Malawi - Project Sparkle Malawi

With your help we donated one hundred stationery kits to children from Project Sparkle in Malawi.

More info about their project:

The Sparkle Early Childhood Development Programme mixes the Montessori vision with the national Early Childhood Development structure to provide an educational, fun and creative English speaking environment for Sparkle’s under sixes.

Sparkle has been working closely with the Ministry of Education who have offered intense training to all of our staff. Additionally, with our UK educational specialists and more than 100 years’ combined teaching experience from volunteers on the ground, Sparkle is currently pioneering a Montessori teacher qualification.

Working hand in hand with the Montessori Centre International in London this bespoke training is specific to Malawi and concentrates on preparing the teachers to encourage the children to flourish as individuals, promoting the natural desire to learn.

Children over six attend local Primary School and Secondary Schools in the morning and in the afternoon they come to Sparkle for our afternoon programme. This combines specific government subjects from the national curriculum, with practical workshops focusing on English, entrepreneurship, sustainability, critical thinking and leadership, IT and trade skills.

Our community outreach education programme runs across 10 rural villages, with an estimated population size of over 10,000 people. As education was not free 20 years ago many Malawians over 20 years old are illiterate, meaning they are unable to run successful businesses or support their children’s education. For us at Sparkle, it takes a village to raise a child and break the cycle of poverty and therefore it is important we reach everyone within our catchment area. Sparkle runs several workshops throughout the year educating communities on human rights, independence, the fight against gender-based violence, adult literacy, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, infection and prevention, HIV awareness, family planning, entrepreneurship, and permaculture.