Kalebe said this in Blantyre at a roll-out workshop for the Southern Region for the construction of school infrastructure under the Education Sector Wide Approach (Eswap) which started in January 2010.
He said it is common knowledge that Malawi is struggling with high classroom and teachers housing gap at 27 930 and 276 422, respectively, for rural school which needs to be addressed.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is engaging the LDF and the local councils to solve the problems of infrastructure in the education sector.
“It is my belief and prayer that all other government ministries and departments will emulate the good example set by the ministry to channel all development related expenditures at local level through the LDF,” said Kalebe.
Since its inception two years ago, the LDF has facilitated the construction of 1 570 teachers’ houses across the country and out of these 600 have been completed.
Not only that, with the LDF, a total of one million households has benefited from the Public Works Programmes (PWP) and have earned cash transfers which have assisted them to purchase subsidised farm inputs that have contributed to improve their household’s food security.
The amount, K6.6 billion, LDF is looking for in the next financial year will help the fund to achieve the target of 4 500 classrooms by 2014.
On her part, principal planning officer in the Ministry of Education, Grace Milner, thanked the LDF for a job well done in the education sector since its inception.
She said the LDF was agreed upon as a complementary approach to fast-track construction of classrooms in the sector.
Milner asked the communities where the projects are being implemented to own the project.
“Therefore, I would encourage all communities to desist from any malpractices that will derail the process,” she said.
According to figures presented by Milner, a total of $23.3 million (K3.8 billion) was requested by the LDF and currently a total of $21.1 million (K3.1 billion) has been funded.
And out of the K3.8 billion (about $22.7m), K3.2 billion (about $19.1m) is to be transferred to the local councils for the actual works and the funds will be transferred when all the technical details are finalised.
