GUEST BLOG: Philanthropy that makes us global

It has been a difficult road for many when it comes to accessing computer based learning in Malawi. The struggle for many learners has been evident as many people in our city were most likely to start using computers as a learning aide when they start University.

Essays were handwritten in our secondary school days while the rest of the world did their papers clattering at the keyboard and gazing at a monitor. Secondary schools after the turn of the millennium had to digitise here in Malawi but it was a slow process for those that tried.

The Centre for Youth and Development (CYD) donated computers to various primary schools in the city of Mzuzu in 2019. This initiative has upgraded learners and teachers to access a variety of teaching aides.

This initiative has made computer literacy a faster process whereby we can see children as young as four being able to name the parts of a computer and showing great mouse control. One of the teachers attested.

“The effects of this generosity from our donor has changed the course of exploring for these children, now they can broaden their horizons”.

Miss Aisha Ibrahim, Teacher at Bloom Junior Academy

The giant leap in ICT provisions from CYD has filled a wide void in the service delivery. Not only when teaching information technology, It has also become a source of research for many teachers and students in other subjects too. For example a program called ‘Tux Math’ has been a real hit among the students when they are practicing mental maths.

According to Miss Ibrahim the computer sessions are used most of the time as  a motivator during class time. Children are always excited to work on the computers and it has become a reward, that gives incentives to children that are eager to use them to focus in class.

The Philanthropy shown by Centre for Youth and Development and their partners the Turing Trust has touched many hearts, has changed many paths for young learners and truly proved that these organisation truly has motives to improve Malawi from its roots going up.

Article written by Nazir Quareshy, Headmaster for Bloom Junior Academy