In the Neno district of Malawi, off the beaten track, lies the village of Eleven Village. Here, we Green Helmets have realized a new project together with the local community: the construction of the Namwawa Junior Primary School. The project, which began in December, has now been successfully completed.
Using local resources, learning new techniques
By Annabella Ranft
Bonn, September 1st, 2024 – Right from the start, it was clear that this project was going to be more than just another school building. For the first time, we wanted to work with Soil Stabilized Bricks (SSB). On our research trip through the country, we had already discovered some buildings with this construction method. But this was a new field for us.
The bricklaying work on the school progressed quickly. As we were still working with cement blocks, the school soon took shape with four classrooms, a staff room and storage space.
The teachers’ accommodation and toilet facilities took a little more time. This is where we used the SSBs. These self-pressed, unfired bricks from local soil with a high clay/clay and low cement content enabled us to build in a more resource-efficient way. The use of the stones was preceded by a long phase of experimentation. We had to find the right composition of the individual components. After all, the stones had to be durable and withstand certain loads. While the interior walls were plastered, the exterior walls remained in exposed brickwork. This aesthetic contrast required careful work, skill and attention and ultimately led to a successful result.
Our employees were open to the construction method with the stones. Pressing the stones was a very strenuous activity. However, despite the effort, they were usually still in a good mood and never too tired for a game of bao, a traditional East African board game, during the lunch break.
Local materials were also used in other areas. Our village community was particularly pleased with the use of their home-made bamboo mats. They make these and bamboo baskets almost every day to sell at the nearest market. We used the mats as suspended ceilings in the teachers’ accommodation.
The village community actively supported the project. They brought water to the construction site every day and helped with the procurement of sand and natural stones.
Festive inauguration and new head teacher
In July, Namwawa Junior Primary School was inaugurated with a festive handover ceremony. In addition to speeches, the ceremony included a performance of Gule Wamkulu – a traditional Chewa dance performed by masked dancers in colorful costumes.
A surprising and welcome development was the appointment of Isaak Lester as principal. He previously taught at the neighboring school in Golden. As committed as we experienced him during our collaboration, his appointment promises competent leadership for the new school.
We are grateful for the experience and relationships we have been able to build in Eleven Village. Our special thanks go to all those involved in the project – the village community, local craftspeople, volunteers and our supporters – for their commitment, which has contributed to the success of this project.
Outlook: Further education in Kalanga
We are already busy preparing for the next project: the construction of a secondary school in Kalanga in south-west Malawi, close to the border with Mozambique.
The need for this project has become clear due to the overcrowding of the existing secondary school in Thambani. Of the approximately 300 pupils who pass the entrance exam each year, only 90 can be admitted. The new school in Kalanga, 9 kilometers from Thambani, will create additional capacity. It will also give pupils from more remote areas access to secondary education.
