Building links on a unique school journey

St John the Baptist School in Woking has pledged to raise over £42,000 to improve the primary and secondary school of a small community in Malawi called Milenje.

Once the project is complete, the schools will link formally through Plan's School Linking Programme.

A group from St John the Baptist went to visit Malawi before the project got underway to get an understanding of the current conditions and to meet the community.

Colin Kemp, one of the Governors at the school, gave the following account of the trip:

"In August 2008 a group of teachers, governors and a couple of students were fortunate enough to go to Malawi to visit the site of the current Milenje School.

"Three things hit us immediately: the first was that this was a beautiful country; second and most shocking was how little these people have, including basics like water, food and electricity; and lastly and most amazingly was how happy and friendly the people were.

"As we arrived at the school we were unprepared for the welcome that we received. The loud cheers and hundreds of smiling faces that greeted us both overwhelmed us and made us feel very humble.

"Eventually the excitement settled down and, as we recovered our composure, we were greeted by the head teachers and taken on a tour of the schools, the community buildings and shops and the Catholic Church at the heart of the village.

"Again we were shocked at how little they had, both of food and supplies for the community and equipment for the education of their children; the one thing they were not short of was enthusiasm for life and learning.

"We moan about class sizes, school dinners, the length of our day. In Milenje school, class sizes can be up to 180.

"In the primary school they are lucky as the World Food Programme supplies porridge for their one hot meal per day. In the secondary school they supply and cook their own meals, which mainly consist of Seema, made from maize and water and supplemented with cooked roots.

"Their school day runs from 07.30 through to 15.00 and before and after school many of the children have to work in the fields with their families.

"Many of the secondary school children travel a great distance to attend school and are unable to travel home every night, so they arrive at the beginning of term with their clothes and their food for the term and at night the classroom floors become their sleeping quarters.

"The present school buildings have mud walls and a corrugated metal roof with lots of holes; it rains for up to six months of the year. Many of the classrooms don't have desks or chairs so the students sit on the floor. You can imagine how difficult it is to teach and learn in these conditions.

"Our plan is to build proper brick classrooms which will be weatherproof, and within those classrooms to supply the basic equipment necessary to teach all the 940 children currently at the school.

"Even with all the hurdles they currently have to overcome, the children and the staff manage to stay focused and happy. Many of the children we spoke to have ambitions to become doctors, nurses or teachers and they know this can only be achieved through an education.

"How many of them will achieve their ambitions, I don't know, but we returned home with a new determination to do everything within our power to give them the best opportunity possible."

If you would like to involve your school in fundraising please telephone Kevin Machin on 0300 777 9777 or email kevin.machin@plan-international.org