The Problem

In one of the poorest countries in the world, the children of Malawi, Africa, are faced with an existence of poverty, disease, and suffering. Due to a lack of educational opportunities and resources, most of these children find it impossible to break away from the way of life in which they were born.

    The Problem

    Why Malawi?

    Many nations throughout the world have been ravaged by the crippling cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and disease.  As one of the ten poorest countries in the world, Malawi, Africa is no exception.

    • Slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania, Malawi is one of the world’s least developed countries
    • More than half of the population is forced to live on less than $1 a day
    • About 900,000 Malawians are living with HIV/AIDS, with more than ten percent of those infected under the age of 15.
    • Over half a million children are orphaned because of AIDS.
    • Average life expectancy is approximately 43 years
    • Public education is provided through primary school, however, girls are nearly twice as likely to leave school prematurely as boys due to household/family responsibilities and early pregnancy
    • Due to lack of adequate facilities and trained teachers, class sizes commonly exceed 100 students per teacher in primary schools

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    State of Public Education in Malawi

    Malawi has an 8-4-4 education system consisting of primary school, secondary school, and university education.  Primary school education is for 8 years, and with the introduction of the Free Primary Education in 1994, school fees were abolished, leading to dramatic increases in enrollment.  Upon completion of primary school, students take an exam to determine whether they will be allowed to continue onto secondary school.  Unlike primary school, secondary school is not free.  If a student is accepted to continue with his or her education, most families cannot afford the fees associated with attending.

    In spite of the many advantages associated with free primary education, there are numerous problems:

    • Class sizes in Primary schools often exceed 100
    • Four year olds and twelve year olds may be in the same class as children enter Primary school when they are ready or can be spared by their parents from domestic duties
    • Lack of classroom blocks resulting in some classes being taught outside.  In the rainy season, most classes are dismissed, leaving many students behind
    • Inadequate supplies such as desks, textbooks and writing utensils
    • Lack of qualified teachers due to inadequate training and low incentives.  Teachers are the least paid civil servants in Malawi
    • 80% of the children not being able to meet reading and math minimum standards upon the completion of primary school
    • Half of all pupils fail to continue their studies into the second half of Primary school
    • Around 7500 teachers die from AIDS or AIDS related illnesses each year
    • Up to half of all teachers in Malawi are expected to die of AIDS in the next 5-7 years

    Believing that education is fundamental in securing a promising future for the people of Malawi, Taking Back Lives plans on building 2 double classroom blocks—complete with desks and educational resources, and housing to attract qualified teachers in the next several years.  In addition, a scholarship fund will be available for qualified Malawian students to continue with their secondary education.  Finally, a Community Development Program is being developed and implemented to assist illiterate adults within the community.