Malawi govt to connect adult literacy, formal education

The Malawi government is planning to connect adult literacy learning with formal education so that a good number of people learn beyond basic knowledge for development.

One of the adult learners receive her certificate

Chief Community Development Officer Aubet Mkwawira revealed this over the weekend during an adult literacy graduation ceremony at Liwaladzi Primary School in Nkhotakota.

The district honoured 1300 people for excelling through the first phase of adult literacy learning, which focused on reading, writing and counting in Chichewa.

However, Mkwawira said it was a pity to note that out of the 1300 graduates, only 23 percent were men.

He was quick to mention that government is working hard to mainstream different activities in adult learning classes in promoting inclusiveness.

“Government is mainstreaming different activities like Village Savings and Loans (VSLs) and nutrition services in the system to accommodate men. We are initiating an intensive monitoring activity.

“We are also discussing with partners on how best we can raise honorarium for instructors which is currently at K1000 and K5000 per month for Chichewa and English instructors respectively,” Mkwawira said.

He encouraged the graduating learners to connect through phase two, which focuses on English writing, reading and counting.

Guest of honour during the ceremony was Nkhota Kota District Council Chairperson Manfred Kwanjiwa.

He emphasized that it was high time everyone in the district absorbed the system and be literate.

“Only 61 percent of people in the district are literate. We are going towards our goal where everyone will know how to read and write because every day’s transactions need reading, writing and counting,” Kwanjiwa said.

A total of 680 graduating learners from Traditional Authorities Kanyenda, Mphonde and Kafuzira were under the United Purpose cane growers’ capacity building project.

District Coordinator at United Purpose Geoffrey Mkata said they supported 84 centres which are in their catchment area.

“We engaged the centres to solve many problems we encountered with sugarcane growers in our capacity building project. We felt the problems existed due to high illiteracy levels.

“Today, we have given out bags, books and bicycles to learning centres, supervisors and instructors so that they help in the process,” said Mkata adding that it has cost the organization MK6m to achieve the learning progression.

This graduation ceremony was held under the theme “Reading, writing, counting: a foundation to development.”

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