News Update - May/June 2009

With rainy months ahead, now was seen as a good time to take advantage of the sun to paint the roofs of the school buildings ...including the onsite houses of two teacher - to protect them against rust. The paint also helps to reduce the glare of the unpainted metal.

News Update -February/March 2009

The Malawi government seeks to provide at least one main meal at all primary schools but asked The Australian AIDS Fund Inc to be the meal providers for two terms of the 2008 school year at The Australian Primary School at Nogwe, after which it would be the provider.

But just before Christmas,the government signalled it was not able to step in before April 2009 and The Australian AIDS Fund Inc was asked to make emergency arrangements to fund the food purchases.

Fortunately, the Australian government responded to the AAFI's special appeal, and provided the money.The Nogwe schoolchildren and ourselves are most grateful for its generosity.

Solar/Led lighting

The weather has muddied the roads into the Nogwe area for the past weeks which explains why our photographer could only now drive in to film the solar/led lighting panels in place atop the classrooms of the school. And, by all reports, the kits are working a treat! Now they can study at night.

News Update - September 2008

You'll recall that in our last update we'd reported that the enrolment at The Australian Primary School at Nogwe had rocketed up from 400 to 602 which meant we had suddenly to dig deep to hastily provide extra toilets....extra text books and supplies of exercise books .....and uniforms so that everyone was on an equal footing

Here's the pictorial report on what the emergency financing accomplished:-

The kids joyfully holding new bricks aloft...signifying that three extra double toilets were under construction. The below -grounds works have already been completed.

The arrival and distribution of extra text books and other writing materials were also warmly and enthusiastically welcomed.....

The additional new uniforms were also proudly shown off as the children poured outdoors for our photographers....

One of the liveliest hubs of the primary school is its onsite kitchen...providing as it does a much appreciated bowl of sweet porridge...the energy source for a day's study! Many children throughout Malawi have to get through the day without any food which leads to absenteeism as they're unable to cope with the journey to and from home without anything to eat in between to build up their strength.

These children's lives have taken on a new vitality and excitement now that they have their own school in their own rural or 'outback' district.

In their own words, the children are chanting their own message "Oh! Australians...thank you."


The children clutch the bricks that have been made to build the extra toilets that they need...the below ground works (alongside) have been already done.


Now that the school population has mushroomed, the outdoor kitchen (far right) is a favourite destination.

The arrival of books and writing materials was an occasion to celebrate


Armed with their green food bowls, the children head off to the kitchen for what might be their only meal for the day!


Another 200 uniforms had also to be made, so that every child in the school could have what's regarded as a prized possession.

News Update - September 2008

A plane that flew out of Canada in early September carried a special cargo for The Australian Primary School at Nogwe.....the gift of light!

There's no electricity in the rural Nogwe area but The Australian AIDS Fund discovered a wonderful charity in Canada that sells solar/LED lighting kits...and, most appropriately, the charity calls itself Light Up the World!

Six of these kits have now been bought and sent to the Nogwe school....allowing night-time studies and also the illumination at the school to meet local medical emergencies...childbirth, accidents etc.

LUTW LED LAMP Key Features	High luminous efficiency, low power consumption. Light Up The World leads the industry in brightness. With your support we spread light and hope to developing countries with efficient, environmental friendly LED light. (LED = light emitting diodes) Features 80 + lumens light output. Has a projected life span of 100,000 hours. Operational and environmental benefits of LED technology. Appropriate thermal management for longevity. Robust construction suitable for outdoor applications 12 VDC operation. 3-year manufacturers warranty. Applications The system is designed for home usage, but may also be used to meet various lighting needs in: Health Clinic Schools Churches and temples Community halls

(actual LED lamp is very similar as shown in picture)

LUTW System with SLA Battery

High brightness LED lamps.
4 hours of daily continuous lighting.
Very high quality components.
Long lifetime (25 years).

Kit Includes: Two LUTW LED lamps, 10 W solar panel, wiring (9 m), 12 V rechargeable SLA battery and user guide.

News Update - July 2008

Under less than 3 weeks since The Australian Primary School at Shaibu/Nogwe opened its doors to take in 400 students.......its school population has rocketed....to 602! It's literally bulging at the seams..such is their eagerness and desperation to get an education.

As part of its support, The Australian AIDS Fund Inc has funded the purchase of food to provide the school-children with at least one hot meal a day...cooked onsite.

Much of it is being stored at the headquarters of Tithandize Orphan Care at Ndirande.

The organisation is taking delivery...and storing...some 80 fifty kg sacks of soya........34 fifty kg sacks of maize...and 34 fifty kg sacks of rice.

As we said, there are a lot of mouths to feed and we are hoping that the "foodbowl" acreage we are developing nearby will help in that ongoing task!


Zex Thambo supervises the unloading and storage of the school's food stocks.

News Update - June 2008

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE AUSTRALIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL ON 23RD JUNE 2008

8:30am – 9:00am Invited guest take seats
9:00am– 9:10am Opening prayer by Pastor Sibale
9:10am – 9:30am Welcome remarks by Master of Ceremonies
9:30am – 10:30am Guests view Australian Primary school infrastructure

10:30am – 11:30am Poems, Dances and Drama performed by School Children and Youths
11:30am -14:00 Speeches by:-
- Chambe TDC Chairman (Mr. Izec Phiri)
- Village Head Shaibu
- Group Village Headman Nogwe
- Village Development Committee Chairman
- Australian Parents Teachers Association
- Rev. Rabson Chilewa
- Zex Thambo
- Letter (Special message from Australian AIDS Fund))
- Guest of honour
14:00– 15:00 Announcement by Master of Ceremonies that all present are invited to an opening ceremony get-together party (Rice with meat)

15:00 Closing prayer by Mr. S.P Kachuma

DETAILED REPORT ON HOW THE AUSTRALIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL WAS OPENED AT SHAIBU/NOGWE VILLAGE, BY GROUP VILLAGE HEADMAN NOGWE - MULANJE

The great day finally arrived as a warm one of 23ºC with a little wind. The various Nogwe villages were alive and bustling from early on as preparations led up to what was described as "the newly built magnificent, important and unforgettable gift of the school project at Shaibu that shall not only be a pool of education and treasure for the future generation but also a thing that dressed the village in a new tune."

For centuries, Nogwe has gathered hundreds of thousands of illiterate people unableto go to schools because of the challenges of distance, the threat of flooding rivers, muddy/rough roads, and a hostile environment of expanding forests.The schools at Mthuruwe, Chikonde, Nkanda, Kambenje and Pambachulu, just to mention a few, were simply too far away.

The newly Australian Primary School at Nogwe/Shaibu is situated in the Mulanje district in the Chambe (TDC) Training for Development Centre Zone. Chambe DTC zone contains only 14 primary schools (far apart) namely:- Nolo, Sukayakwe, Samson, Namadidi, Mkanda, Kambenje, Nansato, Chiwambo, Pasani, Mkolokoti, Mpale, Namindora, Likuwa and Mthuruwe. Eight of which receive porridge for their pupils.The pupils at The Australian Primary School will also be fed.

There are 112 teachers servicing these primary schools which have a total enrolment of 15,178 pupils, not counting the 400 who'll attend the new school at Shaibu/Nogwe. The ratio on average was one hundred and thirty five children per teacher (1; 135). The required education standard ratio is one teacher to sixty children (1: 60)

SPEECHES

VILLAGE HEADMAN SHAIBU

The headman welcomed all present and urged them to recognise it as very special day, an annual "birthday"... holiday to be called “FOUNDATION DAY” .

He thanked the Australian donors and Tithandize for the school that has not only changed the face of the village but also brought in a future hidden treasurer for the current children.

Shaibu could not conclude without thanking for the solar electricity project that'll soon be introduced and appealed for a continued improvement to the local roads and bridges that are in disrepair or need replacement.

GROUP VILLAGE HEADMAN NOGWE

Supporting Shaibu’s speech, Group Village Headman Nogwe also took the opportunity to announce plans by The Australian AIDS Fund to also fund a Secondary School at Nogwe and to assist in a feeding program. He further promised continued support for all projects which Tithandize would implementing in his area.

He further appealed to the villagers to continue providing sand, bricks, trees and all materials required for the projects.

VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY CHAIR (MR. FRIDAY CHILAMBE)

Mr. Friday Chilambe the VDC Chairperson thanked all guest coming to grace for such a magnificent occasion. He too promised community support and participation towards all projects to be facilitated by Tithandize.

PTA CHAIRPERSON (MR. BEN KANENGA)

Mr. Ben Kanenga, Chairperson of The Australian Primary School Parents /Teachers Association Committee also expressed his appreciation, hoping that additional infrastructures, Uniforms and kitchen utensils might be added.

REV. RABSON CHILEWA

Thanked the community for volunteering their labour and assured the gathering that Tithandize, with support from The Australian AIDS Fund stood ready to further develop the area .Areas of importance included information programmes concerning HIV/AIDS, STIs, Reproductive Health, Hygiene and Sanitation, agricultural productions, waterborne and common diseases prevention as well as environmental conservation.

EDUCATION OFFICE

Its representative would like to see further school projects elsewhere within the Mulanje District and assistance towards teacher training to address a shortage of teachers. The Education Ministry seeks to provide 130 teachers to each district every year.

ZEX THAMBO

Following Rabson’s address, Mr. Zex Thambo,the Executive Director for Tithandize Orphan Care hailed Group village Headman Nogwe and his subordinates for providing material support towards the project.

He further promised that as long as the community continued to support Tithandize, Nogwe could see other projects implemented in the area.

News Update - May 2008

Following various delays, largely caused by the weather, the Education Department has now confirmed that the Australian Primary School at Shaibu/Nogwe will open its doors to its first students on June 23.

In the meantime, the Australian AIDS Fund Inc has bought the school a large piece of land to be used for its sports activities.Once its existing crop's been harvested, a community workforce will clear and prepare it for the school.

News Update - March/April 2008

We're into the home straight...just two weeks out from the start of the April 2008 Second Term...and then the Australian Primary School at Shaibu/Nogwe will be operational......alive with hundreds young and eager children and their parents!!!

It got to the stage that the bricks were going up faster than the photos could be flashed back to Australia...because priority is given to the building rather than the race to put the photos into cyberspace!

The rich green rural environment has quickly given way to the sprawl of the school buildings construction.

News Update - March 2008

A sign of the times!

The roadside marker for the Australian Primary School for the Shaibu/Nogwe villages becomes the focus for the local children as they cluster around the workmen at the school site.

Ther walls of the various buildings are steadily rising as the rains ease.

Now the building pace will pick up!

News Update - Mid February, 2008

Excitement is mounting in the remote Nogwe/Shaibu area as work proceeds on the construction there of the Australian Primary School -Nogwe.

Here's the latest picture parade:-


School Signpost	The Village Headman Shaibu	School Kitchen


Some of the prospective pupils	Staff Office	Classroom block 1


Classroom block 2 [ far left, Rabson [in blue) with two journalists	School block 1	Rabson addressing a meeting with village leaders and students.


	Staff Toilet pit - Foundation wall

News Update - February 2008

Despite solid rains across Malawi which have wiped out crops and made roads treacherous, the work on The Australian Primary School project at Nogwe is forging ahead.


School Ofice building	Boys toilet	School Kitchen building


Girls toilet	Classroom Block No 1	Classroom Block No 2

News Update -January 2008

Despite the Christmas/New Year holidays, work on the Australian Primary School at Nogwe is bounding along. The five double toilets for the children were the first priority...followed by Staff Office....and the teachers' toilets


Measuring up and digging the various toilet pits	Working out the Staff Office foundation profiles	The teachers' toilets


Girls' toilet pits	Digging office foundations	Sand..ready for mixing


Staff Office foundations	Delivering the bricks	Boys' toilets


Some local houses		More toilet pits


Community meeting discusses the school works	RABSON AND VILLAGE HEAD	Builders at work


Building the school signpost	Collecting the sand	Building the school sign


Women of the Noigwe community celebrate the start of the school works, having brought sand to the site	Zex with workers at the brick-making oven	TOC Secretary,Rabson[right],Village Headman [blue vest]and Zex Thambo[left ]

The Australian Primary School at Nogwe


Some of the houses near the proposed school project	Mr Rabson, Secretary of the Tithandize Orphan Care Centre visiting thhe project site.Rabson standing in front of the project site	project site view


project site view	A typical local house at Nogwe	Local community inspect the project site


community on the site		Community meets onsite ahead, of project work beginning

The new school at Nogwe will cater for some 400 children aged between 4 and 9 years old...some of them with parents,some AIDS orphans living with grandparents, some orphans in child-headed households and other vulnerable children with single parents etc. None are presently capable of walking very long distances and able to cope with the various hazards enroute....child traffickers, roads, bridges,rivers, flood areas. Although children are expected to walk up to 2 kilometres to school, the children in the Nogwe area are currently faced with walking up to 17 kilometres if they want to go to school.

In this new project, and in an area where up to 75% of the local population are illiterate,The Australian AIDS Fund Inc will be working with the Tithandize Orphan Care Centre, headed by Zex Thambo, and headquartered at Ndirande. The Australian AIDS Fund has already partnered Mr Thambo's community-based organisation in vital projects at Ndirande.

Presently, parents and others who send children to distant schools face the following danger:

Children vanishing on the way to or from school,taken by child traffickers
Children washed away...drowned by swelling water rivers
High rate of school dropouts caused by early marriages,pregnancies,child labours in houses in towns or in tobacco farms and tea estates, drug abuses,etc
Hunger and malnutrition
Punishments due to late arrival at school because of far distance travel
Sicknesses on the way to or from school as a result of being tired, hungry ,thirsty,or sunburn.

ABOUT NOGWE /SHAIBU VILLAGES

This is one of the areas where the Tithandize Orphan Care Centre is serving the orphans, people infected by AIDS/HIV,and the wider vulnerable community etc

This area is one of the areas where people live primitively, with no easy access to local education facilities, medical,developmental facilities ,no secondary school and where HIV/AIDS information has been very scarce, resulting in high rates of HIV infection.

EXISTING SCHOOLS AND HOW FAR…..FROM SHAIBU / NOGWE

Mthuruwe…………..17 KM
Pambachulu…………15 KM
Nkanda………………20 KM
Kolokoti……………..10 KM
Kambenje……………20 KM

The new school will be known as The Australian Primary School - Nogwe