Students of St Augustine Primary School to Smile Soon

Not easy to cross

Not easy to cross

Students of St Augustine Primary School have reason to smile now that Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust is about to renovate the bridge to their school. Thanks to Mauro and Angelo, volunteers from Italy who arrived on Tuesday afternoon.

Young boys and girls have been using the bridge for some time and it was too risky to continue using it mainly in the coming rainy season when the soils become slippery.

Andiamo built the bridge, which is over 10 metres long, some years ago and St Augustine, was built by Andiamo but handed over to the Malawi government.

Young boys and girls taking turns to cross

Young boys and girls taking turns to cross

A death trap, it is

A death trap, it is

By P.K.B

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A New Chapel In AEI Campus

File Photo: Fr Mario Pacifici, the dreamer

File Photo: Fr Mario Pacifici, the dreamer

It shall be called Andrea Woyera (St. Andrew) Chapel in loving memory of Andrea Pacifici, a bother to Fr. Mario Pacifici, the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust. According to the dreamer of the project (Fr. Mario Pacifici) the chapel will be inaugurated on 30 November 2015.

Meanwhile, Orizzonte Malawi Onlus volunteers who arrived in Malawi on Saturday together with the locals are working on the foundation.

The chapel is also going to change the face of Andiamo Education Institutions (AEI) campus, which continues to develop each year.

sharing notes

sharing notes

taking the right measurements

taking the right measurements

Sharing the dream

Sharing the dream

the site for the chapel

the site for the chapel

Let the work begin!

Let the work begin!

By P.K.B

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Visitors from Franklin University Switzerland

Dr. Armando Zanecchia, Professor of Political Science and International Management at Franklin University Switzerland, has today brought 18 of his students to Andiamo Education Institutions and Comfort Community Hospital for a tour.  He and the students have spent a couple of hours touring the schools and this hospital, learning about the services we provide and the challenges we face. Dr. Zanecchia also visited us with some 12 students last year. We thank them for visiting our facilities and we hope to see them again someday in the future!

Bwanali explaining to the group

Bwanali explaining to the group

Under the shade

Under the shade

The visitors with one of the girl student

The visitors with one of the girl student

At AEI's kitchen

At AEI’s kitchen

Time to sample sunglasses at Comfort Vision

Time to sample sunglasses at Comfort Vision

Paediatric OPD

Paediatric OPD

 

A visit to the wards

A visit to the wards

Taking a break before lunch

Taking a break before lunch

When all is said and done...

When all is said and done…

By P.K.B

 

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Pang’onoPang’ono Onlus Rescues AEI

Part of the wall

Part of the wall fence being funded

While we are celebrating that all the students of Andiamo Secondary School who sat for their 2014 Malawi School Certificate Examinations (MSCE) have passed, we have also received news that Pang’onopang’ono Onlus will fund the building of the wall fence that will separate the technical college from the secondary school.

This is the recommendation we received from the government and it is our hope that this will create a conducive learning environment for both the college and the secondary school.

 The dream is to build new school blocks and offices for the college and to use the existing structures for the secondary school with an idea to introduce Forms 5 and 6.

Secondary school hostels (far right) will be isolated from the college's workshops

Secondary school hostels (far right) will be isolated from the college’s workshops

The coming in of Pang’onopang’ono Onlus, an organization that has collaborated with us in a number of projects before has relieved the AEI office, which was working on the project with meagre resources.

Commenting on the support, Patrick Bwanali says AEI office is grateful to Pang’onopang’ono Onlus for this “timely assistance” and he has since promised to use the assistance for the intended purpose.

AEI falls under the Education Pillar of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust and it is an umbrella body for Andiamo Technical College, Andiamo Secondary School, Andiamo Music School, St Monica, St John Paul II, Kapandatsitsi, Chikondi and Chimwemwe Nursery Schools.

By P.K.B

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AEI on a Demarcation Project

Digging the foundation

Digging the foundation

Every journey begins with a single step. Andiamo Education Institutions (AEI) office has embarked on a project to build a wall fence that will separate Andiamo Technical College from the Secondary School. Both are under one campus. The dream is to build new school blocks and offices for the college and to use the existing structures for the secondary school with an idea to introduce Forms 5 and 6.

According to AEI office the project will move depending on the availability of funds. Patrick Bwanali, who is the Education Coordinator, says at the moment the AEI office is funding the project but he hopes that “our partners” and “people of goodwill” would come in to support this noble project.

AEI falls under the Education Pillar of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust and it is an umbrella body for Andiamo Technical College, Andiamo Secondary School, Andiamo Music School, St Monica, St John Paul II, Kapandatsitsi, Chikondi and Chimwemwe Nursery Schools.

The team to build the fence

The team to build the fence

By P.K.B

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Mphipe Lodge to Open Soon

Opening soon

Opening soon

The waiting is almost over. Mphipe Lodge at Cape Maclear in Mangochi will open its doors in the next few days. So far we have licences for both lodging and restaurant. At Mphipe  Lodge, you will enjoy the friendly community of the locals and its beautiful sunset. While enjoying the beauty of Cape Maclear with all the comfort provided by Mphipe Lodge, just know that you are doing a great service to the community of Balaka and beyond because the income realised from this will allow kids suffering from different ailment get treatment at Comfort Paediatric for “free”.

The view from the lake

The view from the lake

The community of Cape Maclear enjoying at at the Mphipe beach

The community of Cape Maclear enjoying at at the Mphipe beach

The sunset seen from Mphipe's restaurant

The sunset seen from Mphipe’s restaurant

Humble beginnings...

Humble beginnings…

Everyone was involved

Everyone was involved

By P.K.B

 

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Welcome to the World!

Omar & Omar

Omar & Omar

Nurse Kholiyo delivered twins last Wednesday!  Their mother, Agnes, is 22 years old and comes from Ngwalo village.  The new additions to her family are pictured above, a boy on the left and a girl on the right.  “Baby Boy Omar” was born at 15:30 and his bigger younger sister “Baby Girl Omar” was born 10 minutes later.  Agnes and her two new babies were discharged on Friday… we wish them all a long happy and healthy life!

By Jill Claus

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Chiara Back in Italy with Balaka in her Mind

Chiara Borruso Schmelcher

Chiara Borruso Schmelcher

Chiara Borruso Schmelcher is back in Italy having spent few weeks in Balaka as a volunteer but Balaka remains in her mind and she hopes that one day she will come back.

Being her first time in Malawi, she never knew what she would meet on her arrival here.

“I was very excited,” she says.

Chiara is full of praise for Malawians mainly young people despite many challenges they face.

“I enjoyed my stay in Balaka, people there are extremely curious because of the diversity between them and me. Adults are surely more diffident, but young people are willing to establish a positive relation. What really impressed me was the availability and kindness of people that are happy even only with that little they have.”

Her experience with students from Andiamo Secondary School was a wonderful one.

“Everyone thinks that it is better to stay with children attending nursery school, surely they are beautiful and tender, but with secondary school students you can talk, answer their questions and suggest them what is better for their future. I really enjoyed my time with the students, they are curious and they asked me a lot of questions. They appeared keen and willing to work hard.”

Will she come again? She is looking for a job as a lawyer/attorney in Italy and she doesn’t know if she will have time to come back again.

“I hope so,” let’s hope with her.

By P.K.B

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The New Curriculum Not Rolling Out in 2014/15 Academic Year

The new curriculum to wait

The new curriculum to wait

The implementation of the new secondary school curriculum for will not be possible to roll out in the 2014/15 academic year due to technical and logistical challenges, says the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In a press statement released on Monday, 1st September, 2014 the ministry informs the general public that “due to technical and logistical challenges being faced in the provision of teaching and learning materials to support the curriculum implementation, it will not be possible to roll out the curriculum in the 2014/15 academic year.”

Once implemented, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology says the new curriculum aims at equipping students with learners centred approaches, adequate and relevant skills to cope with tertiary education, world of work and life in general.

It also aims at incorporating into the curriculum critical contemporary and cross-cutting issues such as Gender Equity, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), HIV and AIDS, Financial Literacy, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Management, Peace Education, Environmental Conservation, Special Needs Education, Democracy, Human Rights, Governance and Entrepreneurship.

Apart from improving the acquisition of language skills and reading culture among learners, the new curriculum also aims at improving teaching and learning of science subjects.

By P.K.B

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MAM Recognises Andiamo Music School Band

Andiamo Music School Band performing in Lilongwe

Andiamo Music School Band performing in Lilongwe

After emerging winners of Chibuku road to fame music competition, Andiamo Music school Band has won the recognition of the national music body- Music Association of Malawi (MAM).

“Moyo ndi Mpamba” campaign recently approached MAM to provide reputable bands and musicians to enter into a contract for its live shows aimed at spreading health messages.

Though new on the block, Andiamo Music School Band was one of the bands shortlisted. It was entrusted to relay Malaria prevention messages through songs at the live shows.

The band kept its graph rising, after mesmerising the audience with its unique lively performance with a taste of traditional Malipenga dance.

Head of Music Andiamo music school, an arm of Andiamo youth cooperative trust Thom Damba said this is a proof that the band is doing something commendable.

“It means we are doing something others are able to notice. There are numerous bands and musicians who started way back before us, but we were among the chosen few,” said Damba.

He commended other veteran musicians who they shared the stage with, for cordial relationship during the shows held in Lilongwe and Zomba recently.

Other notable artists Andiamo music school band shared stage with included Ethel Kamwendo Banda, Skeffa Chimoto and Mlaka Maliro.

By Moses Thom

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