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Have you ever thought you might want to assist a grassroots project to create a brighter future for young children living in one of the poorest countries in Africa? That's our dream, please read on.....
For almost four years while I've been working in Malawi, I've been fortunate to spend many hours with two work colleagues who I have grown to deeply respect; who have shared their stories on the hardships of living in the 170th poorest country in the world,
and shared their visions for a brighter future. All our discussions on the problems have always eventually resulted in the same answer - improving access to education. It hurt us to know that children were walking 14 kilometers a day for their education, a
harsh reality which we witnessed every day on the way to work, although I'm sure it hurt more on their little sore feet. Exhausted talking about the problems, Dickson and I decided we need to do something urgently, and where better place to start than home
- Dickson's home village.
My Malawian colleague, Dickson Banda, and I have developed a vision to provide hundreds of young children in rural Malawi with the opportunity to attend school through the completion of an existing school block and one new school block at Mphangala Primary
School, Kasungu District, Malawi. The project will create a ripple effect into the future, benefiting thousands of children in the years to come. It is a simple project by nature with tremendous potential to have a positive impact on little people, their communities
and their future.
The school is situated in Dickson's home village, some five hours travel north of the capital - Lilongwe - by public bus, bicycle taxi along a long dirt road, and finally by foot. It is the only primary school within a 5km radius and caters for 400 students,
200 of whom are unable to fit inside the building. Seeing the need to extend the school, the Government began constructing a new school block in 2007 which was unfortunately never completed due to a lack of funds. Out of sheer desperation for a better future,
the community has prepared 96,000 bricks to assist in the further development of the school.
The Group Village Headman, as the representative for the community, said "Tili okonzeka kupanga chilichonse chomwe tingakwanise ngati otithandize kumanga sukuluyi atapezeka" ("We are willing to do anything in our capacity to cooperate and contribute
in any way we can should there be a chance of funds for the construction of new blocks").
The incredible determination of the community to see that their youth receive a better education and a better future has motivated us. We have decided to do everything in our capacity to see that the primary school is extended to accomodate all the children
and for that we request your support.
Project Team
Hi, I'm Riikka. For nearly four years I've been living and working in a little country in southern Africa called Malawi. I love the place and the people. My work as a Sustainability Consultant for a local agribusiness has lead me to work closely with a keen horticulturalist and now project partner Dickson Banda. Last year I jumped out of a plane in Malawi to raise funds for a wildlife charity, this year I'm hoping to stay on the ground and make a greater contribution with your help.
Dickso was born and raised in Malawi in Simlemba village in Kasungu District. In 1968 he started at Simlemba Primary School - grass thatched, with wooden poles and mud walls - which did not provide a conducive learning environment to the young Dickson. Nevertheless he successfully completed his primary, secondary and tertiary education and graduated with a BSc in Horticulture. Today Dickson is the Fruit Production Manager for a large-scale agribusiness in Malawi. Recognising that many children in the country still fail to go to school because of long distances and poor infrastructure, Dickson decided that the best way to make a difference would be through infrastructure development at rural primary schools. Dickson was particularly concerned that children in his home area were unable to attend school, and in expressing his concern to Riikka, the project soon began.
The rest of the team: We are blessed to have such strong support from the teachers at Mphangala Primary School, the local community, and Dickson's extended family including son Patrick and nephew Liason, just to name a few.
