 An Update: May 2008Below you will find a brief summary of the achievements the past year resulting from Bring Me A Book's partnership with Save The Children, Malawi(STC) to create six rural village "Interactive Libraries" in the Balaka District of Malawi. The concept for the project was developed by Lester Namathaka, Director of Education Programs for Save The Children in Malawi, and his educational team in consultation over several years with leaders from many rural Malawian villages. The report pertains to Phase I of our "pilot" project, January through June 2008, and is an effort to create sustainable and replicable village - based children's literacy programs, integrated with local government schools operating in these remote villages. We are extremely encouraged by the significant engagement Lester Namathaka has achieved with Malawi's Ministry of Education in relation to the project. It is our hope that the accomplishments of Phase I and II of this project will contribute to the development of a national model for replicating these "Rural Interactive Village Libraries" in support of existing government supported schools in other Malawi Districts. Along with Lester Namathaka, Director of Education Programs for Save The Children in Malawi, we at Bring Me A Book want to extend to all our contributors our personal gratitude for your extraordinary financial support and continuing encouragement for Phase I of this pilot project designed to contribute to children's literacy led efforts by Save the Children and the Ministry of Education in Malawi. Malawi Interactive Village Library Project Update SummaryMalawi Brief STC Report on the Distribution of Books for Africa June 08
Our ChallengeMalawi is ranked as one of the poorest nations in the world, with nearly 70% of the population living below the national poverty line. The country also struggles with education and literacy. Only 40% of the nation’s men and women are literate and over 80% never finished primary school.
Our SolutionIn 2007, Bring Me A Book was invited to join a two-year partnership with Save the Children, Malawi and the Malawi Ministry of Education to address the pressing education situation in the Balaka District of Central Malawi. Save the Children’s prior research revealed that 80% of the children grades 1-4 in the Balaka District couldn’t read grade-level texts. Many students attend recently constructed rural schools with teachers provided by the government. However, most schools have no quality books for their classrooms. Building on Save the Children’s decade-long "comprehensive rural communities development work" in the Balaka District, BMAB contributed $70,000 received from donors to initiate an innovate Save the Children rural "interactive library" program. BMAB helped deliver the “Interactive Community Libraries” project to six villages in the Balaka District: M'manga, Naliswe, Chiyendausiku, Chinkhumbe, Ng'onga, and Kabango. The Interactive Community Libraries adapted all three of BMAB programs: the Bookcase Library, the Book Bag Library, and the First Teachers Workshops to the needs of the villages. Lester Namathaka, Director of Education Programs for Save the Children, Malawi, and his education team, welcomed BMAB’s partnership and are delighted with BMAB’s provision of books for the six selected rural village communities in the Balaka District. Since the delivery in December 2007 of new libraries for children, each village participated in the selection and training of their own "library management team" composed of adults and youth. Each village team will receive and manage the use of the books in cooperation with the village school teachers. All the libraries are secured in the respective village schools. By involving teachers, parents, and children, a personal sense of ownership has been achieved, and has fueled a passion to read in all village communities. Phase 2 of the Bring Me A Book and Save the Children partnership will launch in June 2008. Sources: |
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