Help Malawi Updates: Teacher Additions to HELP Malawi Schools Promises Improvements
First off, I want to wish everyone a prosperous and healthy ’09. We have the potential to make this a great year. Looking back on 2008, I can’t help but think of all of the people who contributed and made so much of what’s been happening here on the ground possible. So thank you all, your generosity and support has really made a difference.
Already in the first few weeks of the year HELP has found new ways to improve and go forward. Most recently we have added 12 new assistant teachers to our staff while branching out to two new schools in the area.
After interviewing over 25 candidates we selected the top three and brought them to Nanthomba. The other nine were sent to three other schools in need, namely Kafulafula, Mulambe and Kavunguti. We already had an ongoing relationship with Kafulafula, but after noticing an increased rate of enrollment at Nanthomba some questions were raised about some other area schools.
It turns out that many students from the surrounding village’s were leaving their schools and coming to Nanthomba because of the facilities, after school programs and dedicated teachers. In an effort to level the playing field we decided to provide quality assistant teachers to Kafulafula, Mulambe and Kavunguti. This was an affordable and effective way to improve education in some neighboring areas.
It has always been central to our philosophy to improve the community as a whole, even though we may have very specific goals and visions for our particular projects. In this case we were more than happy to bolster the conditions of some schools other than our own.
–Matt
