Banda Bola Sports Foundation - Letter from the Head Teacher

CHANGE to the village

one CHILD at a time
HELPING children

stay in SCHOOL
creating GIRLS

and BOYS soccer leagues
encouraging READING

and SCHOOL achievement

December 2007

To: Coach Banda

Re: In Appreciation for the Gifts

On behalf of the institution, but more so on my behalf, I have to express my heartfelt gratitude for the resources that we have received. We thank you for the kindness and concern that you have demonstrated to us, in promoting the Malawian Education for the children of Chituka in particular.

This is very rare for even the most well to do families in societies. We were indeed in great need of the resources that have been received through your affection. To be frank, you deserve credit from my government. It is impossible for only the government to sufficiently supply all our needs to support learning in most Malawian Schools today. Many children have been enrolled through the Free Primary Education System.

You may also wish to know that Malawi as a country has experienced much famine. This cannot encourage parents to think of buying some learning materials. They simply use the money they find to buy some food for the family while neglecting the education side.

So with your supplying these resources for our school, you have relieved the parents from the burden. You have been so patriotic to the people of your homeland. This is what Nehemiah in the Bible did when he was in a foreign country. See Nehemiah 2:1-6.

Another crucial problem is of under staffing. There are five teachers against 500 to about 600 pupils. Due to the lack of staff, students in 8^th grade have not had access to teachers to help them prepare for the standardized testing required to move into the 9^th grade. Not a single student has passed this exam for several years. Parents employ some volunteer teachers, who in turn get K1,500.00 ($12.00) a month for their service. The attached paper is for the names of the teachers and their particulars.

May you extend this gratitude to all those share this concern for our well being here at Chituka. May God bless your profession and the family. We wish you a safe trip back to America.

Thanks,

J.R. Phiri
Head Teacher
Malenga Mzoma F.P. School
P.O. Box 16 Chituka
Nkhata Bay, Malawi
C. Africa

About Malawi

Map of Malawi

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west.

The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Malawi is over 118,000 km2 (45,560 sq mi) with an estimated population of 16,777,547 (July 2013 est.). Its capital is Lilongwe, which is also Malawi's largest city; the second largest is Blantyre and the third is Mzuzu.

The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people that inhabit the area. The country is also nicknamed "The Warm Heart of Africa".