Uncategorized

To promote quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Malawi, the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia ECD department and World Vision International have initiated a two-year project named Ready For School (R.F.S). This project is currently underway in the Nkhata Bay district, specifically in the Sanga and Mwendanjira Area Programs. Launched in October of this year, the project is scheduled to conclude in September 2025, covering T/A Mankhambira in Nkhata Bay and T/A Mwenewenya in Chitipa District.

The primary objective of the project is to facilitate the smooth transition of children from Community-Based Child Care Centers (CBCCs) to Primary Schools by employing modern technology, specifically the Early Learning Kiosk (ELK). Additionally, the project aims to build the capacity of caregivers in both area programs, empowering them to deliver high-quality ECD education and ultimately support child stimulation. Simultaneously, efforts are directed toward enhancing nutrition services in the CBCCs, advocating for daily nutritious meals for the children.

The CCAP Synod of Livingstonia and World Vision International, through this project, seek to promote the concept of One Village One CBCC (OVOC) for all the communities involved. This entails improving infrastructure development, ensuring the presence of safe and child-friendly structures for each CBCC.

Rev. Edward Kamthunzi, the Executive Director of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia ECD Department, expressed the church’s commitment to contributing to the government’s endeavors in enhancing the quality of ECD services in Malawi. The Ready for School Project, according to him, plays a crucial role in targeting various stakeholders, including parents, caregivers, community governance structures, such as SMSs, CMCs, and traditional leaders. The belief is that, by the project’s conclusion, positive transformations will be evident in the communities of T/A Mankhambira in Nkhata Bay and T/A Mwenewenya in Chitipa.

Funding for the Ready for School project, amounting to 200,000 USD, is provided by World Vision Korea. The announcement of this exciting news took place during a recently concluded three-day startup meeting attended by both organizations and government officials from the two districts.

The Deputy General Secretary (DGS) of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia Rev IV Mhone is this week appreciating the work that the Early Childhood Development (ECD) department is doing in all of its catchment areas as part of his familiarization tour of the works that various departments are doing within the synod in serving the people holistically.

The familiarization tour began from Karonga and Nkhatabay on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively where DGS appreciated the progress of the school readiness initiative project that the ECD department is implementing. The project seeks to have a good start to primary school education for vulnerable children from the ECD centres by providing them with high quality early childhood education hence pre-primary learners being ready for primary school and teachers being ready for pre-primary learner

Speaking at Chatata cbcc under in T/A Zilakoma in Nkhatabay district the DGS was overwhelmed with the work that the ECD department is doing in the district and reaffirmed the commitment that the CCAP synod of Livingstonia has in serving the people. He also applauded the department for the commendable job being done in the communities. On the other hand village headman Katuwa commended the job the CCAP synod of Livingstonia for introducing the project in Zilakoma and he continued to appreciate the project such that the cbcc these days have gone digital such that caregivers are now able to conduct activities such as assessments and learning using the tablet which was provided to them the synod.

The project which was toured by the DGS, is being implanted by the ECD Department of the CCAP synod of Livingstonia with funding from Roger Federer Foundation and it will run for two years from 2022 to 2024.

Ng’ongo Primary School was established in the year 1995 and is located in TA Mtwalo in Mzimba district in the Northern Region of Malawi. It is one of the beneficiary CBCC benefiting from a 2 years School Readiness Initiative Malawi Project (SRI) funded by Rodger Federer Foundation and is implemented in TAs Jalavikuwa, Mtwalo, Mpherembe and Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba North.

Ng’ongo Full Primary School has one class for standard 1, has also 11 teachers for other classes, has school management committee of 10 members and Primary and Teachers Association Committee. All these members collaborate in implementing School Readiness Initiation activities and other developmental activities at the school.

Emmah Mzumara is a standard 1 teacher at Ng’ongo Primary School, she has challenged the head teacher that she did not have a dream of teaching standard 1 children, because its not easy to be a standard 1 teacher. “When you teach in standard 1, you should have passion and be creative enough in sourcing and developing the learning and playing materials for the children”. She said. “I did not have any dream of teaching in standard 1 class; in the year 2020 I was shifted from standard 7 to teach in standard 1 class, I refused and informed the headteacher that I don’t want to be a standard 1 class teacher, I can’t manage to be a standard class teacher but the headteacher insisted that I have to be in standard 1 class, it was like an insult to me” she said. She accepted though she was not happy, “2 months later I was privileged to be trained in Know How Course together with the caregivers which was conducted by Livingstonia Synod trained through School Readiness Initiative Project”. Said Emmah

It was this when Emmah joined Ng’ongo learning group, she was guiding caregivers and leading the sessions at a learning group during module 4 discussions, she saw that very interesting and motivated her, the content were helpful and started applying the content to her children in standard 1. She was reading the know how manuals and this has helped her a lot in teaching the standard 1 children. She was even borrowing the tablet from the caregivers and able to read the content in the tablet and able to make learning and playing materials for the children. She then acquired more skills from know how course on how she can be teaching standard 1 children.

Emmah is an outstanding standard 1 teacher in Mzimba district because she now has the all the knowledge, skills and techniques in teaching the standard 1 children through knowhow knowledge, she even said this during the graduation ceremony to the audience gathered at Ekwendeni Primary School where the event took place, she even said that she don’t want to be shifted from standard 1 class, she will remain in standard1. “It is very much interesting to be a standard 1 class teacher if you have the skills and references to guide you, know how course and Early Learning Kiosk has been my guiding tool” she said.

The passion which Emmah developed in participating in the know how course has made her to to have a vision for her class and children, developed more learning and playing materials for her children, able to observe her children in class how they are conducting the activities that she is teaching them. She proudly said that she has completed the knowhow course, done Pre course, all module quizzes and post course, and always apply the knowledge she has acquired to the children.

Indeed, Ng’ongo Primary School has been outstanding because of her, this made the school to receive awards of congratutory certificate and money amounting to 50,000 MK, and part of the money has been used to buy some materials like tyres for the natural playground for the standard 1 children. Emmah was very happy that her school has received the awards because of her. She proudly said that she will continue being a standard 1 teacher and continue guiding the caregivers.

The headteacher, teachers, school management and Primary and Teachers Association committee are happy with the work of Emmah as indicated by the headteacher that know how course has really assisted Emmah to have passion for standard1 learners and is so creative and this has made her children in standard1 to like school.

The SMC chairperson also testified that Emmah is a good teacher, she loves her job, she has also mobilized us to come up with the materials for the natural playground, also sensitised parents in checking the books of their children after school, supporting and teaching their children at home.

“We really thank SOLINIA through SRI Project for the knowledge imparted to Emmah our standard 1 teacher, this has made our school to be outstanding because her; we will continue working hand in hand with her and give all the support that she needs even if the project phases out because we have a capable teacher for our standard 1 learner”. The head teacher commented.

Thandeka CBCC was established in the year 2012 and is located in TA Mtwalo in Mzimba North. Thandeka CBCC is one of the beneficiaries CBCC benefitting from a 2 years School Readiness Initiative project funded by Roger Federer Foundation and is implemented in Mzimba North.

All along, children have been using the church as their CBCC because they did not have their own structure. It has been very difficult for the caregivers to keep on using the church as the CBCC. “Each and every day after the lesson is over we have the task of parking the 8 learning areas in the sacks and carry them home as we cannot leave them in the church, so it’s a tiresome task to us as caregivers,” said Stockia Soko (caregiver).

Thus, the community with their chief sat down and discussed the way forward to help their children and to ease the work of the caregivers. The aim was to have their own structure so that they are not to be disturbed anymore. So they gathered themselves as a community and mold bricks but during this time they were still using the church as an ECD center.  

After the CBCC management committee got trained by the SOLINIA, under SRI, the CBCC management committee informed their chief of what they learnt especially on their roles and responsibilities and also SRI project. The Village Head Thandeka was very happy and interested about this great news in his area as what he heard was something that as a community have already begun. All the chiefs sat down and within no time the land was allocated as where the CBCC can be built together with child friendly toilets, natural playground. just to mention a few. With the help of the CBCC management committee, he sensitized the community members to source timber so as to have their CBCC roofed with the iron sheets. After this sensitization, the community members sourced the timber and the 2 roomed CBCC was built and roofed with the iron sheets.

They were not given nails, but rather they managed to purchase the nails and unfortunately there was a shortfall of one iron sheet of which was bought right away after they noticed. As of now, with their own effort and being the owner of that CBCC, natural playground is in place at Thandeka CBCC, one room has been plastered and they have managed to build two child friendly toilets.

The chief, parents, CBCC management committee and community at large together with the caregivers are so happy that they received the iron sheets. “The SOLONIA under the project SRI has really helped us here as our children will no longer use the church since we have our own structure in good condition. In addition to that, we have also been given solar kit plus the Tablet which has made our caregivers to be resourceful and lessen up their work.” the chief said.

During the training that the CBCC management committee got from SOLINIA, they were also sensitized on the importance of the natural playground at a CBCC like Thandeka. They were told that, learning through play is vital for the children thus the natural play ground is needed at a CBCC. Upon being trained, the community got organized and sourced the materials like poles for the natural playground. “I am very happy with the projects that are taking place at our CBCC as with the presence of this playground is helping to increase the enrolment of children at our CBCC” the caregiver said.

Working with stakeholders at district level (Mzimba) has resulted into a number of successes in school readiness project implemented by CCAP synod of Livingstonia, early childhood development funded by Roger Federer Foundation (RFF). The orientation and the involvement of district stakeholders has

 enhanced collaboration in SRI and ECD activities.

The district social welfare officer is playing the vital role in the project; the office has been assisting the project with vehicle and personnel to ease mobility challenges and help in facilitation of project activities. Equally the office of district education manager (DEM) Mzimba north has provided office space for the project. The officials at district level were also instrumental during identification of CBCCs.

The joint monitoring with stakeholders (DEM, DSWO, ADC, other stakeholders) has helped to uncover the challenges which schools and CBCCs face. A visit to Kalaza primary, made it possible for the school to rec eive 50 desks from UNICEF. This is because the DEM saw the need and put Kalaza on his priority needs.

The CSOs also support the project in different ways, for instant Tafika CBO is able to support Kambombo and Tafika CBCC with indoor and outdoor materials, construction of CBCC and child friendly toilets. CSOs are able to support the project. In his remarks the executive director of Tafika CBO Mr Shupo Kumwenda said, “we really cherish the support given to Kambombo and Tafika CBCC, and as a CBO we are trying to also support these young one’s because they are the bigging of the future”.

CCAP synod of Livingstonia, Early child development is implementing a six year project in Mzimba north in traditional authorities of Kampingo sibande, Jalavikuwa munthali, Mtwalo and Mpherembe. The School readiness initiative project (SRI) which is funded by Roger Federer Foundation is aimed at preparing learners in the community based childcare centres to be ready for primary school and primary school to be ready for them.

In away to make children ready for primary the project is using tab (phones), in which, all the necessary teaching materials needed by the caregivers have been uploaded. Understanding that these tabs will require recharging, hence the distribution of battery and solar panels.Bulbs were other materials which were given.