Weekly Update from boNGO Malawi Program Director

[David Leflar]

boNGO MALAWI

Quick Update 12

ECD

There was great closing ceremony / open day for Umodzi-Mbame ECD
Centre opn 3dr of April 2009.

1. Had 71 parents who attended the ceremony, which was the
highest so far as far as the parents participation has been through
out in most of the functions and that was amazing.

2. 78 children participated in the activities of this closing/
open day ceremony so far. And also are the ones who participated in
our first term assessment program.

3. Three village headmen attended the function and all had to
speak on the impact of the school activities. And the chiefs were as
follows: Nambanja, Sowenja, Maluwa and chief Juma representative, her
sister. All of them appreciated the impact of the school activities
sighting that all children who have gone through this foundation are
clever and doing very well in primary schools hence good future leaders
( Chief Maluwa quoted) & Juma sister say she would like to encourage
the parents to continue participating in the school program and urged
all to support the activities at the centre.It was a good speech and a
surprise too.

4. All 10 memebers of EC and 10 members of school committee were
in attendance and all appreciated and encourage the parents to work
together for the sake of their own children.

5. Get one of the pictures during the play on the closing/open
day ceremony for the first quota at Umodzi-Mbame Model ECD.

Comments

It was a great day looking at the attendance so far. This
indicates total support from the grassroots in the activities of the
school now compared to the same season last year. And shows that they
do appreciate the role their school development is playing towards
their children hence taking part.

I was also impressed with the speeches of the all the people during
the ceremony. It was all about encouraging each other, asking for
total participation and endurance, if they are to achieve their
development goals.

boNGO appreciated the efforts in the first quota by the teachers, EC,
school committee, parents and its importance and urge them to
continue. The second term will open on 27th of April 2009.

Umodzi-Mbame Management Meeting.

Had the meeting and it was all about evaluating the first quotar
activites. Memberts share these facts…

1. Good& proper run of the school activities

2. Good cooperation between teachers and parents

3. Good working relationship

4. Good feeding program at the school

5. Good parent’s participation and live activities. Every agreed
with these facts and urged to continue next term.

6. The establishment of the sweet potatoes garden which is doing
well and it si promising to give them enough produce this year.



Challenges

1. Still the communities haven’t been given total authority from
the DC yet of the land to do whatever in terms of development at the
place.

2. The toilets are not good hence would like to construct better
ones in future, once the land issue is sorted out.

3. Would wants to still encourage parents to continue
participating and incorporating them into school programs at all cost.



Way forward

1. To make sure that, EC meets DC to discuss their plans
regarding construction of school toilets and make the playing ground
better than it is now

2. EC to meet the DC, first two weeks of May 2009 and bioNGO will
assist wherever possible

3. Continue their monthly meeting with the parents and wherever
possible.



In the end boNGO gave each member, EC, School committee & teachers
4tablets of soap, an appreciation/ incentive for the well done job
this quota. All were happy and appreciative to the gifts and thanked
boNGO for its support.



NOTE: Umodzi- MbameEC and boNGO had also a meeting with Mbame youth
club which has been operating from Mbame primary school, doing
activities like, HIV/AIDS awareness messages & campaigns, helping the
sick &elderly and many more for 2years. And now have put up their
request to be working together with the CBO, as one of the youth
program/ support the CBO in its activities. E.g. gardening, school
activities (cleaning, clearing, and campaigns in encouraging parents
to send their children ton school and its benefits & any other duties
which will be beneficial to the CBO and the community. They will do
all these things in a voluntary as usual. These youth are of 18 to 25
year (school leavers’ youths)



It was a very good meeting, questions on how we can work together. How
the CBO is working? Any expectations if accepted? How CBO works with
boNGO? Why they choose to work with Umodzi CBO not other CBO’s?
Simple, umodzi has consistence activities, directly benefiting the
people and people are participating fully than other CBO’s around. And
in the end the EC accepted their request and asked them to suggest
where they will start from/ how? If needs more information, they
should contact the EC before putting down ideas.





Ideally, this is a welcome thing, considering that, the centre will be
fully used and utilized by the people of the area and benefit from
activities to be undertaken and also that, youth can thinking/
develop more and later take over the responsibilities of running the
centre in future. But also this is the indication that, time has come
for the youth to take challenges and its from this idea that they work
with the CBO and that Umodzi is becoming more known of its good
activities hence everybody wants to be associated with despite few
problems of land issue of which every body knows the truth and that
it’s the development place, nothing else. Soon the club will present
their ideas to EC & boNGO.



Children’s Corner Visit to Upile CBO

It was a nice and good time for the children to interact and share
more with their friends.

There were 30 children who were parft of the trip to Upile, 5
responsible teachers including Esmie Kika and DAPP officer.

The activities done include/; Football and netball, drama, debate
(which is good to live in town or in village?

Had our children being the people living in village) it was a great
time getting views & ideas from both groups. In the end of the debate,
upile won by 19 points to 18.

Football team A, umodzi won by 2 goals to 1, football team B they
draw0 each and net ball umodzi won by 18 goals to 4.

It was a successful trip and was a lot of fun, joy, interaction,
sharing, learning and experiencing, not only amongst the children but
also teachers and other people who came to witness the occasion.



MDGs

All the documents are ready and David will have to do the rest of the
task to send you Tereza. Hoping this week David will send them to you
Tereza.



The club will continue be meeting during the holiday as per their
agreement and this week will get the first quota report from the
patrons so far, on what has been good and not good since we started
the program and meet for the way forward.



Next week plan

1. Planning for the 5day evaluation training( from 20th April to
25th of April 2009)

2. Organizing materials for the training

3. Meeting Bessie & Esmie to go through together the plan and
idea sharing

4. AOB.