procedures. My most memorable experience was assisting with a complicated twin delivery where we managed to save both babies.

My goals are to become a specialist nurse midwife, to contribute to quality improvement at Mponela, and to strengthen my skills in Maternal and Neonatal Care in order to improve healthcare outcomes. This fellowship is helping me move towards these goals by providing hands-on experience, mentorship, and training, preparing me to provide quality care to more mothers and babies and drive positive change in Malawi's healthcare system. 

I am grateful for this fellowship - working at Mponela has been transformative, I have grown professionally and personally. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the community, mentorship and support from experienced nurses, and the chance to learn and apply new skills. It's a fulfilling cycle; I am learning, growing, and giving back by mentoring juniors and contributing to projects that improve access at Mponela Rural Hospital.

My name is Edward Namaheya, I am 22 years old. I come from Mbendera village in Mulanje district. I am a graduate of Child Health Nursing from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) and waiting to write licensure exams this coming June. GAIA has walked with me since I was a little boy. In primary school, GAIA gave me two goats to raise. Those goats were not just livestock but they were hope. When they multiplied, we sold some and bought food, soap, and books. In Grade 2, GAIA gave me my first full uniform. I still remember putting it on and I stood taller that day. I was not a boy with torn clothes anymore. I felt like I belonged.

At KUHeS, things got very hard and I was so stressed thinking I would miss my exams and fail. But GAIA paid my accommodation fee balance and my nurses council examination fee. Because of GAIA, I finished school. Without GAIA, my dream would not be possible.

‍During my studies, I learnt how to save children's lives, including providing care to critically ill cases and palliative care to comfort children and to support their mothers. One day during my clinical rotations, I encountered a mother whose baby had a fever. I showed her how to reduce the fever and when to go to the hospital. She cried and thanked me. That moment touched my heart. I knew I was on the right path. I am ready to serve at any facility or organization that deals with children once I am licensed. I want them to know that someone cares.

My vision is to have my own organization and clinic in my community one day. I want to help all children who will need medical or surgical attention. I want to improve my community and Malawi at large so that no child dies because of a lack of care.

GAIA did not just pay my fees when I was about to lose hope, but gave me dignity, uniforms when I had none, goats when I had no food, soap and books, and believed in a village boy who had nothing.

‍My grandmother is my hero, she sacrificed everything so that I could stay in school. My mother is not here but I carry her in my heart every day. Because of GAIA, I am now a child health nurse that will save children with passion. Every child I treat will be a thanks to GAIA, and every mother I comfort will be a thanks to my grandmother.

I promise to give back to my community, and I will not forget where I came from.

This International Nurses Day, we celebrate Louiser, Edward, and all the nurses whose skill, resilience, and commitment keep Malawi’s health system moving forward. Empowering nurses is not only an investment in healthcare workers, it is an investment in healthier communities and a stronger future for Malawi.