Save the Children constructs two secondary schools in Zomba

Save the Children has constructed two community Day Secondary schools in the areas of Traditional Authorities (TAs) Chikowi and Mbiza in Zomba district as one way of promoting quality education in the country.

It is hoped that the schools will increase number of students especially girls selected from primary schools to continue their studies in secondary schools in the district.

Save the Children Area Operations Manager for Eastern Region, Lexon Ndalama said the organization noted that standard 8 students who have passed Primary School Leaving Certificate with good grades had slim chances to get selected to secondary school because the two TAs had none.

“’The lucky ones were selected to distant schools forcing them to walk a distance of over 14 kilometres to reach nearby community day secondary schools. This had a negative impact on the performance of students particularly girls, ‘’he observed, adding that but now the distance has been cut short.

Ndalama said the schools have been constructed with funding from two Americans whom he said wanted to remain anonymous to the tune of US$ 168, 000.

But the donors have named the schools after their mothers; Tillie and Bevlee respectively.

The two Schools have started their operations this academic year and have so far registered form one students only selected from the feeder primary schools within the vicinity.

Save the children started implementing projects in TA Chikowi in Zomba in 2008 in the thematic areas of education, youth development and Early Childhood Development (ECD) among others.

The two schools comprise two classroom blocks each, a Laboratory, Library, administration block, a staff house and toilets.

Meanwhile, Many learners in Buleya Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Chikowi in Zomba are now hopeful of excelling in their studies because of a newly constructed secondary school in the area.

Tillie Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) is expected to provide learning opportunities to most children in Namatapa Zone because of its nearness to most communities in the area.

Before construction of the school, most students used to travel long distances to other secondary school such as Pirimiti, Namisonga, St Pauls and St Martins, according one student Ulemu Namwera of Kathebwe Village in Jali area.

“The long distances forced many youths especially girls to drop out of school. It is good that we have this school in our zone,” Namwera said.

Pirimiti and St Martins CDSS are almost eight kilometers from the new school; while Namisonga and St Paul are about 18 kilometers away, according to another student Priscilla Thanavi.

The girl called on the surrounding communities in taking care of the new school.

“We need to prevent any form of vandalism so that the school maintains its good-looking conditions for our own benefit and that of future students,” Thanavi said while commending donors for boosting their dreams of advancing up to university education.

Tillie secondary school was built with support from an American family through Save the Children.

The students, therefore, called on parents and local leaders to help in building additional classrooms and hostels towards increasing students’ intake and minimizing absenteeism and dropout especially among girls respectively.

Tillie CDSS has one teacher’s house, administration block, two class room blocks, a library and laboratory and modern pit latrines for both boys and girls.

The school started in the first term of 2017/2018 academic year with 67 learners in form one comprising of 32 girls and 34 boys, according to the school’s headmistress, Ivy Kampaliro.

The students were selected from Namatapa, Dzaone, Chanda, Namakungwa and Ntangatanga primary schools within the zone.

 

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