Machilika Village Nursery School

One HIV Support Group I work with is based in a village located on the lake in Dwambazi.  Most children who do not go to school swim in the water during the day.  Last year, several children drowned because there is no supervision at the lake.  To prevent the young ones from playing in the water, they created a small commitee within the HIV Support Group and started a nursery school.  The school prepares children for primary school – teaching lessons in simple English and math, as well as providing kids with a nutritious snack.  The school occupies the current Under-5 Health Shelter (which is used twice a month for women to weigh their children who are under the age of 5) and we recently created a chalkboard (thanks to a small APCD grant of about $20) using chalkboard paint and I collected donations for useful materials, such as flip chart paper, markers, writing pads and chalk.  The school/health shelter needs a new roof (which we are currently working on) but other than that, it provides a great opportunity for children ages 2-7 to count and learn their ABCs.  Currently there are 3 teachers for the 68 students (48 girls, 20 boys) who attend Machilika Nursery School.  My favorite part of the day?  When all 68 children start jumping up and down on the teacher’s command chanting “we are jumping, we are jumping, we are jumping!”  It is the cutest thing you ever did see (video footage coming soon!)

 

 

 

Future Chalkboard

 

 

 

 

The students of Machilika Village Nursery School showing off their jumping skills.

 

 

 

 

Committee Members helped with all the prep work for the chalkboard.

 

 

 

 

Post-painting

 

 

The Nursery School Commitee Members

 

 

 

Chalkboard in action!

I have had a few requests from friends and family back home - if you are interested in donating school items to Machilika Village, feel free to send them to - they will be greatly appreciated:

Kathi Ackerman

P.O. Box 99

Chintheche

Malawi

Southern Africa