Wednesday 2 November
Today was about visiting old and new members of the MLOL family.
Our time in Malawi has flown by and we only have a few hours left to cram in as many visits as possible to our schools.
Mixed emotions today.
Our first stop was Chitsime PS – one of the first schools that MLOL became involved in five years ago.
The school, which serves one of the poorest townships of Blantyre and a school roll of 5,000 learners, and still operates a shift pattern in order to teach them.
However, each time we visit it seems that all 5,000 turn up at once – this is due to the Mary’s Meals porridge being served before lessons – why would the children run the risk of missing out in what is often their only hot meal of the day?
Estery, who has taken over from Grace as HT, was delighted to tell us that her Standard 8 pass rates have improved from 60% – 72% this year – the MLOL partnership has contributed through the library and better teaching and learning!
They were one of the first schools we opened a library in – as ever we visited to check on usage. Positively, they are still using a book to record books going out and in and we can see that books are being used, although the librarian had just returned to work this week.
Split into sections for the different reading ages, Maureen pointed out a book for a 2 year old in the Standard 8 section…an oversight perhaps.
Cue the double act.
Maureen and Justin have perfected their motivational library and raising attainment presentation this week, which goes down really well with the teachers and learners alike.
It boils down to a lack of confidence in some of our schools to throw open the doors to the libraries and let the learners in.
It will just take time.
A bit like the building work on the new admin block at the school.
Burnt down during the country’s elections in 2014 – the government secured money to rebuild, but still not finished.
Two years on the classrooms at Chitsime are bulging and learners sit outside the nearly finished building.
Frustrating to say the least. Meanwhile, Holyrood have been helping by squeezing in 4 additional classrooms, two still unfinished from last year.
After exchanging gifts and one of our special 5th anniversary plaques it was off to be entertained by the famous Matindi welcome.
This is a school that is doing incredibly well – we joked it was like visiting a Glasgow primary school much to DHT Regina’s delight.
We witnessed active learning in the standard 1 class – lots of singing and activity and learning in small groups during their maths class.
It was wonderful. The children seemed totally engaged playing bingo with their number cards and bottle tops and ably assisted by former maths teacher…Maureen!
Andrew, the teacher, has learnt these skills from GCC teachers who have visited the school and following Regina’s visit to Glasgow in 2013.
And their school library motto “to improve reading culture”…big smiles all around.
However, it didn’t stop the book monitor, aka Maureen, wheedling out some old books and saying: “You have to be brave and throw the useless books out – use them to make a fire!”
Maureen was presented with a wonderful handmade battery operated helicopter model – complete with recorded messages for Holyrood Secondary and Langside PS.
Goodness only knows how we will get it back to Glasgow in one piece.
Then it was back down to earth with a bump – literally!
We were off to Chilele PS – one of the remotest primaries in Blantyre Rural and nestling in the mountains.
The terrain was very rough as we travelled along – and very bleak in the searing temperatures.
A new MLOL supported school – but one that is too far away for a Glasgow teacher to work in.
To our utter dismay, as we neared the school Justin let out a gasp – the roofs had blown off three of the classroom blocks.
It was a downhearted HT, Morris, that met us in the playground. The damage had been caused in high winds the night before.
What will they do with the on-coming rainy season?
This is a school with very little resources and we have vowed to support them as much as we can – to establish their library with more books that we dropped off today from the Malawian Library Service and donated by Book Aid.
We explained to Justin that if this had happened in Glasgow – the school would have been closed on health and safety reasons and for the building to be checked out to see if it was stable. And fixed as quickly as possible.
No such luxury in Malawi – it is a case of business as usual and making do.
The children were clambering over the corrugated metal roof sections on the ground …many in bare feet.
But happy children never the less and so pleased to have their pictures taken before we said tiwonana and zikomo kambiri and headed for the hills.
A bit of light relief on the way back along the bumpy track when we spotted a large sign that stated ‘Open Defecation Free’ area.
As Justin tried to explain that it was because that all houses in the area had an outside toilet… the penny dropped for Maureen and I…in Glasgow we would say ‘no pooping in the fields’!!!!
Much giggling ensued and Justin is delighted that he has learned a new word.
Our day concluded with a visit to William Village where Justin was born.
Many of our MLOL and MYLOL groups have been out to this remote area and it was great to drop in on the Kamwendo Clan.
They are so proud of their boy and what he has achieved – and rightly so.
The first in his village to go to secondary school he is passionate about instilling this ethos in as many Malawian children as he can.
The village now boasts its own primary school – courtesy of Classrooms for Malawi and Renfrewshire Council – it is a massive boost for the village and surrounding area and another example of partnership working. Only one year open and already they have over 900 learners.
Malawi still has many challenges but as we sit under the magnificent African stars tonight we are content in the fact that knowledge is power.
Our schools are embracing this knowledge through their libraries and new books and MLOL has helped to facilitate this.
