James Kelly - Classrooms for Malawi
Thu, Nov 9th 2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm
James will update the members on Classrooms for Malawi's continuing work to improve Educational Resources in Malawi.
Host: Lorna Dick
VoT: Willie Talbot
James Kelly, a volunteer for Classrooms for Malawi (CfM), was the speaker at tonight's meeting of the Rotary Club of Motherwell and Wishaw.
He told the members that, since the foundation of CfM almost 10 years ago, the charity has improved the day-to-day school environment of over 30,000 pupils across Malawi.
They provide children with the opportunity to attend school in a safe, clean and friendly learning environment.
In Malawi, children are often taught outdoors due to a lack of adequate infrastructure and CfM’s mission is to take children from the shade of trees to the light of a classroom. They work side-by-side with Malawian communities and the Ministry of Education to identify communities in most urgent need of improved facilities.
In partnership, and consultation, with community leaders, parents, teachers and local authorities CfM forms a plan for improvement of each school that they work within and help the community to deliver against this plan. CfM employs local tradesmen in Malawi employing over 20 people indirectly at any given time. They work with locally sourced materials to improve the educational infrastructure and their projects are mainly the provision of classroom blocks, however they also work on toilets, dormitory buildings and libraries.
CfM believe in the importance of education both here and in Malawi and thus they promote the work and school partnerships within the context of the Global Goals. James said that their donor base is a network of schools, community groups, businesses and faith groups who have come together to help them in their mission. They are grateful for all donations, large or small (monetary or otherwise) that will help CfM build more classrooms.
CfM's work has left a lasting impact in all of the school communities in which they have worked. In terms of infrastructure, there are 200 classrooms that will be standing for over 50 years and this has a significant impact on education. The impact assessments to date have shown increased attendance, attainment and improved pass rates in National Examinations.
CfM have also seen more girls attending school as a result of proper sanitation and dormitory accommodations.
In Scotland CfM have an outreach programme working in schools and community groups to raise awareness of their partnership with Malawi, the global goals and the friendships that can be made. James said that this creates a lasting impact with children both here and in Malawi.
After James responded to a number of questions posed by members, Willie Talbot proposed the vote of thanks in which he said that, given the Club's involvement with Malawi in the past, through its Wish Well project, CfM may be a suitable project for the us become involved with in the future.
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