Mangochi District Council has graduated 1,972 women and 445 men from a ten months National Adult Literacy Programme (NALP) with a call for more men to enroll in the programme.
The 2, 417 adults completed the programme from 439 adult literacy classes from all the 22 traditional authorities in the district where the adult graduates were taught how to read and write Chichewa and English apart from learning how to numerate and other lifelong learning initiatives.
Mangochi District Commissioner, Dr. Raphael Piringu, was happy to see the adults reading, writing and numerating saying the programme will improve literacy levels in the district.
He assured people in the district that the District Council will mobilize the graduates into cooperatives and Savings and Loans groups to be groomed on how they can start small scale profitable and sustainable businesses.
District Community Development Officer (DCDO), Dalitso Mndinda, said despite the success, the programme is facing a number of challenges such as high frontline staff turnover who are key to Adult Literacy Programme, shortage of teaching and learning materials and poor learning infrastructures. He attributed the success of the programme to collaboration among partners such as Mangochi District Council, and Non-Governmental Organisations such as Emmanuel International, Malawi Red Cross Society and Youth Development and Productivity.
One of the graduates, Tapiwa Jali from Mvunguti Village, Sub Chief Chiwalo hailed the Programme saying it will enable her succeed in business as she is now able to read, write numerate and explore many lifelong learning initiatives. Meanwhile the National Centre for Literacy and Adult Education (NACLAE) is spearheading the upgrading of the Adult Literacy and education curriculum to be at par with standard eight to enable adult learners pursue their education further. All factors permitting, partners are being requested to contribute to this noble cause as this is in line with the Malawi 2063 initial 10 years implementation plan (MIP-1) 2021-2030 and the National Community Development agenda.
