Education for All in Namitembo-
Ubwino Wa Amayi Opens  Montessori Nursery School

At the World Education Forum in Dakar 2000, the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan stated “We need all those with the power to change things to come together in an alliance for girl’s education: governments, voluntary progressive groups, and above all, local communities, schools and families.”
Ubwino Wa Amayi- ‘For the Good of the Women, Educate the girls’, a voluntary group set up with the community of Namitembo to encourage girls to stay at school and go to the trade school to do vocational training, has taken this to heart and  has now opened a Montessori Nursery School in that district.

Ubwino originally had in its goals to pay secondary and trade school fees for girls who had to drop out of school for reasons beyond their control. One reason was marriage and child birth at a young age forcing them to leave their studies and invariably they did not return to do their MSCE no matter how bright they were.
Even with the removal of one barrier, namely the affordability of fees, it was found that some were still not returning to school. Research showed one reason was due to lack of childcare. The Community Committee and Ubwino put their heads together and came up with the idea of a nursery facility close to the secondary and trade schools. Not just for the Ubwino funded girls but for the whole community.
The concept of early learning and creating equal opportunities for girls and boys is part and parcel of Millennium Development Goals and the global Education for All movement. The government of Malawi through the Ministry of Education has adopted this strategy and one way of implementing this policy is for grass roots community based organisations like Ubwino to work with communities to make girl’s education a priority not just on the policy agenda, but in practice.
UNESCO defines early childhood as the period from birth to 8 years old. A time of remarkable brain development, these years lay the foundation for subsequent learning.   The Namitembo Montessori nursery, built in one month by a group of volunteer builders from Ireland and local contractors, including two Ubwino funded female bricklayers, opened its doors in February and now has 87 pupils on a voyage of discovery that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives and raise the bar for education standards in that community.

At the official opening and plaque unveiling on Monday 27th April the representative from the Zomba Diocese, Vicar General Father Henry, said they were very impressed to see the policy  to increase early learning opportunities for the young child being implemented at grass roots level and how it was benefiting the community. Mr Nkhoma, the trade school administrator reiterated this by saying girls could go to school knowing their young ones were learning too and this fulfilled most of the
‘Education for All’ goals.
On behalf of the Ubwino team, Mary O’Neill, one of the project coordinators in her speech thanked both local and international sponsors for their benevolence. She thanked Father Owen O’Donnell for his expert guidance, Father Frank for blessing the nursery, Miss Sarah Wiggin, a volunteer from the UK managing the school, Maribeth Leineke and Pearl Banda for co conducting the training of Montessori teachers and everyone else who had contributed to the brick in the wall project and equipment collection project. She thanked Mr Rajab for being Master of Ceremonies on this auspicious occasion.
The speeches were preceded by the national anthem sung by the children of Namitembo, songs from the trade school choir, a drama depicting people’s reactions to the new nursery in the village and a dance by the Namitembo Dance group.

The table shows the six internationally-agreed education goals aim to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015.

 The UNESCO Organisation advocates education strategies that are gender-inclusive; increasing girls’ access to secondary, technical and vocational education and training and encouraging them to pursue interests in the fields of science and technology are considered crucial.
Ubwino Wa Amayi aims to address Goals 1, 3, 5 and 6 with the view to improving health and reducing  poverty in the long run. www.ubwino.org

Written by Diane Calisse

Nation article Sunday 9th May 2009
Ubwino Wa Amayi - Still working wonders By Akossa Mphepo

Every Woman PDF

Montessori Nursery School for Namitembo - 24th January 2009

Driving down the escarpment at Machinga to Liwonde and the Shire river in Malawi, there is a wonderful view of a valley stretching as far as the eye can see- those travellers who have ever wondered what lies beyond and detoured from the beaten track will find Chingale and Namitembo, a beautiful area which takes its name from the Namitembo River, its source being up on the Zomba Plateau. Negotiating the treacherous roads and washed away bridges in the rainy season would put the more timid explorers off ever finding this hive of activity and endeavour where the slow pace of everyday life conceals the movement taking place- not so much an earthquake as shifting sands blown by the winds of change.

Namitembo is a typical rural area of Malawi- poor transport systems, lack of resources, a high degree of poverty and infectious disease, minimal health facilities with all that it entails, low teacher pupil ratios, gender imbalances in schools, malnutrition and occasional starvation due to crop failure. At the epicentre of this hot spot (temperatures can reach 42 degrees) covering 40km2, is a Catholic mission and a priest called father Owen O’Donnell from Donegal in Ireland who has been in Malawi for 25 years, slowly but surely helping to leave a legacy in the form of a trade school and centre of excellence for the Malawian people.

God works in mysterious ways. In this case, through a chain of events that have led to the building of a nursery school by  Ubwino Wa Amayi (“for the good of the women”) that will deliver the Montessori method of learning to the under fives in Namitembo. From a marathon in Dublin in 2006 for ‘a good cause’, to a dissertation on keeping girls at school to improve health and reduce poverty, to community stakeholder meetings, to regular fundraising , to volunteers devoting their time and money and  to observing the beauty and simplicity of  a school using the Montessori method in Ndirande township in Blantyre.
Since the community of Namitembo identified the need for keeping girls at school, Ubwino Wa Amayi, (a charity set up in 2006, initially to address the gender imbalance by removing one of the obstacles preventing girls staying at school, namely the inability to pay school fees) and father Owen have worked in partnership to respond to the evolving objectives of the project. Once the fees are paid, girls are still dropping out because they have no childcare. The community therefore decided they would need a crèche. In came 8 volunteer builders from Ireland and Scotland calling themselves the Ross’s Men. Their goal was to build the nursery school from scratch in one month ably assisted by local contractors, including two student female bricklayers and carpenters supported by Ubwino Wa Amayi. An entertaining blog kept their families at home informed about their daily challenges and achievements.
The resultant building which can accommodate up to 100 children is full of space and light and is a testament to the generosity and hard work of the Ross’s Men, Malawian contractors, sponsors and friends from Malawi and Loughanure in Co. Donegal, Ireland

The Montessori principles echo the same message as Ubwino Wa Amayi which are the creation of choices and chances for children, girls and young women. It is therefore the ideal model to use in educating children of the young mothers the charity supports, as well as other children in the area.

Namitembo Montessori nursery school will be the first of its kind in a rural area in Malawi. Dr Maria Montessori (1870-1952) saw the potential that the education of the young child could have in changing the nature of society; Montessori education can greatly enhance the lives of all children in any environment, providing them with the joy of learning, a blueprint for the rest of their lives. The method allows for a flexible, successful learning environment regardless of ability, culture and country. Maria believed in the importance of the early years and she stood for the rights of the child. ‘The method is characterized by self-correcting equipment and learning of various concepts such as practical life, sensorial, cultural, sciences, language and maths. Children taught in this way learn in a nurturing, kind, structured environment using the positive incentives of pride and achievement, craftsmanship for a job well done, and this will be the ethos of the school. The classrooms are designed to promote self-direction and self-discipline, to allow children to create their own substantive body of knowledge through observation and exploration, following their own interests at their own pace. The result is children who are engaged and interested in learning, and eager to advance.’
Ubwino Wa Amayi is currently facilitating the training of the teachers in the Montessori Method and they are being selected from the local community. The carpenters and tailors in the trade school will also be engaged in producing some of the equipment in natural materials. All in all, the school will be a community effort and bring together the community of Namitembo with other communities throughout the world for the good of the women.

Ubwino Wa Amayi - Opening doors for young women
Article written by Diane Calisse

Namitembo Careers Day - Thursday 12th July 2007

Ten speakers each spoke impromptu and had a different message with the same objective: “Why girls should stay at school”.

It was decided Ubwino Wa Amayi would hold a careers day at Namitembo as many of the girls have no vision, role models or hope including most of the parents. They do not realise the importance of an education. The careers day was an idea from the committee which is made up of the village headman, interested parents, traditional birth mother, and religious leaders in Namitembo. So Ubwino Wa Amayi organised one.

Both secondary schools and standards 7 and 8 from the primary school attended. This age group is a vulnerable group as secondary school is not subsidised and parents start to encourage their daughters to look for a marriage partner. The audience attending were there to be convinced that keeping girls at school would have advantages for them as a  community but also on a personal level, financially, emotionally, and to promote good health, e.g. early childbirth is not beneficial to mother or child physically, or intellectually.

The schools had prepared role play acts which the girls who were being educated by the Ubwino Wa Amayi foundation acted in. The boys and girls wrote and sang about the importance of education and the part that the Ubwino Wa Amayi foundation had played in supporting the girls at school. The 50 strong choir sung and swayed to the beat of a harmonious tune; it was powerful and beautiful. When we get the English translation we are proposing to sell it to schools to be used as a lesson plan.

The speakers were introduced between the short plays, here is a list of the speakers and there individual messages.

Gus - Keep girls at school as in marriage they can support the man if he needs to go back to university, like he did and his wife supported him, making for an equal partnership. Where decisions are made jointly, her money supports and helps the household, therefore creating a happier home life.

Miriam his wife spoke, her message was to the parents to let the girls go to school, if it was not for her parents she would not be able to support her husband and a poor quality of life would be in front of her, she is happy and healthy and has built a lovely home with her husband because of her education.

Sherriffa – "Disease of Ignorance" can only be prevented by education, and the advantages of an education.

Mable – She has 4 children all of them had the advantage of an education as she worked with her husband to bring in money and pay for their children. Educated people help society.

Thenje (A midwife) – If girls give birth too young there is the risk that their reproductive organs are not ready, often resulting in early hysterectomies. However, if they had been encouraged to stay at school the chances of early pregnancy is statically less, as they concentrate on their work. An educated woman can also support her community when she comes back.

Epiano - Disabled girls should be at school and education is a great advantage, early marriage should be discouraged by parents, who usually force the girl to get married.

Maria - To be a professional woman has so many advantages and is a great place to find yourself, as you can take care of yourself and your family which is powerful.

Pearl - Hard work is good for you, she has two jobs, is independent and enjoys her life because of it.

Mike - Education gives you choices, if a husband abuses his wife she has the choice to leave, if you are a widow, one can work and support the family instead of going back to the village and having to beg or be vulnerable to more abuse if she has no education.

The audience was receptive and you could here a pin drop.

Annie, who is being educated by the Ubwino Wa Amayi Foundation, spoke about being beaten almost by her husband and was left for dead. She now is deaf in one ear due to that. Annie was forced to leave school at 13 years of age as her parents didn't have the money to send her to school and decided let her brother go instead. She married 3 times had 2 children, one who has since died. Her last husband was cruel to her, and because she had no education she had no way out. After the last beating when she was left for dead, she got help, heard about the Ubwino Wa Amayi Foundation, and is now top of her class. Annie is 26 years old and we will keep you all informed of her progress.

After Annie had spoken she got a standing ovation and many people had tears in their eyes, it was a remarkable story of courage and pride.

A traditional dance followed and all the children got up and danced with hope in their hearts.

Thanks to the amazing speakers - they should be so proud of themselves.

Thanks also goes to:
~ Universal Industries for the large supply of biscuits and sweets for the children.
~ Mercia Industries for the exercise books.

And big thanks to Fr Owen O'Donnel, Mr. John Ghocho - Headteacher of St Bridgits Secondary Schools, and Agata Kalawa the only female teacher in approximately a 60 mile radius.  

We have heard that the careers day was successful and everyone enjoyed it and felt inspired. The speakers were overwhelmed by the response of the pupils to their messages. We hope the community, and pupils feel motivated, we as speakers and organizers of the event felt we had witnessed a powerful force of change. We will keep you all posted, and thanks again for your support.

We will be holding an Essay Competition in September for the boys and girls, the subject will be "Why it is important to stay at school". Winners will a t-shirt and an adventure trip to Blantyre with games and lots of fun.

Donate K2,000 for a Starter Pack

The girls urgently need one of our starter packs, which will include 3 pens, 3 pencils, 3 erasers, 1 ruler, 3 note pads, a school bag, a pencil case, a drink bottle and a calculator.

Donate just MK2,000 and we can provide a girl with a Starter Pack.

See our Contact Page to see how you can donate the required amount!

£1400 Raised At The London Marathon!

Many thanks to Chris Williams who ran in the London Marathon in an effort to raise money for Ubwino Wa Amayi. He has donated a total of over £1400 to Ubwino Wa Amayi! Thank you, thank you thank you!

Hypnotist To Visit Blantyre!

In October there will be a hypnotist coming to Blantyre- a fun raiser cabaret for the benefit of Ubwino Wa Amayi.

Press Release for Ubwino Wa Amayi – March 22, 2007

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated a week ago but I think there are some people still recovering from the terrific party held by the Irish Association of Malawi and hosted by Doogles Lodge on the 17 th .

It was a fantastic evening with over 300 people at the event which raised over 600,000 kwacha for the Blantyre based charity, Ubwino Wa Amayi.

Over 300,000 kwacha in prizes were auctioned off or raffled through the night, including one lucky winner from Zomba who took home the return tickets to Johannesburg courtesy of Air Malawi .

Kenny Gilmore and the Sangalala band had the crowd on their feet before the sun had even set, crowding around the pool and patios of Doogles Lodge. Next up was Nic Giannakis who kept everyone dancing with his band playing the hits he sang to land second place in a BBC radio music contest. Finally, Ben Micheals played well into the night and had everyone grooving with his excellent selection of Chichewa tunes.

“The entertainment was outstanding,” said one party goer. “It was a great mix of Malawian and International music.”

All proceeds from the party have been donated to the Blantyre based charity, Ubwino wa Amayi or for the Good of the Women, Educate the Girls. Money from this charity is used to further the education of girls of secondary school age in rural areas. The aim of Ubwino Wa Amayi is to create an opportunity for motivated girls to continue their education to form 4 who otherwise would have dropped out of school early due to lack of funds or circumstances beyond their control. Also to help girls return to school who have left early due to marriage or who have given birth to a child.

“Most of all we would like to thank all of the sponsors who helped us put the event together,” said Diane Calisse, Project Co-ordinator of Ubwino Wa Amayi. “It was a real community effort and we were overwhelmed by the support offered by the local businesses in Blantyre , Limbe and Zomba.” Almost 50 sponsors pitched in with prizes, food and cash to help the Irish Association run the event.

“We would also like to thank all the volunteers for their hard work to make sure this was successful event,” said Mary O'Neill, Fundraising Co-ordinator of Ubwino Wa Amayi. “A team of volunteers have organized and facilitated the St. Patrick's day party and it wouldn't have been a success without there hard work.”

Ubwino Wa Amayi wishes to sincerely thank the following sponsors for all of their support for this very worthwhile cause:

St Patrick's Day Festival at Doogles
(Saturday 17th March 2007)

The Leprechaun's made me do it!
There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

Saint Patrick's Day on 17th March is the day that everyone becomes Irish for the day, dons a leprechaun hat and wears green to mark the saint who drove snakes out of the emerald Isle.

This year was no exception- the occasion was celebrated by a festival of food, music, rugby, draught Guinness and Carlsberg and a grand raffle with people dancing and merrymaking until dawn to Kenny Gilmore and the Sangalala band, Ben Michael, Nic Giannakis and DJ Selva.

Kenny G started off the entertainment getting everyone in the mood with originals such as ngate mafunde and cover versions such as ‘Brown eyed girl' by well known Irish singer Van Morrison. The crowd went wild - especially the girls, when shirtless Kenny strutted his powerful stuff!

Ben Michael Mankhamba and the Zig Zaggers came on next giving a quality professional performance and delighting fans.

Up and coming youngster Nic Giannakis played the rap song ‘look into my eyes' that took him to London and gave him second place in the BBC World Service international young music competition.

The revellers were then treated to a jamming session taking us well into the night.

The proceeds of the event, over half a million Kwacha, are to go to ‘Ubwino Wa Amayi' a charity that has been set up to pay the school fees for rural girls who have dropped out of school for reasons beyond their control. Said a spokesperson from the charity, ‘Thanks to the generosity of local organisations such as Air Malawi, Danforth Yachting, Club Makokola, Wilderness Safaris, Sunbird tourism, Jambo Africa, Plascon paints, Carlsberg breweries and many more who donated raffle and auction prizes, we have reached our target to pay for the secondary education of 50 girls and to put 25 girls through 3 years at the Trade and Agriculture school in Namitembo.'

Comments from tourists were that they didn't know there was such fantastic entertainment in Blantyre- one traveller who arrived in Blantyre the following morning could not believe he had just missed the epic event that would be talked about from the Cape to Cairo for many moons to come!