Build a Classroom Project
Determined to Develop has set out to establish Wasambo Technical College (WTC) in the Chilumba catchment region of Malawi through their Local Education Partnership. WTC will be under the oversight of the Wasambo Education Foundation (WEF). The Wasambo Education Foundation was established in 2017 and registered in 2019 as a non-profit Malawian trust. Their partnership aims to increase the academic success of their sponsored students who reside in the area, increase access to quality education in the community as a whole, and tackle high rates of youth unemployment.
After establishing key relationships in the community while building two other schools under their Wasambo partnership, a Girls High School and a Boys High School, Determined to Develop has thoroughly investigated the feasibility and need for the technical college and Wasambo Education Foundation has agreed to ensure its long-term success.
Why More Classrooms Are Needed in Malawi
Youth unemployment is a prevailing issue preventing Malawi from achieving its full development potential. To help combat youth unemployment, Determined to Develop is focused on increasing access to technical and vocational education, because it has been identified as a sustainable strategy for tackling high incidences of unemployment and poverty in Malawi, since technical institutions are able to give individuals marketable skills for employment.
At present, no technical education facility exists in the Chilumba catchment region of Malawi, which means local students aren’t able to pursue technical education and youth unemployment remains a significant issue. The frequency and costs of transportation combined with having to find and afford room and board significantly limits the feasibility of students attending technical schools outside of Chilumba. Therefore, opening a technical college within the Chilumba catchment area is essential to increasing local students’ access to education and future employment.
Furthermore, the establishment of a technical college would have a sustainable impact on the development of the community as a whole. The construction and opening of a technical college will provide numerous employment opportunities for members of the catchment area in the realms of construction, building maintenance, education, a board of directors, and several others.
Wasambo Technical College’s Classroom Project Goals
Although construction of the entire technical college will cost over $160,000 USD, the first step is to raise funds to construct the first set of classrooms. Each classroom block will contain two classrooms.