Section 13 of the Constitution makes the quality of life in rural communities the only yardstick of public policy in Malawi.
The brains behind the supreme law envisaged government leaving no one behind when delivering goods and services everyone needs to enjoy quality life.
However, the intensity of the basics wanes as one exits the country’s towns and cities.
Even schools are far apart and underdeveloped several miles away from Capital Hill in Lilongwe, the seat of government.
This is the tragedy of Namatapa Primary School in Phalombe District, where some children still learn dangerously in tree shades and a grass-thatched shelter.
“It’s not easy to learn in the open while sitting on the dusty floors, with constant disturbance from things happening nearby. Every time it rains, learners have to abandon the class to avoid getting soaked,” says Standard 4A pupil Roshika Gulura, 12.
She spent the first two years schooling in tree shades and moved to a termite-ravaged shelter when she was in Standard Three.
The shift
Last year, Roshika moved into a new school block constructed by Phalombe District Council with funding from the District Development Fund (DDF) through the National Local Government Finance Committee.
She feels lucky that her class and the Standard Eight learners now have a decent learning space, where ants sting no more and uniforms seldom get soiled.
The shift guarantees her a safe learning space where teachers freely roam, attending to the needs of slow learners and other pupils with special needs.
“Since Standard One, it was unimaginable that I would learn in a decent classroom like this. It is bigger and better. I wish my colleagues in Standard 4B were also here, but they are still learning in tree shadows,” says the girl who dreams of becoming a teacher.
More is needed
Some Standard One and Two pupils at the borderline school were seen perching in the rundown shack built by concerned parents. Some teachers described it as a death trap.
“Previously, I was reluctant to go to school because we were learning in unsafe spaces,” says Roshika. “Now, I’m eager to learn without worrying about ants, dust, disruptive rains and distractions.”
Gracious Likoswe and his Standard Eight classmates are similarly excited to have waved goodbye to an old classroom with cracked walls, a shattered floor and a leaky rusty roof.
The boy, who wants to become an engineer, says: “The new block has made a huge difference and every child deserves to learn in comfort.
“The old classroom was small, but congestion has become history with the new one. We no longer suffer injuries as did many who stumbled into the deep holes in the dilapidated classroom.”
Blandina Maseya, a girl with albinism who sits in the front row due to visual impairment, says she no longer stretches her eye to learn.
“In the old classroom, I couldn’t see clearly what the teacher was writing as the chalkboard was scratched and whitish. Here, the blackboard is new. This motivates me to work hard and become a police officer,” she says.
For headteacher Drena Kuntaja, the modern classroom exemplifies the benefits of investing in public infrastructure without leaving anyone behind.
“It is right and just that this block was constructed here along the border with Mozambique. We have few classrooms and some children still learn in unsafe places. There are only four classrooms for 854 pupils and 11 teachers, leaving two classes learning in tree shades and a temporary shelter.
“DDF has reduced our hardship, but we need more classrooms to ensure every child learns in a safe and enabling environment. Standard One and Two pupils are still learning dangerously, which forces some to skip classes or drop out.”
According to the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index released by the National Statistical Office and National Planning Commission last year, Phalombe is the country’s third-poorest districts largely due to low education attainment and rampant child labour. The least-ranked are Mangochi and Machinga, respectively.
