Primary education in Malawi

In 1995 Malawi introduced free primary education but its quality has grown poorer especially because of lack of teachers, teaching materials and at some places even school buildings. The classrooms are bare and often have more than 150 students inside. Interactive, individualized and holistic education methods are hardly practiced and there is little support for children who have difficulties to keep up in class.  As well, there is little or no stimulation in the form of books or toys. Children coming from the childcare centers providing a stimulating environment and lessons, thus experience a huge decline in the quality of education.

In order to address this challenge boNGO is working with the primary schools to improve the learning environment in the classrooms and introduces project Happy Classrooms.

project Happy Classrooms

Detailed information and Photo-gallery

The project Happy Classrooms creates a better learning environment in the classrooms of Standard 1 and 2 in Malawi primary schools. The wall decorations of alphabets, numbers and other educational/child friendly pictures strongly help both the learners and teachers. The originally dark and bare rooms are being turned into Happy Classrooms.

The project has an environmental aspect too as each benefiting school must plant and look after 30 fruit trees.

Decorating one classroom costs approximately K 44, 000 ($ 275) and has positive impact on education of more than one thousand children. For its success the project will be realized in as many schools as possible.

Schools that have benefitted from the project (in the South-Malawian region of Blantyre):

Model Childcare Center Umodzi-Mbame, 2 classrooms (July 2006)

Primary school Nankumba, 3 classrooms (May 2010)

Primary school Mbame, 1 classroom (June 2010)

Model Childcare Center Mango, 2 classrooms (July 2011)

Orphanage Orbus, 1 classroom (July 2011)

Primary school Madziabango, 2 classrooms (July 2011)

Primary school Nthaya Mwana, 2 classrooms (August 2011)

Primary school Masuku, 2 classrooms (August 2011)

Primary school Chichiri, 3 classrooms (August 2011)

Primary school Bangwe Catholic, 5 classrooms (August 2011)

Primary school Chisimbezi, 4 classrooms (August 2011)

Primary school Nasundu, 2 classrooms (August 2011)

Primary school Kachere II, 2 classrooms (September 2011)

Primary school Masuku, 2 classrooms (September 2011)

Primary school Namatapa, 11 classrooms (September 2011)

Primary school Namende, 2 classrooms (October 2011)

Primary school Nankhufi, 2 classrooms (October 2011)

Primary school Nyambadwe, 8 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Blantyre Girls, 4 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Bangwe CCAP, 6 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Mpingwe, 12 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Nayzi LEA, 8 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Mbayani, 13 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Chimwankhunda, 8 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Manje LEA, 6 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school St. Pius Boys and Girls, 6 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Zingwangwa LEA, 6 classrooms (November 2011)

Primary school Ndirande Hill, 7 classrooms (January 2012)