By George Mhango; Edited by Leanna Cappiello
In Malawian schools, two things are undeniable: there are not enough classroom spaces, and there are not enough books in the libraries. How can students practice reading if there are no accessible books?
The lack of reading material contributed to higher student drop-out rates and low enrollment in recent years. But a book donation from World Vision is changing that.
“Life in school has not been easy due to a lack of books… there were no English competitions like debates and reading sessions,” says Caroline, a grade seven student, who wants to be nurse. “We could neither draw illustrations nor read English books before the assistance. We can read and write,” she says.
“We [fought] over books during debates and reading club sessions. Only the lucky ones would get one…” says Yankho, a grade eight student. Yankho comes from a family of four children and his parents are farmers. He wants to go to secondary and pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
Caroline and Yankho’s stories are among many others: a great number of students crave good, plentiful reading materials to supplement their studies.
As of now, hundreds of learners in 11 schools have received a donation of books from World Vision. Now, each student can now have his or her own textbook.
Thanks to donors like you, these books will improve overall reading experience for these students. Malawian schools can look forward to a future of improved reading fluency, available reading for future classes and increased school enrollment.
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