Chikumbutso Kumalawi is a 14-year girl from Tukululu village
58 kilometers north of Mangochi. She is now in standard five. Her parents
have participated in the building of her Village Based school, which opened
in 1997. Previously children used to walk nine kilometers to Nkope Primary
School, and only older children could manage walking to school everyday.
Chikumbutso recounts that she repeated Standard one in 1996 because most
of the days she would be absent from school due to the long distance.
Now more girls attend Tukululu Village Based School.
Today the school has two classroom blocks, a head teacher's office,
pit latrines, a storeroom and a borehole, all thanks to the growing
collaboration between parents, the community, and the QUEST project.
The parents say they are proud of their achievement.
In Tukululu, as in many Village Based Schools established by the local
communities and the QUEST project, the villagers provide labor, water,
sand, bricks and their enthusiasm to build and maintain their school.
Now that a school has been built in the area, more people are coming
to settle permanently. People feel that the area will draw additional
social and economic development activities. When asked what benefits
can be attributed to the coming of the school in the area, Chikumbutso's
father said,
Community ownership and participation
Chikumbutso Kumalawi is a 14-year girl from Tukululu village 58 kilometers north of Mangochi. She is now in standard five. Her parents have participated in the building of her Village Based school, which opened in 1997. Previously children used to walk nine kilometers to Nkope Primary School, and only older children could manage walking to school everyday. Chikumbutso recounts that she repeated Standard one in 1996 because most of the days she would be absent from school due to the long distance. Now more girls attend Tukululu Village Based School.
