Man hopes school will promote girls’ education

A Malawian man who is building a primary school that will have girls’ hostels says he hopes the school will inspire more girls to choose education over marriage.

The man Banonie Mwale told Malawi24 that the school will encourage many girls in Nkhotakota to continue with education and contribute positively to national development.

Mwale through the Banonie Mwale Foundation is building the primary school after completing the Jenny Naylor nursery school last year.

He said he thought it wise to begin construction of a primary school which will have hostels to accommodate girls so that they may concentrate on their studies.

“After finishing nursery school, I realised my heart is not yet satisfied and something started bothering me. As I said earlier that everything that I am doing I am responding to the challenges that either I saw or I went through.

“In Nkhotakota North to be precise, a lot of girls are vulnerable to early marriages forced by their parents if not because of poverty. I have seen this happening and I thought it is wise to build primary school standard 1 to 8 which should have hostels for girls.” Banonie Mwale told Malawi24.

He said that the hostels will help girls to have enough time to be working hard at school and preparing well for exams.

“I have hope that the children from the Jenny Naylor primary school will have great impact to the nation of Malawi as well as to the whole world,” Mwale told Malawi24.

He added that children will be spending time in school and those who will be in standard eight will be busy studying instead of being idle at home where their parents might be tempted to force them to get married.

“The principles that will be implemented at my school will be so attractive that no child will be able to think of getting married. I am working with international friends and company. What I want is to expose girls to the world of education,” he said.

Commenting on how he sources funds for the project, Mwale who lives in Dubai said he uses his own salary and some well-wishers donate to his foundation.

“From the beginning I have been using my salary to fund my school and sometimes I get friends who commit themselves to assist me with the little that they can manage. Currently I got a friend from USA and UK who created a fund me page. Any organization, individual or company are welcome to chip in,” Mwale said.

On secondary education, Mwale is also urging students in Nkhotakota to be working hard so that they get far with their studies.

“I am encouraging students in community day secondary school. When I was in Nkhotakota last year, I visited several community day secondary school. I was amazed to see that small gesture of visiting students at these schools can change lives of many.

“I spoke to the head masters in the schools and informed them that they should prepare divisional exams and the 3 top students from 6 schools will get reward from my foundation just to motivate them,” he said.

Mwale visited schools such as Dwasulu, Nkhunga, and Kasitu Community Day Secondary School (CDSS).