News

As the sun peeked over the horizon in Lilongwe, Malawi there was excitement as scores of children were abuzz with activity preparing to take part in a solidarity march to mark the Day of the African Child, June 16, 2018.

One of the prevailing challenges in most primary schools in Malawi is low reading skills among learners. Some learners go up until the fourth grade without knowing how to read. Without basic literacy skills children are unable to learn, and this gives them little chance of succeeding in school and beyond.

23-year old Peter is a proactive youth with a passion for designing clothes. Second born in a family of five, Peter completed his secondary school education in 2015.

Upon completion of his secondary school level, Peter was not successful to enroll with one of the Country’s universities.

Tertiary education in Malawi is not free. As such, one needs to be financially prepared when they are enrolled at any university.

Like any other person whose ambition is to go further with education, Peter was frustrated as his parents could not afford to pay for his education.

30^th April 2018, is day that the future of 102 young Malawian people transformed. Prior to this day, these youths all had one thing in common; they were school dropouts with no income or skills to survive. But now their story is different.

By Lindiwe Bandazi

Poor access to schools and lack of learning resources are some of the biggest barriers to education for children in Malawi. In Mwalasi area of Machinga district, the most difficult challenge for many children is access to secondary school. The area has 14 primary school but no secondary school, leaving children to ‘scramble for places in schools in faraway places’.