Projects...

Map of Malawi

Build Malawi Build Malawi Project

A photo of the British High Commissioner to Malawi, Mr Richard Wildash, giving a speech during Chisala Full Primary School's inauguration ceremonyThe Build Malawi Project will be our main focus for this year and operates in the area of Chisala, Nkhata Bay District, Northern Malawi. The project finished its main building in December 2008 and celebrated with a big inauguration ceremony with the British High Commissioner as our Guest of Honour. It was the culmination of 3 years of hard work by the BMP team and the community, who in turn contributed local resources such as bricks, sand and labour to build the school.

A photo of the completed classroomsThe school is now nearing a massive 500 students since its start in January 2008. Since primary school education is free in Malawi, it cannot easily turn potential students away, although measures have been taken to control influx of students to ease the burdens on the understaffed teachers. We have 6 government teachers and are lobbying government for two more, which is a hard task as six is a high number for a Malawian primary school. We also have 2 volunteer teachers from the local community who are doing a great job. We want to start up a teacher training programme for teachers in the whole area this year and invite teachers from abroad to share knowledge and teaching methods. It is important that new and more interactive techniques are adopted by the teachers to encourage youth to join school, as well as to provide the school with facilities to attract them.

A photo of inside the libraryThe school acts as a community centre and so promotes education for all, not just the local primary school kids. We are big on promoting general adult literacy, especially amongst women, in these rural communities. Our library helps with this and is used by all kinds of community members for a number of activities, from reading to watching the news on Malawi TV and grasping a little bit of Malawian current affairs.

In view of all this, we are hoping to get started and complete the following projects over the next 3 years:

- Establishing the sports ground that will have football pitch, netball & volleyball courts (2010)

- Building the sports centre with changing room and shower facilities for boys and girls to promote big sports events in the immediate area (2010)

- Building a volunteers house (2010)

- Building one/two teachers houses (2010-11)

- Building more pit latrines/urinal facilities (2010-11)

- Expanding the library (2011-12)

- Establishing a large school garden and subsequent feeding programme (2011-12)

- Starting an annual teacher training scheme in conjunction with government (2010-12)

- Building a block to promote workshop/practical skills and informal education


Mzenga Secondary School accommodation facilities

We are currently finalising negotitions with government for the building of accommodation facilities for both girls and boys at Mzenga Secondary School, our nearest secondary school to Chisala which is about 30km away. The big problem with this beautiful school is that there are no residence facilities there that are safe and reliable, and which therefore rules out a large percentage of the nearby school learners reaching it, including Chisala students.

We intend to work again closely with Government to build these facilities to allow Chisala students, amongst many others, to access good quaility secondary education. We aim to start this year and are working closely with the MP and local community to achieve our goal at Mzenga. If this is accomplished, it will become one of the best secondary schools in the District so please show your support for this fabulous project!

Project plans and budgets are available on request.