Save the Children donates vehicles to Malawi Government, project implementation partners
Save the Children International (SCI) – the world’s leading independent children’s organization – has donated vehicles to the Government of Malawi and four of its project implementation partners.
The vehicles have been valued at K500, 800, 000 and were procured with financial support from the Norwegian Aid for Development (NORAD) through the Tikwaniritse ndi Kuteteza Ma Ufulu a Ana (TIKUMA) Project.
The project, which is being implemented in Mchinji and Balaka districts, aims to contribute towards ensuring that all children have access to quality education and are safeguarded through robust community and government systems.
Speaking after handing over the vehicles at SCI Head Office in Lilongwe, the organization’s Director of Programme Operations, Partnership and Awards Management, Dr. Chakufwa Munthali, said the donation aims at alleviating mobility challenges its partners have been facing when implementing the project.
“In our country strategy, we would like to be implementing our programs through our local partners, but also focusing on strengthening government institutions. So, we also believe that in terms of increasing our reach, we know that we cannot do it alone. Hence we would like to be implementing our programs through partners,” said Munthali.
“But also the project is focusing much on education and more specifically, building the capacity of teachers. So you would see that we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minister of Education, specifically Department of Teacher Education and Development. So that’s why we know for sure that in order for our partners to implement these activities successfully, mobility is very key,” he added.
Head of the Directorate of Teacher Education and Development (DTED) at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Zizwa Msukuma, who spoke on behalf of the recipients of the vehicles, commended SCI for its tireless efforts to promote the rights of children in Malawi.
Msukuma said the donated vehicles, which include four brand new Toyota Hiluxes and a reallocated Toyota Land Cruiser, will help in sealing the mobility gaps the partners have.
“This donation today, which we have all witnessed today, will assist the ministry, especially in improving service delivery thereby improving the quality of education in Balaka and Mchinji. Literacy and numeracy levels are a big challenge in lower classes in the two districts. So with this donation, it will help DTED and the ministry as a whole to make sure that we engage and build capacity of our teachers in the two districts as well as train them how they can better able improve the teaching and learning of the lower classes,” he said.
The implementing partners under the TiKUMA Project include Malawi Girl Guides Association, NGO Coalition on Child Rights, DTED, GAYO, GENET, MEJN, PODCAM and Balaka District Education Office.
Principally, the project focuses on creating inclusive and equitable educational opportunities for every child, addressing barriers such as poverty, discrimination, and geographic isolation.
By strengthening community involvement and enhancing government policies and infrastructure, the project seeks to build a supportive environment where children’s educational rights are upheld, and their well-being is prioritized.
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