More than 2,600 learners at Mpatsa Full Primary School in Nsanje are set to leave behind the difficult learning conditions they have faced since Cyclone Freddy destroyed their school in 2023.
The school’s previous site was submerged by sand during the cyclone, leaving learners and teachers without a proper environment for teaching and learning.
The Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA) has now bought 6.8 hectares of land at a cost of K37 million and handed it over for construction of a new school.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Thursday at Traditional Authority Tengani in Nsanje, MAGLA director general Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka said the destruction of the school was heartbreaking.
“We have come here to support these communities and the students so they can have land to construct the school. We believe that the land is big enough and away from rivers to construct the Teachers Development Centre (TDC) and the primary school which it initially had,” said Mpuluka.
Mpuluka said MAGLA bought the land as part of efforts to encourage learners to concentrate on education and avoid engaging in gambling activities.
He also urged learners not to interpret the gesture as an encouragement to gamble.
“This is a service to them to understand that we believe in childhood development and ensuring the growth of a responsible gambling nation,” he said.
Nsanje Central MP Francis Kasaila said the land acquisition had given learners hope of returning to a conducive learning environment.
“Through the Community Development Fund (CDF), and other partners, we plan to build a modern school, which will put them in a conducive environment where learning and teaching is favourable. All this is happening because of the support we have received from our partners, including MAGLA,” said Kasaila.
Established in 1910, Mpatsa Full Primary School serves more than 2,600 learners.
