Mphanga Primary and Kakoma Primary set to launch breakfast programs
Greetings! We hope you are having a positive start to 2022. Across 2021, despite lockdowns and restrictions as a result of COVID-19, we made some great strides in supporting communities in Malawi to improve sustainability and wellbeing at local primary schools. In particular, we’ve seen great progress at Mphanga Primary School (Mchinji District) and Kakoma Primary School (Lilongwe District) across the year.
We’ve been working with Kakoma Primary School (900+ students enrolled) since 2018 and are proud to share that this school will launch a community-run meal program by March 2022. Those familiar with our approach to working with schools know that we focus on four areas – sustainable access to food, water, electricity and sanitation.
Kakoma Primary has benefitted from these projects and the entire community is excited about the launch of their breakfast program. It will ensure that 900+ students receive a nutritious porridge each school day, helping to address issues of hunger and malnutrition that are sadly prevalent among school-going children. In our experience, these community-run programs generate greater willingness to enroll children at school and improve their level of focus and attention when they attend. The use of local inputs, income generation, and (paid) community labour means that it is a truly local project, with minimal reliance on external parties for support.
Meanwhile, Mphanga Primary School (1400+ students ) is on a similar journey. We started working with this school in 2020 and the amazing enthusiasm and commitment of local parents, teachers and students has meant that they’ve made rapid progress despite several months of school closures. The school planted over 900 trees, designed a school farm, and have prepared it for its first harvest! They have also had eco-sanitation toilets constructed through support from Baby Angels, and received solar systems from our sister social enterprise, Zuwa Energy. This is a lot of positive change in a relatively short period of time.
In 2022, the school has started constructing a meal kitchen to launch their own breakfast program within the year, improve income generation by constructing a greenhouse, and install rainwater harvesting tanks to improve access to water.
In addition to the amazing work being done at the school itself, our staff work intensively with local farmers to promote the adoption of sustainable farming practices, drawing on the school garden as a demonstration center. These practices involve using organic methods of cultivation, using local seed varieties, and sustainable land management practices to improve soil health and reduce erosion. As attested to by farmers we’ve worked with over the years, improved yields, reduced farming costs and improving biodiversity are the key outcomes.
These are two major school projects epitomize our commitment to grassroots leadership and sustainable practices. We can’t wait to share the progress of these communities with you!
