The Dalitso Project
A large part of our work also involves sponsoring children through secondary and further education. In Malawi secondary school fees can cost upwards of £150 per year which of course makes it impossible for most ordinary Malawians to afford (the average income in Malawi is £247 per year).
In Malawi, primary school education is free but secondary education is paid for by each pupil.
At the end of primary school, pupils sit the primary school leaving certificate exams. The results of these exams will determine which secondary school a pupil goes to, with the top pupils in the country going to national level secondary schools, the top in the region going to regional level secondary schools and then the top locally going to local Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS). Local CDSS' cost the least with yearly fees being from around £50, but lessons tend to be only for a few hours each day and with limited resources in terms of textbooks and other materials. At regional level schools, pupils board on campus as they tend to be fairly far away from pupils' homes. Here fees can be £150+ per year, but pupils will have access to libraries, science labs and even occasionally computer suites. The national level schools can vary in their prices but are often higher in their fees. Here pupils also board throughout term time, but have access to much better resources, teaching and equipment.
In terms of future opportunities, we would of course love as many of our young people as possible to go to national or at least regional level schools, however this has significant cost implications for the Dalitso Project.
At the end of primary school, pupils sit the primary school leaving certificate exams. The results of these exams will determine which secondary school a pupil goes to, with the top pupils in the country going to national level secondary schools, the top in the region going to regional level secondary schools and then the top locally going to local Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS). Local CDSS' cost the least with yearly fees being from around £50, but lessons tend to be only for a few hours each day and with limited resources in terms of textbooks and other materials. At regional level schools, pupils board on campus as they tend to be fairly far away from pupils' homes. Here fees can be £150+ per year, but pupils will have access to libraries, science labs and even occasionally computer suites. The national level schools can vary in their prices but are often higher in their fees. Here pupils also board throughout term time, but have access to much better resources, teaching and equipment.
In terms of future opportunities, we would of course love as many of our young people as possible to go to national or at least regional level schools, however this has significant cost implications for the Dalitso Project.
Once pupils have graduated from secondary school, they will usually go on to further education courses. Sometimes this might be at university level or technical college and at other times might be along the apprenticeship lines.
These can take on various forms and various costs and can be supported by getting involved in our scholarship program.
These can take on various forms and various costs and can be supported by getting involved in our scholarship program.