Action for the Benefit of Children and the Build Malawi project...
The BUILD MALAWI project is a small, community-based venture that plans to operate in Malawi from September 2007.
We will be working with the communities to help provide the essential tools of basic education and support networks that we feel contribute to an active and fulfilling life!
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Build Malawi MySpace blog for up-to-date info, pics and vids from Malawi!
The aim...
The Build Malawi project aims to assist the communities in the Chisala area, which is in the Nkhata Bay district in the north of Malawi.
The project will build a Primary School that will cater for children between the ages of 5 and 15 years. In Africa, physical structures are rarely used for just one purpose and the school will therefore also serve as a Community Centre after school hours. This way we can reach the maximum amount of people, whilst involving the community in every step of the way!
Our objectives
- Provide for the mental, moral and physical welfare of young people through the furtherance of education, regardless of age or gender
- Provide a safe and conducive environment for learning
- Implement a wide variety of programmes that will allow individuals to build and grow
- Promote HIV/AIDS awareness and focus on problems concerning gender/female roles in society
- Promote the sharing of knowledge between cultures as well as a sustainable and responsible living. This will be helped by encouraging small scale commercial enterprise and promoting more efficient farming methods. We will be working with the local "Demonstration Garden" to improve crop yield in this very rural soceity
- Tackle environmental issues, such as the problem of de-forestation
We do not want our help in Malawi to be an imposition and stress our partnership with the communities in Chisala.
The building process will implement an on-the-job training scheme in conjunction with the Malawian Technical College, named TEVET. The scheme provides modulised training for unqualified but skilled local builders in construction and maintenance.
The main idea is that if you create something, then you have more interest in its survival and we want to ensure this happens for years to come.
Building, however, is only a part of what we want to achieve!
The Primary School will allow for a variety of extra curricular activities that will encourage personal development, self-confidence and good health. The project team will help setup sports teams, after-school classes, art and music classes and discussion groups.
The Community Centre will implement a range of programmes and workshops that will provide an informal education for both children and adults. Literacy classes are particularly important to help the large number of school drop-outs (especially women) achieve their potential.
We have an exciting range of ideas which have come directly from the community in Chisala and we will be working in partnership to ensure the sustainability of the school/centre for future generations!
Come and join us in making the project a massive success!