Mangalita’s last steps to school

From Monday to Friday, Mangalita England, 17, leaves home before sunset to get to Chang’ambika Community Day Secondary School in Chikwawa District on time.

She laments that she often gets to class late and tired to learn.

“For two years, I’ve made this tiresome trip which takes over an hour, but I’m determined to stay in school until my dreams are fulfilled,” says the Form Two student.

The girl,from Chapananga in Chikwawa West, will soon wave goodbye to the long walks as Chikwawa District Council is constructing a 122-bed girls’ hostel at her school.

The K86.2 million facility is part of the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (Gesd) Project funded by the World Bank.

The performance-based project seeks to improve how district councils spend public funds and account for them for the good of the citizenry.

Mangalita is counting down to the end of h er wor r i e s a b o u t inconveniences caused by long trips and coal trains from Moatize to Nacala Port in Mozambique that cross a footpath to her school.

“To us, the hostel is not just a place of shelter, but a gateway to a brighter future,” she states.

Chang’ambika CDSS head teacher Freeds Malata says the hostel will boost girls’ enrolment, performance and education attainment at the school, which opened in 1992.

He closely monitored the project from conception till the final brick laid to ensure everything went according to plan.

“At first, there was community resistance to provide land for the project. However, I remained steadfast because every girl deserves a quality education,” Malata says.

He negotiated with the communities and secured the necessary approvals from community leaders and concerned parties.

Says Malata: “Construction works are complete. We are just waiting for water and electricity connection for the girls to move in and stop worrying about exhausting walks and unpredictable train schedules.”

The teacher believes sheltering girls on campus liberates them to focus on their studies.

Girls Education Trust executive director Limbikani Kamlongera says girls now have a safe and enabling environment for learning.

“This will shield them from various societal pressures and dangers, including risky sexual activity that may hinder their education,” she explains.

Kamlogera expects the hostel to improve girls’ team play and peer-to-peer learning and access to essential resources such as electricity, study materials and mentorship.

“Hostels play a crucial role in ensuring rural girls have the opportunity to pursue their education in a secure and nurturing setting for brighter futures,” she says.

Chikwawa District Council director of planning and development Thokozile Munthali says girls will occupy the hostel next academic year.

“Hostels are significant in keeping girls in school. That is why we included the construction of more hostels in the district development plan,” she says.

The council built the hostel in consultation with communities around Chang’ambika CDSS.

“We propose the projects from the district development plan to Chapananga Area Development Committee for the target community. Then, we discuss the idea and set priorities according to the area’s needs,” said Malata.

After the consultations and field trips, the council and the committee settled on the hostel to save girls from long walks that put them at risk of dropping out and violent attacks, including sexual assault.

The World Bank reports that gender-based violence not only hinders a girl’s chances to access education and stay in school but also her mental and physical well-being.

Gesd is facilitated by the Local Government and Finance ministries through the National Local Government Finance Committee.