By Blackson Mkupatira

Chiradzulu, August 18, Mana: Chiradzulu District Council Chairperson, Charles Chigwenembe, has said construction of a K268 million girls hostel at Masalani Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in the district will provide a safe and conducive environment for girls to complete their education.

Speaking during the launch of the construction works of the project, Chigwenembe, said girls from the area face significant challenges in accessing education, including long distances to schools, which increases their risk of dropping out due to issues such as unwanted pregnancies and lack of interest.

"The nearest school with a hostel is quite far; so, with the establishment of this hostel, we want to help girls from the surrounding villages to access quality education. We are hoping it will reduce absenteeism and improve their academic performance," he said.

Chigwenembe assured the gathering that the council would conduct regular monitoring and supervision of the project to ensure its timely completion and maintain quality standards, saying a lot has been invested.

"We received a performance-based grant from the World Bank under the Governance to Enable Service Delivery Project and a substantial portion of that grant has been allocated to this project. So, we are committed to seeing tangible results," he said.

Chiradzulu District Council Chief Education Officer, Gertrude Maliko, echoed Chigwenembe’s sentiments, saying the development was well placed considering the challenges the girl child has been facing.

"The school has a large catchment area, with some girls walking over 10 kilometers to get to school each day. By the time they arrive, they are already exhausted, which negatively impacts their learning.

The new hostel will allow these girls to rest after school, giving them ample time to prepare for lessons and review what they have learned," Maliko said.

A Form Four student at Masalani CDSS, Ivy Sarara, thanked government for constructing the hostel, saying many girls were missing evening classes and study time because their parents could not allow them to travel long distances as it was not safe.

"Many of us have also lost interest in school because of the long distances and the unfair punishments for arriving late. This hostel will change the situation," Sarara said.

The hostel will be built by JCG Construction in a period of 120 days. It will consist of 28 rooms and be equipped with 56 beds. –