Thursday 3 November
Our last full day in Malawi.
The past ten days have been a whirlwind – the usual rollercoaster of emotions – but what an experince we have had!
We have visited some of the remotest and least accessible schools in Blantyre, caught up with old friends and made new connections that we are very excited about.
It was all about celebrating our project’s five year anniversary and to see if we are making a difference – in a small way - to improve learning and teaching in our partner schools.
Are we? You bet we are!
Each day we gather more and more evidence – more Blantyre children than ever before are passing their standard 8 exams and although it remains challenging for a Malawian child to get to secondary school – more and more children from our partner schools are being selected to go to secondary school.
They are still small numbers…but as we always say – you need to eat the elephant a bite at a time.
Our first stop today was Mpata Primary – our newest MLOL partner.
Up the steepest, bumpiest, rock-filled track in Blantyre we have experienced.
At numerous points, we thought we were going to have to get out to lighten the weight in the car and we had to finally admit defeat and walk the last 100 metres to the school – and what a welcome we received!
Justin had told us the school was built by the city council in an area that has never had a school and had only be in operation for a year.
We still witnessed a number of children on the journey up, playing outside their houses or by the side of the dirt track who should have been in class – clearly not all the local community had embraced the new school as yet.
And what a magnificent school it is – and an inspirational Headteacher at the helm.
Bula – one of this year’s MLOL leadership graduates – oozes positivity and is so proud of his learners and school.
With 1,250 pupils over just four classrooms – the school operates the usual shift pattern normally – today they were out in force to greet us.
We started a library there with MLOL donated books, all organised on shelves with books graded for different learners and with an expressive arts corner to boot…and our lovely ‘go far together’ motto painted on the wall.
The school has a lovely atmosphere – many of the parents from the local community were also there to welcome us.
It is like a mini Glasgow family learning centre as Bula has organised time in the school week to open the doors to adult learners – as he explains: “Many of the parents have never been to school and never valued education and now they want to help their children so they are coming along to classes after school finished.”
Head boy Chrispine, even reduced Maureen to tears with his speech and letter about his school.
Before Maureen announced to the assembled thousands that: “This was the happiest school in Malawi and we are delighted to now be partners.”
We left ‘Pied Piper’ fashion walking with the children down the steep track with huge smiles on our faces – we have welcomed an excellent school into the MLOL fold.
It was then off to another new school – Nayizi PS – and where MLOLs 2016 Bill and Sarah made their mark.
We had some lovely teddy bears and gifts from Pirie Park PS – they had donated money last year to buy books for the Nayizi library.
The bears are now settling in to their new home and the learners…and HT Venison was delighted.
The library has been freshly decorated and Maureen spent time with the library group and teachers reading and going over the importance of using the books – and more importantly understanding the books!
Of the 4,582 learners a mere 32 young people have secured secondary school places this year. As always you wonder – what are the outcomes and chances for the remaining children?
As we bid the school goodbye we hope that with their new library, books and with MLOL support we can hear of an improvement on these statistics next year.
Hideously behind schedule, we then then headed over to CI school to present Vincent and the school with their plaque and catch-up with his news.
It was also the first chance to see the new secondary school block at the school – funded and built by Holyrood Secondary.
Delighted to report that the PR officer got a bigger cheer than the Education Director from the secondary pupils – but only because I had already tweeted their photo.
The power of social media.
After a tour of the library and chat with some of the pupils it was off to standard 7 and their afternoon English lesson where Maureen was sent to the back of the class to observe the active learning with a class of nearly 100!
We have seen massive changes in this school over the years and the introduction of the secondary school is a great benefit to the learners.
Two new secondary classrooms are almost finished and we met carpenters on site who are making and crafting the new desks.
As we were leaving we noticed some of the primary pupils looking at bit furtive, digging about in the school walls.
On investigation …we found then burrowing for termites…to eat!!!!
A valuable source of protein we were informed – Bear Grylls eat your heart out.
Our final visit of our trip was to Zingwangwa Primary. It hardly needs an introduction as we have written and posted so much about this school.
Arriving after the learners had departed, the teachers were in the middle of a CPD session with Hastings the HT.
How very Scottish!
It gave Maureen the chance to present the plaque and speak to the teachers about the sea of change we are witnessing across all our schools – and thank them for being a part of this.
Of course, it was also a chance to say hello to John Checkani – a star of the school – and of the BBC High School series back in 2012.
A quick stop in to Stella Maris to pick up some letters from our Stella Stars and back to…another power cut!
As we type by candle light, we are taking stock of our visit.
MLOL has reached a milestone – five years old – and such a lot has been achieved.
It is very easy to see what has been achieved in Malawi – you just need to visit the schools, speak to Justin and the education officials.
They are all passionate about MLOL – just like everyone in Scotland who is part of the MLOL family.
We have written many times about the similar challenges that both our countries face – poverty, health issues, addictions and chaotic family circumstances – but education is the key that will open the door for our children both in Glasgow and in Malawi.
Every child has the right to a quality education – regardless of their circumstances.
The 5th anniversary symbol is wood…solid, reliable, and dependable and continues to grow year after year if we nurture and protect it.
Not a bad interpretation of the future of MLOL.
