Edukans Foundation, an international organisation that promotes quality education, has called on government and policymakers to support and sustain projects introduced by partners to ensure sustainability.

Edukans International chief executive officer Petra Van Haren made the call on Friday after visiting Nakhonde and Chikowa Primary schools in Lilongwe and Salima, respectively.

Van Haren (2ndL) interacts with Malikha Zone primary education
advisor McKingsley Salangidwa

The two institutions are implementing the school-based Blended Education Mentorship and Eco-Star programmes with technical support from the organisation.

She said: “We believe education is the engine for progress. I am impressed to see the learners are really creating their own future perspectives. We encourage the government to play its role in whatever we are supporting to create sustainable education systems as we are not going to be there forever.”

Nankhonde Primary School head teacher Damalece Mlongoti hailed the mentorship programme which her school is implementing, saying it has helped to motivate both teachers and learners, improve their performance and reduce absenteeism.

However, she said the school is facing challenges such as a lack of desks, classroom blocks and teachers’ houses.

The mentorship programme aims at improving the quality of education through mentorships for teachers and learners leading to greater job satisfaction and improved learning outcomes while the Eco-Star project aims at achieving sustainable livelihoods and active citizenship through development of knowledge, skills and attitudes for marginalised children and the youth in Malawi.

The Eco-Star project will run for three years while the mentorship programme, which started in November last year, phases out this August.

The two projects, targeting over 200 000 learners, are being implemented to the tune of K700 million in 13 selected districts.

The post Foundation calls for project sustenance first appeared on The Nation Online.