Masidi Primary School gets a new lease of life through GESD project

Machinga, February 16, Mana: Masidi Primary School in Machinga, established in 1989, has - for a long time – had challenges in providing quality child education due to among other things, inadequate infrastructure.

With an enrollment of over 800 learners, the school serves learners from six surrounding villages under Senior Chief Liwonde.

However, shortage of classrooms made teaching and learning extremely challenging as the school only had four classroom blocks.

According to the school's head teacher Ibrahim Lifa, the situation compelled learners to learn under trees and in harsh weather conditions, thereby contributing to poor performance of learners, as well as school dropouts.

“Learners were exposed to the elements, and it was almost impossible for them to focus on their studies. Lack of proper classrooms contributed significantly to poor academic performance and high dropout rate. It was heartbreaking to see learners struggling to learn in such harsh conditions.” he says.

The headteacher commended Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) for the construction of a brand-new classroom block, which has replaced the uncomfortable and distracting outdoor learning spaces. Learners can now focus on their studies without disruptions.

Lifa further said the new classroom block has also improved learners’ performance and increased enrollment at the school, which has risen to Over 800 leaners from bellow 700 in the previous years.

“The additional classrooms have enabled the school to accommodate more students, reducing the student-teacher ratio and allowing for more personalized attention," Lifa adds.

This support by GESD, which is World Bank funded programme, has dramatically changed the school's fortunes, as observed by Lifa.

According to Machinga District Council’s Director of Public Works, Clement Mtambo, the classroom block construction is part of the 2022-2023 financial year GESD-funded projects in the district.

Mtambo added that the project has been implemented at a cost of over K52 million aims to improve the learning environment and provide better educational facilities for the students of Masidi Primary School.

For the learners, the new classroom block has been a dream comes true, they are now happy with their new learning environment.

“I'm so happy to have a comfortable and quiet place to learn, Before, for the past years while I was in standard 4 and 5 and I used to learn under the tree which was becoming more difficult for us as female leaners, we used to get distracted by the noise and heat outside, but now we can focus on our studies without any disruptions.” say Ellen William, now a Standard 8 learner.

Rasid Askim, a Standard 3 learner, echoed similar sentiments, “I like my new classroom. It looks so beautiful and accommodative and I can see the blackboard clearly. I feel happy and excited to come to school every day knowing that I will be learning in a safe and conducive environment,” he says.

Chairperson of the school’s Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Kandaya Chitsulo, lauds the government's initiative through GESD funds, citing its instrumental role in overcoming the community's perennial challenges.

“In the past, we would often enroll our children in Standard 1 at an older age due to inadequate learning facilities. But now, thanks to the new classroom block, we can rest assured that our children are learning in a safe and conducive environment, regardless of the weather,” adds the chairperson.

School Management Committee chairperson, Grace Sanjira, said members of community were committed to maintain the new classroom block in case of maintenances.

“We will work together to take care of the classroom block, ensuring it remains a safe and conducive learning environment for generations to come,” says Sanjira.

Among others, under the project, Masidi Primary School has also been provided with additional amenities, including two modern toilets for both female and male learners and 120 desks.