Malawian Woman Offers Free Child Education, Services to Rural Villagers
The classes opened in March, providing early stimulation and socialisation through songs, reading, the arts, and play.
LILONGWE, Malawi— A Lilongwe woman is providing free early childhood education classes along with food, clothing, and water aid to impoverished rural families in a quest to nurture the development of young students, writes Mustafa Makumba.
Jean Suntche leads the local non-governmental organisation Children and Women Care Organisation (CAWOCO), which established the assistance centres this year in two remote villages in Traditional Authority Tsabango.
She said her mandate is to cultivate productive future citizens through such support.
“Our mandate is to have well-nurtured children who will become well educated, hence helping to develop the country,” Suntche told AfricaBrief news site this week.
Over 200 children now benefit from the free daily preschool sessions teaching crucial skills before primary studies, along with breakfast meals that augment sparse resources in Masankhawa and Gubu villages.
The classes opened in March, providing early stimulation and socialisation through songs, reading, the arts, and play.
Villager Festoni Meki said his community previously lacked options, leaving children idle and falling behind.
“Since the coming in of this initiative, the children are attaining free education, which will help them excel when they graduate to the primary level,” he remarked.
Twenty-four students completed CAWOCO’s early childhood course this year, transitioning to nearby Nankhali Primary School, demonstrating the organization's positive impact in its first year of operations.
In times of need, families can also access the facilities for basic provisions like clean water from a new borehole, clothing donations, and other staples.
Single mother Priscilla Langton appreciates the breakfast club for lifting a daily financial burden.
"The project, which, apart from offering free early education, also provides free nutritious meals to our children, is helping them grow healthy as long as it contributes to their focus on studies,” she said.
Despite monetary constraints on her efforts to uplift adolescent girls and mothers through training programmes, Suntche continues to empower women with entrepreneurship and life skills. She distributes starter capital for small businesses to select programme participants.
Looking ahead, her organisation aims to curb early marriages and unintended pregnancies that prevent girls across the district from achieving their potential. CAWOCO plans to launch an initiative to get adolescent mothers back into school.
Suntche invited more collaboration.
“I have asked well-wishers to support my noble mission in cash or kind to ensure I reach many underprivileged people who are languishing in poverty even beyond my catchment area,” she appealed.