We4Malawi

Watch now: Learn more about how the Liphava Children Centre is bringing educational opportunities and more to the community

A long-held dream became a reality this year as the Liphava Children’s Centre celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Liphava village, Manjawira, Ntcheu District, Malawi. Excited children, parents, community members and We4Malawi representatives gathered under bright blue skies to celebrate this new learning centre for early childhood education with a ribbon cutting, tour of the classrooms, traditional dancing and singing, speeches and a feast. 

“Our early education program in Malawi is a place of hope, learning and opportunity for young children who come from communities facing deep challenges,” said Dr. Linda Aronberg of Vero Beach, Florida, a We4Malawi donor and lifelong educator. “Many of our students come from homes without access to clean water or electricity. Here we strive to provide a safe, caring and nurturing environment, where every child is valued and given a chance to learn, grow and dream.”

To bring the school from concept to reality, We4Malawi’s donors worked together with local partners to gather $113,000 in donations and raise the roof of the Liphava Children’s Centre, which features two classrooms, indoor toilets, a kitchen, and an outdoor covered patio. The building doubles as a community center and will be owned and operated by Liphava village on donated land.

Thom Khanje, We4Malawi vice president and co-founder, who spearheaded this exciting project that will help educate children for generations to come, was on site to celebrate the day he has looked forward to for so long. The school, he said, is already teaching as many as 80 children per day.

“The preschool is not only a place for children to kickstart their education journey,” Khanje said. “It is a place that facilitates improved lives in many households as it also frees mothers to spend more time in other economic and social undertakings while their children are in a learning and playing environment.”

The young learners, staff and honored guests wore new We4Malawi T-shirts in bright orange and crisp white, printed by Lab20 Innovations, who made a donation of 50 golf shirts to the school. We4Malawi also supports local primary school students, who participated in the celebration. Thanks to another major donation by U.S. partner, The Glow Fund, solar lamps were distributed to all fourth-graders so they can study at night, and older female students received a special packet for feminine hygiene as well. 

“We believe that every child deserves a better and stronger life,” said Aronberg. “Through an early education, nutrition, play and compassionate guidance, we aim to build confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning. Our goal is not only to educate, but to uplift children, support families, and help create a brighter future for the community. Together, we are planting seeds of hope that will grow into lifelong opportunities.”

As children buzzed around the rooms and community members and teachers talked about the future, a sign hung on the school with faces looking down on the scene – some of the people who had made the day possible. In the top row were Thom Khanje’s grandparents – Cecelia and Cryton Maulana, whose descendants donated the land for the school. Also pictured was Headwoman Liphava, who first asked We4Malawi to build a preschool for her community. At at lower left, Lowell Nelson and his wife, Jackie Combs Nelson, co-founder and president of We4Malawi and a passionate advocate for the cause. All of these benefactors were certainly there in spirit.

“In 2018, We4Malawi started with sponsoring one Liphava village girl in elite secondary boarding school,” Combs Nelson said. “Each year, it has added more scholarship students. That first girl is now a junior at the University of Malawi, on her way to her dream of law school. That student, Olivia Banda, is in control of her future. No one is going to marry her off to an older man,” said Combs Nelson. “That is our goal for all of these children – no child brides.”

The new learning centre helps create a pipeline to education, from preschool to university, she added.

“We can’t change the world, but we can create giant educational opportunities here in Liphava. All we need is more faith, trust, and the generous donations that can make it happen.”

We4Malawi is still raising additional funds for solar lighting, a perimeter fence and a guard house for the Children’s Centre, essential elements to ensure safety and sustainability. To provide further support for this important project, please visit www.we4malawi.com/donate.