Excitement as Suzanne and Neisha's Visit gets closer

It was just yesterday, Saturday the 1st December 2012, when I visited Monjole Community Primary School to follow up developments leading to Suzanna and Neisha's pending visit. The morning sun appeared with a dry heat withering the young maize plants in the fields, the poor plants all looked like onions - global warming is here. In an ideal situation, the young fields would have been flapping their leaves in wet breeze, this is rainy season but yet dry. I head that the now unpredictable and unreliable rain poured heavily the past two weeks and one by one, people flocked out to their fields for planting. Since then, it has been dry and for most of them, the seed they entrusted the soil with was the only lot they could afford. So, looking around, there is a sombre mood around, everyone is silently praying for the rains.

The meeting at the school with teachers and the school Committee was good. Every one is expectant. In 2009, they received the gift of shoes and that was unbelievable.It was absolutely incredible when they heard that the same Suzanna is visiting them,  to meet the pupils and shake their hands. They are very appreciative.

The school has an enrollment of 2187 learners from class 1 up to 8. Ideally, one class is supposed to at least accommodate 60 pupils.  With this enrollment, they needed 25 classrooms but have only10. Most of the learners have classrooms outside, under trees. In this rainy season, there are no lessons going on for the outside classrooms. As we approach the 2015, one wonders whether Monjole primary School in Makuluni is included in the Millennium Development Goals. Again, one wonders whether Education for All Goals are indeed meaningful for them. The 10 classrooms have no desks, they write from their lap, a posture that leaves their neck aching.

The enrollment is huge and the magic that attracts pupils to school is the school meals programm, thanks to WFP. Learners have at least one hot ration of nutritious porridge taken at mid morning. With the prevailing lean season in Malawi and Monjole community in particular, each and every child is sent to school to access the meal and for most of them , that is the only meal they depend on. In fact, weekends are not welcome, school days are good, there is an assurance of food for the day besides education.Unfortunately, there are only few serving plates, when others are eating, the rest remain on the queue waiting for the plates from their friends' hands (its plastic plates costing less than 50 cents each, just imagine). I was shocked and have pledged to buy the serving plates for them.

When I inquired about their priority, they asked for desks for at least standard 8 learners. During annual national examinations,  candidates have problems, they write from their lap. So anything you good friends have contributed will go towards procurement of desks for at least standard 8 class.

In general, everyone feels so much special that some people in Australia have a heart for them. They are planning all sorts of performances, dances, songs, poems and what have you. Suzanna and Neisha will join the dance troupe, its gonna be fun packed day. I hear that besides mentioning the 'Australians' in their songs, they are also mentioning Suzanna, Josiah, Caitlyn and Karen. As for the rest of us, lets ride with the 'Australians' and the four shoe pals!

Once again, thank you very much for all the contributions you have made in cash and kind, they are going to make a difference and that is what we are trying to do; bring a change.

On behalf of Monjole Community Primary school learners and their teachers, communities members in Makuluni Village (including children who feared the shoes, crying and some getting psychological troubled of the things on their little feet); community members from the four surrounding villages which feed the school with learners; Nsikita, Malunda, Namaja and Mulelemba; and indeed on my own behalf, I want to thank you all friends in Australia for your kindness and sharing spirit. We cant wait for Suzanna and Neisha's visit.