Not Business as Usual - Aaron Lewani

It’s time to return to school in Malawi: Monday, January 5, 2009. You can find teacher’s preparing their lessons and children eagerly walking to their classes. Though it might seem like the beginning of a normal school year, I assure you it is not business as usual this year! I am certain because I have seen what Goods for Good has at its Warehouse designated as education materials.

Currently, we have lots of materials for both the teachers and students. As schools opened, we collaborated with our partners to distribute the educational materials to the teachers and students to ensure that they both receive the materials in good time. During the distributions, I managed to chat with the Chiefs, the Teachers and School Committee Members to hear their views on the support the teachers had received. They all had many interesting stories to tell.

Mr. Kachikopa, the Head Teacher at Chankhaza Primary school said, “I am so grateful for the teaching materials we have received today from Goods for Good. This time you have filled all the material needs at our school. Teachers have enough supplies for the whole year including a bag to carry their things. For me, having a bag is a first, I have never owned a teacher’s bag, instead I used an old carton to carry my lessons and materials. I do not have more words because I am just so grateful.” In all the eighteen schools where we did distributions such as the one described above, teachers were shocked with both surprise and happiness.

At each school, immediately after the Teachers Supply Closet box was opened, teachers could not stop talking about the materials and thanking Goods for Good. “Mwabwera boo! Goods for Good, this is good coming. Our ego is high now,” said Mr. Yakasale Chida, a teacher at Gudyu Primary School. At Chimkoka Primary School, the School Committee members expressed their joy when they saw the teachers had received subject specific materials to help them teach even better. “This means that the education standards in our area are now higher. What more could our children need? The teachers are well equipped to do their job and it is clear that this will be a good year for education in our community,” said Village Headman Cassese.

The Head Teacher of Chimkoka Primary School, Mr. Saidi, agreed with the Village Headman by saying that the combination of student and teacher school materials was an excellent recipe and the outcome will definitely be positive. He explained “Goods for Good has hit the nail on the head, which means they are an organization that listens. They are responding to the needs we presented to them last year when they conducted their assessment. We are amazed with the swiftness of response to the needs we presented,” added the Head Teacher.

To prove to you that every teacher was shocked, let me tell you about St. Mathias Primary School. Goods for Good piloted the Teachers Supply Closet there in 2007 and 2008. So since we had been working with them for a long time, I thought that it would be business as usual when we delivered the teachers supply closet. I was very wrong! Immediately after we opened the box Mr. Martin Banda, the Head Teacher, and his deputy started talking to themselves. “Wow! Aaron this is wonderful. Oooh! This is unbelievable.” The mood was the same in all the schools. What an exciting year for the teachers in the public schools that Goods for Good is supporting. We thank you, our supporters, for making a difference in the 2009 School Calendar.