World Vision builds girls’ hostel, library

World Vision Malawi has handed over a library and a girls’ hostel built at Mdika Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Dowa District to the Ministry of Education.

Speaking on Thursday during the handover, World Vision Malawi national director Francis Dube said the hostel will ease some of the challenges girls were facing to access education.

“This hostel, among others, will help to reduce the dropout rate among girls as it will accommodate some of them within the school premises,” he said.

Dube also said the library will help 126 students at the facility to study in a good environment.

Ministry of Education Principal Secretary for basic education Rachel Chimbwete Phiri commended the organisation for the infrastructure.

“The development we have witnessed here is critical to the development and promotion of quality education, especially for the girl child,” she said.

Phiri appealed to the students and surrounding communities to take care of the facilities.

Senior Chief Kayembe commended World Vision Malawi for the project, saying the infrastructure will motivate students to continue with their education.

“Some parents were withdrawing their children because of long distances, but now this has changed,” she said.

Christina Banda, a Form Four student, expressed happiness, saying the hostel will help them to deal with long distances they used to cover to school.

“Some students walk over eight kilometres[km] to get to school. In a day, they cover 16 km. With the hostel, we will have more time to study at night,” she said.

Banda also said the library will improve their access to academic books.

Besides constructing the two facilities, World Vision Malawi also installed two kiosks at the school to provide potable water to students and teachers.

The facilities, constructed with financial support from World Vision New Zealand, cost K300 million.