Monday 31 October
We had a very welcome visitor join us at breakfast this morning.
Wilson Chiutira is a Primary Education Advisor (PEA) who came over to Glasgow as part of the Malawian MLOL team in 2015.
In a nut shell, he popped in on the off chance he would catch us so he could thank Maureen and the MLOL team for helping him.
He feels that following his visit and subsequent PEA training course, he has had the confidence and empowerment to make some really good and significant changes in the primary schools in his zone.
And one of his main aims…to encourage and keep more girls in education!
We were delighted. He is now making links with the local community groups to illustrate how important an education is for Malawian girls – to come to and stay in school.
As he said passionately, to nods of encouragement from us: “Change will only come from inside Malawi, for too long we have relied heavily on external organisations. We need to be sustainable. MLOL is only the catalyst which we will use to change.”
He has even introduce village reading clubs where the school children take their books and teach the older generations to read.
We set out for the day with joyous hearts!
First stop – Mary’s Meals Blantyre office and a catch-up with Matilda, who was in Glasgow in May working in a few of our early year centres – and to hand over their 5th anniversary MLOL partnership plaque.
They had wonderful feedback from all our MLOLs who have worked in their under 6 centres and discussed how we can take our partnership to the next level.
Lots of ideas and plans for the future.
And since our project is about sharing practice, Maureen explained that our nurseries were also benefitting from the wonderful professional development after each visit.
Our teachers and CDOs learn that the most important thing is their skills to teach without any resources – in stark contrast to the abundance at home.
It was then down a few bumpy, dusty roads to one of our first schools and one that holds a very special place in our hearts – Namwiyo Primary and the amazing DHT Patrick.
Patrick and his pupils in the English and library club did not disappoint…they were incredible and held an impromptu press conference to quiz Maureen about a number of things.
Maureen got a wee bit emotional when Miriam read from a non-fiction book – delightful and this is a school that is now sending learners to secondary school each year.
We have played a small part in making this happen – no wonder Maureen was tearful.
This is a school that began our journey with MLOL and Maureen later congratulated the HT and the teachers for their amazing transformation – “You have all created a very strong learning environment. This is what is changing the culture and resulting in more children than ever before passing their exams and being accepted for secondary schools. We only ever come in for short periods of time, whereas you are all here every day, delivering learning.”
The hope is that Patrick and some of his learners will share their good practice with other Blantyre schools.
We were off again.
Along another long dusty, bumpy road in rural Blantyre to visit one of our new schools – Lipunga PS – and where Lorraine worked last month.
The positive atmosphere of the school met us almost as soon as we exited the car. And a very switched on school management team headed up by Robert.
As we toured the lovely new library – with help from the 2016 MLOLs – we couldn’t help but notice two very good condition classrooms piled high with bags upon bags of food – when two classes were being taught under trees!
This is the only secure area in the village, explained the HT apologetically – he understood the irony immediately and who are we to raise eyebrows – the food needed to be distributed to very hungry families living all around Lipunga.
It is about being practical and solution focussed – it is about survival in these rural villages.
We were treated to an amazing welcome – with singing, dancing – with Maureen getting into the groove with the female teachers and already posted on our FB page - and a beautiful poem about Malawi and the warm heart of Africa.
This is a school with huge potential – all the learners were in class being taught when we arrived, including two groups very attentively under trees – always a good sign and the teachers seem really enthusiastic about learning and teaching.
Definitely a case of watch this space.
Our last visit was to Michiru PS and Sarah Meehan’s school when she was here last month.
A very rural school whose Headteacher has been off sick for a good few months and there was little evidence of progress – something that MLOL can tackle.
There is no room for a library so Sarah introduced a mobile library – buckets filled with books for each standard group – and with evidence that this is still in place and adopted by the acting HT and the teachers.
Although, Maureen had the usual conversation about books, still in their cellophane wrappers piled high in the HT’s office. It never makes her happy!
We toured the school and met with most of the learners. We were delighted to see their very clever hand hygiene system in the playground that consisted of an upside down water bottle with holes on a constructed pole that when you pulled the string swivelled and water flowed out.
Simple but effective.
A bit like the ethos of MLOL – a number of times today Maureen was asked about resources and funds to build things.
Our project is all about learning and teaching and we are sticking to that – we are witnessing the rewards from this simple aim – why would we deviate?
