Meet Prisca: A day in her life

With the tablets in place, we’ve also been working hard to offer advice and guidance to teachers, set up the VSO learning centres, supervise lessons and help students with their tablets. This combination of technology and hands-on support is having a huge impact on children’s learning. Students in the schools I’m working in are already seeing improvements in their reading, writing, counting and computer skills. One boy I know is deaf and has difficulties with his speech, which meant he previously struggled at school. He is now participating and enjoying the tablet sessions and doing so much better with his learning. We’ve also seen a big reduction in school absence and drop-out rates since the tablets were introduced. Can you believe it? The impact this will have on children here is truly life-changing and simply would not be possible without your support. 

Every Monday, I’ve been attending a meeting with other VSO Education Specialists to share progress, learnings and challenges from our districts. The main challenge we’ve had is broken headsets, as well as a few technical issues that have meant having to close the learning centres temporarily. But we’re getting much better at fixing these things and have been taking practical steps to train students about how to take care of resources. These weekly meetings keep us feeling motivated as we also discuss the impact we’re making thanks to the support of valued VSO supporters like you.

What I've been up to 

I’ve been so busy with the project that I haven’t been away much since my last update, but I plan to visit my aunt later this month. She lives in the south of Malawi in Bvumbwe which is close to the beautiful tea estates of Malawi. When I get the chance, I love to spend time outdoors. There’s the spectacular Lake Malawi – as well as game reserves, national parks and mountain areas to enjoy. Have you ever been to Malawi? I do recommend you visit our beautiful country sometime!

Inside the learning centres 

The learning centres that VSO built are probably unlike anything you’ve seen in the UK. They’re also completely different from the normal classroom environment in Malawi. A typical classroom here is cramped, noisy and chaotic. But in the learning centre, the children sit on mats in peace and quiet so they can focus on their work. Unlike traditional classrooms, the learning centres have proper doors and windows, good insulation, and roofs that don’t leak. The walls are also solid enough to keep out noise, helping students stay absorbed in their lesson. Power for the learning centres is generated by solar panels on the roof, so it’s a good thing Malawi gets lots of sunshine year round!

Children in standard class 2 (roughly aged 7-9) visit the learning centres at least three times a week, for an hour at a time. Unlike typical classrooms, which can be crammed with 200+ students, children visit the centre in classes of 30 and are split into smaller working groups, with names such as Hippo, Zebra and Lion group. When they arrive, the children wash their hands and take off their shoes, before being given their tablet.

The tablets include modules that teach students how to read, write and count by doing puzzles, tracing letters and numbers, picture matching and more. The work they do is varied, exciting and engaging. A ‘digital teacher’ speaks to them in Chichewa (the spoken language in this region of Malawi) and instructs them on what to do. The tablets also come with headphones so children can clearly hear the digital teacher’s instructions and can focus on their own activity with no distractions.

At the start of each term, learners complete a short test on the tablets, which then guides the pace, level and topics that each student works through on their tablet. When the students collect their tablets, they click on their photo and go into their own personal learning record so they can pick up exactly where they left off.

This means the learning is completely individual and they progress at their own pace, which simply wasn’t possible in the crowded classrooms. And brilliantly, because everything in the learning centre is solar powered, the tablets work without internet or grid power. With understaffing of teachers being such a big problem in Malawi, the tablets act as the teachers the children don’t have. They help free up time for the class teacher, meaning they can focus on supervising the lesson and offering additional support and guidance as needed.

We know that the learning centres make a real difference to children’s education. Students can go from only knowing syllables and having no ability to count, to reading paragraphs, counting large numbers and adding up. In fact, after three years of using the tablets, student’s reading skills increased by 10% and their numeracy skills increased by 15%. Hearing these results and seeing, first-hand, just how excited and happy the children are to learn on their tablets is so rewarding. My VSO teammates and I love sharing our experiences and seeing the difference we’re making thanks to your support.

Click here to watch a video of one of the schools I work in. You can see and hear the difference between a class of 200 children, and the peace in the learning centre.

Hi, it's Prisca here! 

My name is Prisca Chirombo and I’m from Lilongwe, Malawi. I was inspired to get involved in VSO’s education project as I wanted to help children use technology that would help them with their learning. I work alongside Theo, whose dedication is truly inspiring. Throughout the project, we’ve navigated challenges and celebrated successes together.

On a typical day, I wake up at 5am to travel to the schools I work in, which are in rural and remote areas of Malawi. When I’m there, I mentor teachers and monitor the learning centres. There can sometimes be challenges with the technology that I’ll need to look at, or students who need my assistance. At the end of each day, I’ll go to the head teacher’s office and give a report on how the day went.

The main problem I see children face is lack of teachers and resources. Classes are overcrowded and many students don’t have basic learning materials, such as pens and notepads. Even fewer have access to technology. I faced a lot of the same challenges when I was young, as I didn’t come from a well-to-do family. But I knew having an education would make life better for me. It pains me when I see a child struggle at school. It’s comforting to know, that with your support, I can make a difference.

With your help, we’re offering students a good education that will help them achieve the futures they deserve. Knowing that our work is changing the lives of children across Malawi is so motivating. Thanks to VSO supporters like you, I know these children won’t live a life of poverty like their parents. It will be a different story for them, and I can’t thank you enough for making it possible.

Thanks to your support, we've been able to reach children like Lonjezo.

One child, called Lonjezo*, is disabled and has difficulties hearing and speaking. As a result, he struggled in standard class 2 and had to repeat twice. It takes Lonjezo longer to understand things than it might for others in his class. His teacher, Peter, told me there is a big difference in Lonjezo since he started attending the learning centres. He is now able to read and do maths and has moved up to standard class 3. The first time I met Lonjezo, I couldn’t understand him, but since going to the learning centre, there’s been great improvement in his interactions.