Chigampha School Construction Complete on September 20, 2011!
The New School!
Chigampha Community Profile
Chigampha is an area in the eastern part of the Kasungu district of Malawi with a population of about 11,000 people. The area has 18 Village Headmen and belongs to the Chewa ethnic group.
The primary activities of the people in all the villages in this area are agriculture and small livestock keeping. The people practice subsistence farming, and their main crops are maize and tobacco. They sell the tobacco on auction floors to foreign companies. Families generally own pieces of land that are passed from one generation to the next.
The primary activities of the people in all the villages in this area are agriculture and small livestock keeping. The people practice subsistence farming, and their main crops are maize and tobacco. They sell the tobacco on auction floors to foreign companies. Families generally own pieces of land that are passed from one generation to the next.
Life in Chigampha
This area of Malawi has a tropical climate, with the hottest months being from September to December and coldest months from May to August. The rains usually start in December and end in April.
Due to over-population in the area, land is now insufficient to support the whole population and much of it is degraded and overused. Every year, people buy fertilizer to enrich the soils for their crops. Due to high prices of fertilizer most people fail to buy it in large enough quantities, and as a result their yields are low and of poor quality.
Most of the people in the villages live in grass-thatched houses with walls built of mud. The houses are surrounded by farmlands.
Due to over-population in the area, land is now insufficient to support the whole population and much of it is degraded and overused. Every year, people buy fertilizer to enrich the soils for their crops. Due to high prices of fertilizer most people fail to buy it in large enough quantities, and as a result their yields are low and of poor quality.
Most of the people in the villages live in grass-thatched houses with walls built of mud. The houses are surrounded by farmlands.
The previous Chigampha Primary School
Old School Conditions
Chigampha Primary School was established in 1979 for grades 1 to 7. One classroom was constructed by the European Union in 2003 and the community managed to build one school block with a roof, but no plaster or cement floor. The other classes that don’t fit into these buildings are taught under shade trees or in very old shelters, which are dangerous for both children and teachers.
The school serves 511 children from the surrounding 18 villages and has 6 teachers (2 women, 4 men). After grade 7 children must go to other schools to continue their education, but many girls drop out of school at this point because the other schools are very far from their homes.
The community understands the importance of education for their children. The people are eager to work with buildOn to construct their first permanent, good quality school block and participate in the Community Education Program.
The school serves 511 children from the surrounding 18 villages and has 6 teachers (2 women, 4 men). After grade 7 children must go to other schools to continue their education, but many girls drop out of school at this point because the other schools are very far from their homes.
The community understands the importance of education for their children. The people are eager to work with buildOn to construct their first permanent, good quality school block and participate in the Community Education Program.