Welcome to the ninth week of our 12 Weeks of Christmas stories. If you want to make a difference to people’s lives in Malawi, why don’t you buy a Christmas gift from our Christmas Gift Catalogue.
Your gift of £90 will help us buy 7,500 bricks to use for building more classrooms at primary schools
Most Malawians will never receive any education beyond primary school, so it’s essential that primary school education is as good as it possibly can be.
However, a large number of rural primary schools in Malawi lack suitable classroom buildings – pupils have to study in temporary timber structures that are flimsy and leak in the rainy season and in some schools classes are taught outside in the open air.
At Chiomba Primary School there are eight classes. Until last year, these classes were held in one double classroom block made from bricks and mortar with an iron sheet roof, and three temporary double classroom blocks made from timber and thatch. However, when one of the temporary classrooms collapsed in the rains, they were left with only six classrooms for eight classes. This meant that two classes were taught out of doors and had to be sent home in the rainy season or had to double up with another class, making learning very difficult.
Last year RIPPLE Africa built a new double classroom block at Chiomba Primary School which has made a huge difference to the quality of education provided there. We also built two double classroom blocks at Mwaya Primary School providing four additional classrooms. These classrooms have been extremely successful and were being used for teaching immediately after construction had finished as they are very spacious and light, making them ideal for teaching. The charity has also renovated and painted existing classrooms at other primary schools in the area.
However, there are still not enough permanent classroom blocks for every class at local primary schools that we support. RIPPLE Africa needs help to build more classroom blocks and your gift will help us buy the bricks that we will need to do this.
On behalf of primary school children in Malawi, we’d like to say Thank You for taking the time to read about one of our education projects.
Tawonga Ukongwa!