A look back at 2024: A time for reflection
In this update, we look back at this year and reflect on some of the wonderful achievements that we've accomplished together - thanks to your support. You can watch a short video to see for yourself how valuable your gifts are.
November's featured volunteer
Moni onse - hello everyone! I’m Theonas Kalumika, VSO Education Specialist in Malawi, and I’ll be taking you forward on your Sponsor a Volunteer journey. Read on to find out how, with your support, we’re giving children here the education they deserve.
In Malawi, poor learning conditions and a lack of resources have created barriers to children’s education.
Over two thirds of students don’t finish primary school and those that do often lack the skills needed to thrive as older children and adults. Many primary schools have classes full of hundreds of students but only one teacher, meaning many children get left behind in their education, and eventually drop out altogether.
By supporting children with educational tablets, they're taking huge leaps in their learning. I was very excited when I heard about the work VSO is doing in schools in Malawi, and ever since I started volunteering I've been able to share my knowledge with everyone here. I can't wait to update you on how our work here in Malawi is going, and how your support is helping change children's lives.
November '24 volunteer update
Halifax Trading Malawi
Project update
Did you know the Malawian academic calendar is the same as the UK’s? That means children here are also finishing up their first term of the academic year. They will have their first set of exams in December, so I’ve been busy helping students to prepare.
Thanks to support like yours, schools that have received tablets in the past are continuing to use them, meaning that children are seeing huge leaps in their learning and are feeling positive about their upcoming exams which is a great indication of improvement!
Halifax Trading Malawi
I’ve also been supporting in refresher teacher training sessions and have observed them working in learning centres with ease. In turn, students are always enthusiastic when they get to go to the learning centre – they visit in groups of 30 at a time, three times a week. They queue up outside eagerly, wash their hands and take off their shoes before they enter, and patiently wait for a tablet and headset to be handed to them. It’s very sweet to see how happy they are to learn.
VSO is also delivering tablet batteries, chargers and replacement headsets to ensure the technology is in working order and schools are operating smoothly. It’s fantastic to see all our hard work pay off and the truth is, we couldn’t have we couldn't have made transformative changes without you by our side.
Some incredible achievements so far
As we almost reach the end of 2024, I look back in awe at what we’ve managed to achieve with you by our side. Of course challenges have come up this year, but it has been an incredibly successful time overall.
A snapshot of what we’ve accomplished so far:
• The project is supporting 515 primary schools across Malawi.
• Over 3,700 teachers trained to use educational tablets so they can effectively support in learning centres.
• 15,000 solar-powered educational tablets provided.
• Over 217,000 children have accessed e-learning on the educational tablets.
• Reading skills have increased by 10% and numeracy skills increased by 15% in three years.
• To support learners with disabilities, 11 wheelchairs were distributed to 10 schools.
• Successfully developed a sustainability plan to share with all 515 schools to outline how to manage and care for technology.
I’m sure you’ll agree we’ve made good strides in transforming education for children here in Malawi. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for standing by us as we make lasting change for Malawi’s future.
To thank you for your ongoing support, I’d like to share a short video with you to show how life-changing your gifts are. Click the video below to see how far your donations go.
From us all here in Malawi to you – please know how grateful we are for your valuable support. We can’t thank you enough for giving the children here a brighter future ahead.
I’m looking forward to winding down as we near the end of the year. I’m hoping to spend quality time with my family and to rest and recuperate ahead of a new year ahead. Here’s to seeing what goals we’ll strive for in 2025, with you by our side.
Speak soon,
Theo
VSO Education Specialist, Malawi
Statistics from Project Report 2024
Want to ask a question?
VSO’s Sponsor a Volunteer team will share your message with the VSO volunteer and get back to you with a response. Your email address will not be used, disclosed or transferred to any VSO personnel, it will be stored securely in accordance with VSOs privacy policy. A sample of messages including display names will be published to the Sponsor a Volunteer homepage each month.
Your latest questions answered
Hi, I just received my first update from you. I think you're doing an amazing job helping children.
Theonas
Hello Hannah,
Thank you so much, Hannah, for reading the update. Indeed it is an amazing job being done here, but it is more amazing because of your support and we appreciate the support you always give to make VSO do it's project all over the world including our country Malawi, please continue. In my country many, many children are encouraged to complete their primary circle because of such education interventions, like the current one that is making children acquire skills of reading and computing during their early grades.
Hannah, you might have some questions about what we are doing in the project. Please, feel free to ask and I will respond accordingly.
Thank you so much, Hannah, and have a lovely time.
Theonas
Thank you so much, Hannah, for reading the update. Indeed it is an amazing job being done here, but it is more amazing because of your support and we appreciate the support you always give to make VSO do it's project all over the world including our country Malawi, please continue. In my country many, many children are encouraged to complete their primary circle because of such education interventions, like the current one that is making children acquire skills of reading and computing during their early grades.
Hannah, you might have some questions about what we are doing in the project. Please, feel free to ask and I will respond accordingly.
Thank you so much, Hannah, and have a lovely time.
Theonas
Hello again Theo, What a great project; I think I might have read about it a while ago in the VSO magazine, now to hear about it now it is helping so many children, and with plans to expand, is really exciting.
Theonas
Hello Alison,
Hope you are fine. Let me first apologize to you for my late coming back to you and share experiences. Indeed it is a great program, Alison, as I might have mentioned in my last email that the program targets all primary schools in our country, totalling to over 6,000 and will run up to 2029, if all goes well. So you should know that there is great appreciation and excitement over here because of your support.
Just to share with you, Alison, attendance of most learners has improved and some learners come to the point of reminding a teacher to have tablets session if they see time elapsing in a day.
Let me thank you so much, Alison for your encouraging words and you should know that your words are a source of strength to us.
Thank you so much and enjoy your time.
Theonas
Hope you are fine. Let me first apologize to you for my late coming back to you and share experiences. Indeed it is a great program, Alison, as I might have mentioned in my last email that the program targets all primary schools in our country, totalling to over 6,000 and will run up to 2029, if all goes well. So you should know that there is great appreciation and excitement over here because of your support.
Just to share with you, Alison, attendance of most learners has improved and some learners come to the point of reminding a teacher to have tablets session if they see time elapsing in a day.
Let me thank you so much, Alison for your encouraging words and you should know that your words are a source of strength to us.
Thank you so much and enjoy your time.
Theonas
Good evening, Theonas, Thank you for telling me about the problems you will be working on in your VSO position. I am enormously sympathetic to you and glad that successfully doing your job can bring great satisfaction to everybody involved.
Theonas
Dear Alison
Thanks for your touching and inspirational word, Alison. It is very nice and encouraging to hear that.
Briefly, Alison, I do monitor and support teachers and learners as they use tablets in all project schools. What happens is that the schools are identified, different experts provide different services to make a school ready to receive tablets. Such services include providing solar charging system for charging tablets and cages for safe keeping of tablets. The community does provide a security guard ( watchman) during the night. It all starts with community sensitisation about the coming of tablets in the community as a project or program of children to learn through the tablet. Then, teachers are trained on how to conduct and support a tablet session. Alison, take note that at the moment children learn mathematics and a vernacular language, "Chichewa" through the tablets.So what I do is go round to these schools and monitor and support the teachers and children during tablet sessions. We also provide information and reports about the way things are happening on the ground in relation to the project. We also support management in carrying out the project activities in the field such as meetings, trainings and open days, including supporting visitors who come and visit us.
Thanks a lot, Alison.
Regards
Theo
Thanks for your touching and inspirational word, Alison. It is very nice and encouraging to hear that.
Briefly, Alison, I do monitor and support teachers and learners as they use tablets in all project schools. What happens is that the schools are identified, different experts provide different services to make a school ready to receive tablets. Such services include providing solar charging system for charging tablets and cages for safe keeping of tablets. The community does provide a security guard ( watchman) during the night. It all starts with community sensitisation about the coming of tablets in the community as a project or program of children to learn through the tablet. Then, teachers are trained on how to conduct and support a tablet session. Alison, take note that at the moment children learn mathematics and a vernacular language, "Chichewa" through the tablets.So what I do is go round to these schools and monitor and support the teachers and children during tablet sessions. We also provide information and reports about the way things are happening on the ground in relation to the project. We also support management in carrying out the project activities in the field such as meetings, trainings and open days, including supporting visitors who come and visit us.
Thanks a lot, Alison.
Regards
Theo
Did you know?
We bring about lasting change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers to empower communities in some of the world’s poorest regions. You can read more about VSO’s areas of work and discover more about our projects here.
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