MLOL Heart

By introducing school libraries MLOL has helped to improve literacy in more than 25 of our partner schools in Blantyre, Malawi

MLOL Libraries

The school has more than 5,000 pupils so providing meaningful resources is challenging. A library is the perfect way of introducing books into the life of the school and families.

We now have nine primary schools in Malawi with libraries set-up by MLOL. This means nearly 15,000 children now have more regular access to books.

We have recently established links with the Malawian Library Service to enable our schools to get books provided by the charity Book Aid. We are able to supply a good quantity of books to each of the school libraries in place at that time for only a very small cost for transport.

The use of the books in the Malawian schools continues to be variable. Our visiting MLOLs focus on helping teachers develop ways to integrate the use of books into lessons even with very large classes.

When our Malawian teachers come to Glasgow they also focus on learning how books can be used effectively to enhance children’s literacy.

And we have emerging examples of good practice in our partner schools.

The first one is the English club at Namwiyo Primary School. Children stay behind after school with teachers to read books and write their own stories. They published their own newsletter in English to share across the school. Parents comment very positively on how their child’s English is improving due to the access to books and the English club.

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Research by UNICEF has found that a child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to live past the age of five.
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MLOL Heart
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The experience of a lifetime because I had the opportunity to work with amazing learners and teachers from Malawi and Scotland, and our working partnership, I am sure, has led to an improvement in learning and teaching in both our countries. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!
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Reading clubs at Matinde Primary School

This is a rural primary school with many of the children travelling long distances to get to school.

Some cannot stay behind after school due to family commitments so children take home books and meet in their local communities to read together and talk about the books. The school have noticed an improvement in children’s fluency in English and in their confidence in learning.