MALAWI – Building the St Steven’s secondary school
2024-05-15
Construction can now begin on St. Steven’s school thanks to the approval of a €100,000 subsidy from the German Federal Ministry For Economic Cooperation And Development. In 2023,
Ready to start!
Four committed people from the Umckaloabo Foundation were on site in Malawi when the cornerstone for the new school was laid at the beginning of May 2024 together with Bishop Martin from Karonga. This symbolic gesture can soon be followed by specific concrete actions, thanks to the support of the German ministry: the building process can get started.
A new educational outlook!
The St. Steven’s school is scheduled to open its doors to the first students at the start of the 2025 school year. This will mean that for the first time, children there will have the opportunity to attend a secondary school and thus greatly enhance their educational prospects. Currently there is no way for the approximately 4000 students of the region’s 10 primary schools to pursue an education past the eighth grade.
Once the school is complete, 400 adolescents can attend grades 9 to 12. In addition to general- curriculum subjects, the school will also teach values and standards which are critical to succeeding in their professional lives later on.
Getting to school – a 12-kilometer walk
The closest secondary school is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) away, and it can only be reached on foot. This is especially challenging for girls, because they are often bothered and sexually harassed along the way. Beyond that, however, it is simply difficult to perform well at school after a two-hour walk. And during the rainy season, the route to school is arduous enough that students just stay at home.