project kapanda, malawi

Project Kapanda is a TiC-funded project which helps children in rural Malawi go to school. The project is run by Ripple Africa, a small charity founded by British couple Geoff and Liz Furber. TiC funding since 2006 has resulted in the building of a classroom in Kapanda Secondary School and providing desks and books. The building work started in May 2007 and thanks to TiC’s help, the first double classroom block has now been completed. Forms one and two have opened, with over 120 children attending school. The desks were built by local craftsmen, creating work in the community and teachers are from the local area.

Malawi has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world, with 14% of the adult population – approximately 900,000 people – infected. A lack of education means the virus is heavily stigmatised; the lack of empowerment of women further hampers efforts to reduce the infection rate. The fact that nearly half the children at Kapanda school are girls works towards changing this.

A history of political corruption has contributed to Malawi’s widespread poverty. More than half a million children have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. At Kapanda school, about one third of children are orphans; the school offers these children stability. It also teaches HIV/AIDS awareness classes to combat high rates of teenage sex.

Project Kapanda participated in TiC’s When I Grow Up exhibition in October 2009. TiC is helping children like Opharton: “I like going to school but since my father died my mother has been unable to work and will not be able to afford the school fees. In the future I want to be able to help support my mother, brother and sisters better.”

TiC spends a lot of time building relationships with small locally-based, UK-registered charities such as RIPPLE Africa that risk being overlooked by other funders.