NGO targets 34,000 Malawi children with school blocks
The "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty" project aims to improve access to education for out-of-school children.
DOWA, Malawi- An international non-governmental organization registered by the National Construction Industry Council, buildOn, will embark on a project to construct school blocks in Kasungu, Dowa, Ntchisi and Nkhotakota districts, targeting 34,000 children by 2026, writes Vincent Gunde.
The "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty" project aims to improve access to education for out-of-school children.
BuildOn identifies vulnerable communities with the Ministry of Education and focuses on children not enrolled in school or without access.
"By the end of the program, all learners of Dowa will have access to school for them to have a better future," BuildOn Malawi Country Director McDonald Chiputula told the Dowa District Executive Committee Monday.
The organization has already constructed 13,000 spaces and plans to build 17 more school blocks in Dowa next year. Chiputula said cheaper building materials could allow 18 or 19 new blocks.
The blocks are part of BuildOn's efforts in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali and Malawi supported by Educate a Child. The goal is to provide inclusive, equitable education.
Dowa District Council Director of Planning and Development, Mercy Mpakule advised buildOn to coordinate with the district community development office and submit plans to the Department of Physical Planning before starting construction.
Mpakule expressed hope the project would reduce illiteracy and said the council wants progress reports and a memorandum of understanding.