In Malawi Primary Schooling is free BUT there is no free Secondary Education. At the end of their primary education pupils take an examination. If they pass the examination they are selected for secondary education.
Many pupils cannot afford the fees. They often go to secondary schools and are then sent home because they have not paid the fees.
MACS pays the fees of needy pupils at five different schools in Malawi. At least two thirds of MACS bursaries go to girls. The bursars are selected by a committee of staff at the schools.
MACS receives copies of the school reports of the pupils who receive bursaries and trustees meet the bursars when they visit Malawi.
Malosa Secondary School
Malosa Secondary School is one of the top boarding schools in Malawi.
MACS offers 14 Bursaries at Malosa at an annual cost of approximately £5000
St Michael's Girls' Secondary School, Malindi
St Michael's Girl's Secondary School, Malindi is a boarding school. It regularly produces excellent exam results and sends many girls to University.
MACS offers 14 Bursaries at St Michael's' at an annual cost of approximately £5000
These girls are not at school because they are needed at home.
Bishop Mtekateka Secondary School
M'manga Community Day Secondary School
Bennie Chisale has been Headteacher at M'manga Community Day Secondary School for 9 of his 26 years in education. For visitors travelling from the south to the lakeshore, it is necessary to cross the Shire River by the newly constructed Liwonde bridge with the school just 2/3 kilometres away. One aim of this brief pen picture is to introduce some of our Malawian colleagues to our supporters, although some MACS trustees have worked with him over number of years as MACS has helped to improve educational facilities at the school.
Bennie has spent much of his education on home territory being brought up in Mangochi and later teaching at Mangochi Secondary School.
After qualifying at Lilongwe Teachers' Training College in 1992, Bennie upgraded his qualification, receiving his advanced Diploma at Domasi College, majoring in Physical Education. Not surprisingly he has a strong interest in football, netball and frisbee, though he acknowledges that being a Headteacher leaves little time to pursue leisure activities. Given the opportunity to nominate his preferred location in the country to spend leisure time , he answered Zomba Plateau with no hesitation.
Asked what were his particular problems he faced as a Headteacher, he focussed immediately on the lack of accommodation and quoted classes of 80 to contend with.
There was, however some pleasure expressed in small numbers of learners gaining tertiary places in universities and colleges.
There is a strong education and public service trend within the family, both parents being teachers, a daughter nursing at St Luke's Hospital, one son at Mzuzu University and another in communications at MBC.
Nkope Community Day Secondary School
In recent years, MACS decided to set up a pilot scheme to support Community Secondary schools and in addition to providing classroom blocks and other facilities , has introduced bursaries, which brings trustees into closer contact with the senior staff in these schools. This profile introduces Joyce Kalichero, the Acting Head of Nkope Hill Secondary School.
The name of Joyce Kalichero, the current Acting Headteacher, is well known to the inhabitants of the large lakeshore village of Nkope, which is situated just off the Mangochi to Monkey Bay road, particularly to the girls and their parents at the Nkope Hill Community Day Secondary School.
After spending her early years in the Mulanje area, Joyce attended Lilongwe Teacher Training College in 2000 and upgraded her teaching qualification, gaining a teaching diploma, specialising in Geography at Domasi College in 2007. Following further teaching experience in secondary schools in Balaka, Malindi and Malombe,she gained promotion and became Deputy Headteacher at Nkope in 2012. In 2019 she became Acting Head and is currently the link with MACS.
This was to be no ordinary appointment. As the only female member of staff with 7 male colleagues, Joyce has been a role model for the 100 girls. In addition to providing guidance to the girls, she set up a Mothers' Support and Drop In Group.