2008/2009 has been a mixed year for LEAP. Although we have managed to conduct some projects in our schools, we have been limited by a lack of funds.

This is a list, non exhaustive, of the main projects we have carried out this year. In Mlodza, we have renovated another two classrooms and the school is keen to carry on with refurbishing more classrooms. In Mbinzi, Likuni boys and Likuni girls, we have provided more funds to continue with the bench project. The schools are really keen to keep this project as they have noticed that the classrooms furbished with these benches usually attract more students and attendance is improving. Chinsapo finished refurbishing their classrooms and raised money in the community to complete the fence wall. They also made extra classrooms alongside the perimeter wall.
The football and netball tournament was, once again, a huge success. The students behaved impeccably throughout the day and the level of both football and netball was high. In the past, schools had trouble bringing the right age group for the tournament. This year, apart from one school which was disqualified, all the teams that took part respected the correct age limit for the players and everybody, losers and winners went home with the same prizes: footballs and netballs, a pen and a pencil for each participant and a pen and a notebook for each teacher present. A thank you should be passed on to Chipiku, for providing the orange squash and the biscuits for the players, to Mr Ganatra at Vinay & Cie for giving us a discount on the balls we gave to the schools, to the King family for their generous donation to buy footballs and netballs and to the teachers and IB students who are not regular LEAP members but who came to help during the tournament.
8 LEAP schools were invited to the annual “Run For Wildlife” and Mbinzi finished second in the school run, securing a $450 price. Likuni Boys finished third. Their performances were excellent as more than 20 schools were entered.
On our local fundraising committee, we managed to raise around $400 at the Artsfest, selling bottle openers and coasters painted by Chrisford Chakwera, a Malawian artist who is paralysed and paints with his mouth.
Two International Schools came to carry out projects in LEAP schools. First, Aberdeen International School came in April with 15 students. They worked at Mlodza, painting visual aids on the walls of the newly refurbished classrooms. The teachers at that school were very happy with the work. Tim Garry, the leader of the group, also did a workshop for teachers.

In July, King Edwards VII came and worked mainly with Chinsapo. They also painted visual aids in different classrooms and the teachers conducted a workshop for the teachers at that school as well as some teachers for neighbouring schools.

Both visits went very well, providing the visiting students with a unique opportunity to see local schools and help them. The Malawian schools were very happy with the visits and the work carried out by the students. A huge thank you should be passed to Tim Garry and Malcolm Phillips for organising such trips, helping the LEAP schools and bringing equipment for these schools.
Sadly, we had to stop our support to Chitedze Primary School as it did not fulfil its commitment to carry out several projects and did not respect the LEAP ethos.
Our plans for 2009/2010 are to plant trees in all our schools both for shade/ wind breaking and to grow fruit to sell, carry on with maintenance projects, provide more desks and listen to the schools for any other needs they have. All depending on money of course! Thank you again to all the people supporting us, we can only help the schools if we have the money to do it!

Lilongwe Education Assistance Project

LEAP

Helping schools in Malawi.

What projects are we sponsoring?

• Providing a secure environment for learners: doors and locks, breeze blocks for the different classrooms.

• Maintaining blackboards. As there are no books, the blackboard is an essential tool for teaching.

• Providing desks and benches for the classrooms. In the schools where benches were provided, the teachers noted a increase in attendance.

• Providing challenges: in the past 4 years, we have organised 3 tournaments (netball and football) for the LEAP schools. Prizes were sporting equipment (balls, cones…) as most schools do not possess such things.

• In partnership with other visiting International Schools, providing flashcard workshops for the teachers.

Who are the LEAP Schools?

• They are Government Primary Schools apart from one.
  

• Some schools have been with LEAP since the beginning.

• They are all in need of help.

• They all have shown a commitment to respect LEAP ethos and ways of working.

Year 2007/ 2008	Number of Students	Number of Teachers	Number of Classrooms
Likuni Girls	1414	34	16
Likuni Boys	960	28	14
Chinsapo	5275	65	16
Mbinzi	680	21	8
Area 2 Girls	772	27	12
Mlodza	5385	68	16
Bunda	972	32	8
Chitedze	1058	26	20
Kauma	800	15	10
Polly (not gvt school)	(200)	-	(16)
TOTAL	17316 (17516)	316	120 (136)

Typical LEAP projects and costs:

• Providing 30 desks (seating about 90 students) in a classroom: $1,000 or £500

• Painting a classroom: 120$ or 60£

• Renovating a classroom (plastering and breeze blocks): 240$ or 120£

• Providing a lock: 10$ or 5£

• Providing a door: 60$ or 30£

• All the projects are done locally and help the local economy as they give jobs to local bricklayers, carpenters, welders etc.

The work done at Mlodza Primary school: renovating classrooms for this huge school. To teach their 5385 students, the teachers have to do 2 shifts and teach some classes outside.