Education authorities in Nkhata Bay have hailed the Livingstonia Synod Aids Programme (Lisap) for the strides it is making in promoting education; especially among the underprivileged in the district.
District education manager Mzondi Moyo was reacting to testimonies that beneficiaries of a Community Empowerment for Sustainable Livelihood of Children Project, have given.
Twenty under-privileged youths are now qualified teachers after qualifying from Loudon Teachers Training College in Mzimba District, courtesy of the project.
Twenty nine-year-old Shadreck Anjala confessed that he had nothing to do after sitting for his Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) in 2005 due to financial hiccups. He is now a teacher at Uhoho Primary School thanks to the project.
He said: “It was in 2011 when the gods finally smiled on me after a friend whispered to me that Lisap project was seeking MSCE holders for a teaching training course.
“I attended an interview after which I was sent to the teachers’ college, before I got employed here.”
He added that he is now the pillar of support for his entire family, including his aging parents.
Moyo said there has been a significant improvement in learner performance in Chintheche Education Zone where the teachers are posted, something he said could to some extent be attributed to the project.
He said: “There are many resources required in education, but a teacher remains the priority resource.”
Lisap has also trained over 50 youths in vocational skills; ranging from carpentry to bricklaying among others.
