Report from Malawi: May 2022
Greetings from Malawi, and from Nsanama from all of us to all the friends of Project Kindy. This year Malawi has experienced the cyclone Ana and its destruction of properties, fields, and infrastructures. The raining season brought a lot of rain, too much in some parts of the country, sweeping away in few hours the hard work of weeks of the poor people. The cultivation of rice survived, but now the harvest has to be done with the boat, for the fields are still with a lot of water.
But the year 2022 has brought also a lot of blessings and new life to our children as well as teachers and volunteers in our 11 kindergartens thanks to the love and huge support of Project Kindy.
Children’s porridge
There is a lot of improvement regarding the porridge of children. The maize measurement, planned and implemented this year according to the different number of children in the different kindergartens, helps to get them enough maize for the daily porridge. Even the addition of sugar and salt makes a lot of difference.
Last July we had bought 140 bags of maize, 20 bags of rice, 10 bags of sugar and 5 bags of beans as provision for this scholastic year (Innocents Relief help).
Due to the change in the supply of maize to the schools, and to make sure we have enough maize, we bought again 200 bags in January 2022. It will be sufficient to reach the end of this scholastic year.
We need to work at and improve on the parents who in turn come to the schools to cook the porridge. Some don’t take the commitment seriously and if they don’t come to cook, that day the children do not have porridge. We are following the parents on this matter with the help of the Director and the kindergarten committees.
Staff wages
Our teachers and volunteers are very grateful for the help they get every month. They know it is a token of gratitude for their self-giving, and they appreciate the effort. Though small, it tells them we care for them and we value their service.
January to March they received MK 4,000, a bit more than 4 US$. From April we started giving 5,000 MK each.
Kindergarten operational costs
The blackboards of the kindergartens were re-painted, the schools were provided with chalk, writing materials, printed papers and charts for the children to colour, and crayons. We bought some balls for them to play and children’s games for Bakhita and Katundu kindergartens.
Training of teachers
We organized a one-day training for all the teachers together before the beginning of term 1 and term 2 in 2022. We took the advantage of a public holiday and teachers were again called for a workshop on 16 May 2022.
We did not do yet the one-week training for them. We hope to be able to implement this during the third term of 2022.
Teachers appreciate these moments of formation and they themselves ask for more skills to be imparted to them, so to be more efficient in their kindergartens.
Director
We chose Mr Mmwala to be the Director at the beginning of the year and he started immediately with enthusiasm and self-giving. He collaborates with the sisters and plans all his activities together. He visits the different schools every week and works hand in hand with teachers, parents, kindergarten committees and village heads. We really see the positivity of it, for he ensures a presence, sees the different difficulties and problems and reports.
He encourages and challenges the parents and the committees, he follows up the teachers, the following of the syllabus and the delivery of the lessons, and he sees the needs and monitors the supply of maize, sugar and salt.
He conducts regular meetings with the local kindergarten committees, the chiefs of the villages, the parents and the teachers. He is indeed a link between the project and the daily reality on the ground.
Children’s footwear
Plastic footwear were bought for the children, and they were distributed in all the kindergartens. It is a joy to see them coming to school wearing shoes. Whether it is hot, or cold, or raining, they have their small feet protected. Parents as well as teachers are very grateful. And of course, it has attracted more kids!
T-shirts
Project kindy hands, giving and receiving love, are all over!!!
The yellow t-shirts are seen everywhere! In the kindergartens, on the dusty roads and in the villages. The children are identified as Project Kindy kids.
They are very happy and proud of their uniform. Indeed, going to the different villages and seeing them with the same uniform speaks of unity and of a big family.
Parents are extremely grateful. Their children are dressed smart, and they can be helped on the way home, and be protected by the uniform. Of course, many came to ask to join because of the “uniform” that makes them special.
Teachers are also very grateful. Now the children can be seen and recognized when they move from the kindergarten or when they come.
Even in class, they are all the same and the small differences of those with nice clothes and those whose parents cannot afford is no more. They are all children of Project Kindy!
Across our kindergartens we cater for approximately 725 children, a bit less than the previous years. The decline in numbers is predominantly due to the new Malawian Government policy, by which all children before going to primary school need to go to kindergarten. Many people took initiative and opened small schools in the villages as well as in the towns, so many parents choose to bring the children to the nearest school.
Below are the approximate numbers in our kindergartens, but as I mentioned before, these are not stable. Children come and go, but every day the teachers call the attendance register. When the Director visits the kindergartens, he also records the presence of the children in each location.
Bakhita, 110
Katundu, 125
Mahete, 70
St. Augustine, 43
Tadala, 77
St. Pius, 55
Tikondane, 54
Mwayi wathu, 70
Masau, 30
Mlambe, 52
St. Francis Atupele, 40
Dear Friends,
Without you all these would not have been possible; the life and education of children that you enhance and promote, the awareness you create in parents of the importance of children’s education and the care you take of their children, the support to teachers and volunteers…. All these speak volume of your love and passion for God, for life, for the poor.
Words cannot express all our gratitude and appreciation for all you do for us and our little ones, and the future society of Malawi. We pray for you, and ask the Lord bless and reward you the way He knows best.
From all of us, a ZIKOMO as big as the world.
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