The physical condition of most of the schools found in Malawi is very poor indeed, with many not having had maintenance or upkeep since their construction in the 1940’s & 1950’s.
In the classrooms, the roofs leak, there are windows missing, doors are broken or non-existent, floors are pitted with huge potholes and there is often minimal school furniture and what furniture there is, is broken and unusable.
Overcrowding because of a shortage of classrooms is common and class sizes are often more than 100 students per class.
In some of the more overcrowded schools, classes are taught on a rotation basis to maximise the use of classrooms – some classes being taught while others have playtime.
Of course, each child only receives half of their time in the school day learning.
These projects repair the infrastructure of the school itself and repairs or provide school furniture, creating an environment where children have the potential to learn.
In some of the more overcrowded schools, additional school classrooms are being built.
Many of the secondary schools have boarding facilities for students because of the huge distances that need to be travelled to get there.
Part of this project looks at the environment for these students and aims to make this better.
This may include sleeping, catering or bathing facilities in the boarding facilities.
