Marist Brothers Reaffirm Commitment to Inclusive Education

The Marist Brothers in Malawi have once again demonstrated their commitment to supporting the Government of Malawi in promoting inclusive education by constructing a state-of-the-art boys’ hostel at Malingunde School for the Blind in Lilongwe.

The religious congregation invested £80,000 (approximately MK175 million) in the project, officially handing over the facility to the school last Monday.

This initiative is not the first of its kind. Through the New Horizon Project, the Marist Brothers have also provided financial aid and learning materials to underprivileged students.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Brother Francis Jumbe, Provincial Councilor for the Marist Brothers in Malawi, reaffirmed the congregation’s commitment to ensuring every child in Malawi receives quality education. He expressed gratitude to the UK-based charity Beit Trust for funding the hostel project, which stemmed from the broader New Horizon initiative benefiting schools in the Central and Southern Regions.

“When we held the closing ceremony for the New Horizon Project, we interacted with a regional representative of the funding agency. In his speech, he encouraged us to consider projects that promote inclusion and support disadvantaged children,” Jumbe explained.

He also lauded the contractor for completing the project in just seven months—far ahead of the initially agreed 18-month timeline.

“We are very happy and grateful to Beit Trust for helping us fulfill our obligation to support the less privileged in our society. It is exciting to see this project come to fruition and to know that boys will now have a proper place to stay,” he added.

Brother Patrick Banda, who oversaw the project, acknowledged challenges posed by currency fluctuations but praised the strong collaboration between the Marist Brothers, Malingunde School for the Blind, and Malingunde CCAP Church.

“There was a time I feared we might not complete the project due to financial constraints. But by God’s grace, we managed. The building is beautiful, and we worked hard to bring it to completion,” Banda said.

Head teacher Aubrey Kapatamoyo Nankumba highlighted that the school has long struggled with inadequate accommodation, revealing that some learners have had to share beds due to overcrowding.

“In some cases, a small room would accommodate more than five or six learners. The situation was dire,” Nankumba said.

Beyond accommodation challenges, the school also struggles to provide sufficient food for the learners. The newly built hostel is expected to ease some of these difficulties, offering students a more comfortable and dignified learning environment.

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