World Vision builds K25m school block in Karonga

World Vision on Wednesday handed over a K25 million classroom block to a primary school in Karonga.

The school block at Ndembwela Primary School in the area of Mlare in Traditional Authority Kyungu has been constructed through financial assistance from World Vision Canada.

Speaking in an interview following a symbolic handover ceremony, World Vision national director Chikondi Phiri said the construction of the school block follows their assessment of the school which revealed that the school had no conducive learning environment for learners.

“To ease some of the challenges that the school was facing we as World Vision thought of constructing the modern block so as to create conducive space for learning to pupils in the area,” he said.

He further said apart from constructing the school block, they also donated 80 desks to the school.

“We expect more pupils to have interest in education due to the improved learning environment as some especially girls drop out due to poor learning environment.

“We hope this will play an incentive role to pull pupils’ interest in school as many will want to learn from the newly built block,” said Phiri.

According to Member of Parliament (MP) for the area Frank Mwenefumbo, the area lacked modern school blocks as it had old dilapidated school blocks that were built on a self-help basis hence cannot match the standard and the quality of the new block.

“The construction of this modern classroom block will act as an incentive and motivation to the boys and girls that come here who will be inspired by the infrastructure thereby working hard at school,” explained an excited Mwenefumbo.

Karonga district education manager Scotch Kondowe, while applauding World Vision for their gesture, advised the community to take care of the school block.

“As Malawians we have a tendency of applauding development like infrastructures but we fail to take care of the gifts that have been given to us hence they are left in undesirable conditions,” he explained.

The school opened its door in 1963 under the name of Saint Ignatius before adopting the name Ndembwela in 1964 and currently has an enrolment of 524 pupils (321 and girls and 203 boys) with 7 teachers.