Mzimba East communities constructing public school

Communities in Mzimba East Constituency have been forced to start constructing primary school blocks after the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church clung to structures at Lunjika Primary School funded by the European Union (EU).

The development negatively affected children’s right to education in the area.

In 2014, 14 villages with assistance from Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and Tilitonse Fund met officials from M’mbelwa district education manager and SDA school authorities where they called for construction of a public school in the area and that the church authorities should donate two school blocks to compensate for the EU project.

During the meeting, the district education manager’s office assured the community that it would deploy teachers once construction is complete.

The Nation has since established that Mzimba East member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Mnyenyembe and councillors released the constituency development fund (CDF) money towards the project.

The communities were also asked to contribute K1 000 ($2) per household towards the purchase of bricks and sand for the project.

Data captured by CCJP in April this year revealed that 281 children, 139 boys and 142 girls, have dropped out due to high fees at the mission school.

CCJP project officer Pauline Masekese said 114 pupils were in and out of school in 2014 and some pupils failed to sit for examinations due to the challenge of school fees.

She said 116 children who reached the school going age were also failing to enrol due to fees and the distance to alternative schools.

The MP said he is lobbying government to consider constructing school blocks in the area and there is commitment as one block has been promised.

He also appealed to well-wishers to donate towards the success of the project.