Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, has disclosed that Malawi needs up to $300 million (about K507 billion) per year in the next five years for the country’s education sector to recover and provide minimum standards of education following the Cyclone Freddy destruction earlier this year.
The remarks were made during the Climate Smart Education System for Sustainable Future event, at the ongoing Cop 28 conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“Malawi currently needs 300 million per year in the next 5 years, for the education sector to fully recover from the effects of Cyclone Freddy,” said Wilima.
She underscored the need for sustainable Climate Financing in the country’s education sector for a quick recovery from the aftermaths of Cyclone Freddy.
Wilima added that the education sector faced more challenges as schools became camps during the Cyclone Freddy period which affected teaching and learning.
“President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration is championing a National Disaster Recovery Plan, which emphasizes on building resilience focusing on human capital development and encouraging investment in the education sector,” she added.
Wilima also indicated that government has been doing a number of initiatives in order to guard climate change disaster recovery and resilience such as Climate Smart Education Program with support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and technical support from UNESCO and Save the Children.
The Minister, however, asked development partners to work with Malawi Government in scaling up the use of tablets in schools across the country in order to improve learning outcomes and increase retention in a program called Building Education Foundation through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT).
In Malawi, Cyclone Freddy killed over 500 people and displaced more than 100,0000 people, including children..
