No mask… No class.

Just as our students in Canada were heading back to school, so were the students at Kuwala Christian Girls School. The girls were excited to get back to learning and community at Kuwala. To start the school off, each student received a letter of encouragement from Canada. The students at Kuwala started with masks in hand on September 7, allowing additional time to review and settle in before regular schools officially open on October 12.

Hope and determination lives here at Kuwala.

During the world pandemic, one of the greatest fears of the girls and their parents at Kuwala Christian Girls School is that they may never be able to return to school. They do not have consistent access to cell phones, television and media reports to update them on the situation in their village, let alone the rest of the world. The girls are concerned about their education and their future. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries; there is no safety net for these girls. Kuwala is staying in contact with the girls throughout the pandemic and encouraging them to stay positive.

In Malawi, girls that live at school have a better opportunity at succeeding.

For many students in North America, the plan of going away to University or College and “living in residence” or boarding at a Campus while attending school is one filled with the anticipation of experiencing new adventures and seeing a new part of the world. Completing Grade 12 and moving onto University is an anticipated life event; education is available, and choices are limitless. 

Kuwala Christian Girls School in Malawi offers a volunteer boarding school environment for a different reason; safety and security while getting an education. McSensio Raphael, the acting Headmaster at Kuwala, provided insight into the success of boarding schools for girls in Malawi.

Addressing the inequality gap

When you think about your household’s income, do you feel wealthy, poor, or just average? Most of us don’t realize that poverty is an inequality gap and is a problem with solutions. In Canada, we have access to physical infrastructure (electricity, water, and shelter from climate change). Also, there are social safety nets (education, technology, and food security) that help provide a minimum standard of life regardless of income, race, sex, or religion. And while inequalities exist in Canada, it is nothing like experiencing poverty in Malawi. The poverty inequality gap can be broken down into 6 critical areas to demonstrate what Kuwala is doing to help break the cycle for the next generation of girls attending school.

From seedlings to crops, the tomatoes are blooming

The greenhouse is growing an abundance of tomato plants. It only took McSensio Raphael (acting Head Schoolmaster), and his green thumb a few weeks to grow large tomatoes on sturdy vines. The warm Malawian weather, with lots of sunshine and fresh air, coupled with consistent tender care and watering, result in such a magnificent crop.