Group village head Sawali has expressed excitement with the construction of a K63 million school block at Damu Primary School in Traditional Authority CheMbela in Balaka District.
The structure, constructed under Mlambe Project with support from United Kingdom-based charity Gift of Hope, has ended 25 years of children learning under leaking roofs and makeshift shelters.
Speaking on Monday during the handover of the facility, GVH Sawali said providing proper learning spaces for children will not only improve their academic performance but also encourage parents to send their children to school.
CheMbela Zone primary education adviser Sifoti Katsabola welcomed the project, saying the new classrooms will boost enrolment and attract teachers who were previously reluctant to work at the school.
He said: “The school faces a
number of challenges, including shortage of learning materials and teachers’ houses. All teachers travel long distances to get to work.
“We appeal to other well-wishers to help in other areas.”
The school management committee chairperson Saidi Amin said the school relied on makeshift shelters built by the community, which often leaked and discouraged pupils from attending classes.
Mlambe project manager Andrew May-Miller said for a country to develop, it depends on education and for education to progress, children need a conducive learning environment.
“The government alone cannot manage to construct school blocks everywhere; hence, the need for support from partners to realise the dreams,” he said.
Since its launch in 2012, the project has benefitted seven education zones in the district, constructing 36 classrooms, 18 toilets, five teachers’ houses and a teacher development centre
