LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) through United Kingdom-based Book Aid International (BAI) has secured MK85 million worthy books for 16 rural primary and secondary schools in Malawi.
This is the first consignment for already earmarked in four districts including Mzimba North, Mchinji, Lilongwe and Salima—which are CSEC’s current project.
CSEC Executive Director, Benedicto Kondowe told news conference on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in capital Lilongwe that the coalition signed a partnership with BAI, a UK charity, to be securing books in order to support a reading culture in selected hard to reach schools.
He said CSEC and BAI want to help the government in ensuring that schools are well resourced with additional reading materials.
“This effort is important considering that in most schools there is high pupil-book ratio. For some subjects it is actually one to eight. This makes learning problematic.
“We believe mobilizing additional materials will help books to be better resourced so that learners have the opportunity to learn.“Knowledge is not just a question of having a teacher in class. There is a lot of additional learning that come with the supply of additional books.
“We believe these books will contribute towards the delivery of quality education,” said Kondowe.
He added CDSSs have been targeted for secondary school resource books “in the spirit of ensuring equity in education as these schools are highly deprived”.
Kondowe disclosed that the next consignment of about 5000 books expected this June 2023.
The books will be distributed to schools in all Southern Region districts affected by tropical cyclone Freddy.
He also disclosed that CSEC is mobilizing its members and already discussing more interventions they need to undertake currently in order to help affected schools with infrastructure and water and sanitation facilities, among others.
He said that BAI has been working with the National Library Services (NLS) for many years and the new partnership with CSEC seeks to leverage their ongoing work with NLS.
Kondowe added that CSEC works closely with NLS who are the focal recipient of all books, including the donation to CSEC.
The schools that will receive the first consignment of books including Kamilaza and Manyamula CDSSs, Manyamula and Kalweya primary schools in Mzimba North.
Mkanda and Gumba CDSSs, Mkanda and Lameck primary schools in Mchinji.
Malingunde and Phiri Lanjuzi CDSSs, Malingunde and Mphuzi primary schools in Lilongwe.
Mbirila and Thavite CDSSs, Kanong’ola and Kalembo primary schools in Salima.
