"Am so delighted to see this kind of infrastructure being built at this schools..."

This week’s email comes to us from Lweendo Maanya, our Logistics and Community Relations Lead. Thank you, Lweendo!

It is a fact that providing classrooms and latrines in good condition is significant for student achievement. With the zeal to promote quality education in rural schools, Impact Network management has always put into consideration all aspects that would make this dream sustainable and a reality to the schools in communities we are working with.

During 2021, Impact Network embarked on a number of construction projects, after a careful assessment of the needs of different school buildings ranging from latrines, offices and classrooms. This was deliberately done with the quest to help curb some of the shortages of these spaces during previous years. While we do not have the funds to expand every school and learning space, we managed to source some funds for construction in 2021.

The following construction projects were completed – Mkale ECE classroom extension, Nkunga classroom block and latrines, and both Joel and Mnyaula now have exam security rooms for national exam testing centers. Additionally, we have a new Katete West office in progress at our original school location, Joel.

The perception for many is that for those who love to read and study, any place will suffice to read and learn. One might argue that the space you are in does not matter, that knowledge is paramount, and the physical context is secondary. But if we transfer this reasoning to the reality of educational systems, the practical evidence is obvious: having rooms and learning spaces in good condition is decisive for students to achieve the expected academic results. In other words, the conditions of the schools directly impact the performance of the students.

One of our teachers at Nkunga Cosmas Banda has similar thoughts as he stated: “As a teacher in rural schools, a number of factors work against us due to the nature of the communities we work in. However, having better and enough infrastructure to teach from is one of the best gifts any teacher would want to have. I really appreciate the effort the organization is taking to make sure that much needed good classroom space is provided even here in rural areas.”

Further, another interesting thought from a parent, Jason Mumba PTA member at Nkunga: “Am so delighted to see this kind of infrastructure being built at this schools, previously learners used to learn from incomplete buildings and that used to demotivate them. A lot of learners would abscond class, which saw some parents send their children to nearby schools like Joel AND Tosa School.

The goal for Impact network is to create a good school infrastructure, with renewed spaces, makes it possible for our students that live in remote areas that we work from acquire quality education. Ideally, good infrastructure tends to improve the attendance and interest of students and teachers in learning. For this same reason, investments in school infrastructure have an essential role in solving access problems of students to the school system and to improve their performance.

Thank you, Lweendo! And for those that don’t know – Lweendo also leads our construction projects so this is a testament to his hard work throughout the year.