Welcome to the seventh week of our 12 Weeks of Christmas stories. If you want to make a difference to people’s lives in Malawi, why don’t you buy a Christmas gift from our Christmas Gift Catalogue.
A gift of £50 could provide two desks for children in a Malawian primary school
Can you remember when you were a child and used to lie or sit on the floor to read a book and play? Imagine if you had to sit on the floor all the time to read and write – at home and at school. In many rural schools in Malawi, underfunding has meant that there is often no money for basic equipment such as desks. Many children do not have any desks at all in the classroom and have to sit all day on a concrete floor or sit outside on the ground. Often if the classrooms have desks it is not uncommon for three pupils to have to share one desk, as there aren’t enough for the ever-increasing class sizes.
Primary schools are government funded and free to attend but are very under-resourced, lacking even the most basic materials. Having a desk is a vital part of learning, making it easier to write and concentrate in the lesson, creating a much better learning environment.
RIPPLE Africa employs local carpenters to build desks for the five primary schools which we support in the region. The desks are made from sustainably sourced wood and are robustly built so that they last as long as possible. We are hoping to be able to continue to provide new desks so that eventually all children in the five primary schools are able to sit at a desk and learn more effectively. Every time we build a new double classroom block we aim to provide 50 new desks so that the classroom environment is the best it can possibly be in order for children to learn. We also supply extra textbooks and create training opportunities for the teachers. All classes are overcrowded and can often have around 150 pupils in a class.
Your gift will pay for two new desks, paving the way for a better education for two children.
On behalf of primary school children a big Thank You for taking the time to read more about one of our education projects.
Tawonga Ukongwa!
