Why Malawi?
Many nations throughout the world have been ravaged by the crippling cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and disease. As one of the ten poorest countries in the world, Malawi, Africa is no exception.
- Slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania, Malawi is one of the world’s least developed countries
- More than half of the population is forced to live on less than $1 a day
- About 900,000 Malawians are living with HIV/AIDS, with more than ten percent of those infected under the age of 15.
- Over half a million children are orphaned because of AIDS.
- Average life expectancy is approximately 43 years
- Public education is provided through primary school, however, girls are nearly twice as likely to leave school prematurely as boys due to household/family responsibilities and early pregnancy
- Due to lack of adequate facilities and trained teachers, class sizes commonly exceed 100 students per teacher in primary schools
State of Public Education in Malawi
Malawi has an 8-4-4 education system consisting of primary school, secondary school, and university education. Primary school education is for 8 years, and with the introduction of the Free Primary Education in 1994, school fees were abolished, leading to dramatic increases in enrollment. Upon completion of primary school, students take an exam to determine whether they will be allowed to continue onto secondary school. Unlike primary school, secondary school is not free. If a student is accepted to continue with his or her education, most families cannot afford the fees associated with attending.
In spite of the many advantages associated with free primary education, there are numerous problems:
- Class sizes in Primary schools often exceed 100
- Four year olds and twelve year olds may be in the same class as children enter Primary school when they are ready or can be spared by their parents from domestic duties
- Lack of classroom blocks resulting in some classes being taught outside. In the rainy season, most classes are dismissed, leaving many students behind
- Inadequate supplies such as desks, textbooks and writing utensils
- Lack of qualified teachers due to inadequate training and low incentives. Teachers are the least paid civil servants in Malawi
- 80% of the children not being able to meet reading and math minimum standards upon the completion of primary school
- Half of all pupils fail to continue their studies into the second half of Primary school
- Around 7500 teachers die from AIDS or AIDS related illnesses each year
- Up to half of all teachers in Malawi are expected to die of AIDS in the next 5-7 years
Our Mission
Taking Back Lives combines the compassion and ingenuity of our country’s youth to positively impact the world, both at home and in Malawi, Africa. Through educational opportunities, our goal is to enable each person we serve to live their lives to their fullest potential, realizing that they are irreplaceable members of this world.
Our History
Taking Back Lives began as the result of a one-month trip to Malawi, Africa, in 2007, when a 16-year-old high school student volunteered at an orphanage and learned of the hardships endured by the Malawian people. Upon returning home, she felt a strong desire to do more for this impoverished country and started Taking Back Lives with the goal of providing educational opportunities for Malawians to better their lives. Other young people quickly joined the cause, giving TBL its identity as a youth organization. Providing U.S. students with opportunities to discover their power to initiate positive change worldwide is an important component of Taking Back Lives and is achieved through youth involvement in all aspects of the organization. After extensive research and many return trips to Malawi, Taking Back Lives has focused its efforts on the village of Mazembe, located in the Nkhata Bay District. In the summer of 2010, TBL completed its first double classroom block, started a scholarship program for students in need, began a teacher development fund to increase the number of qualified teachers in the community, and launched an adult literacy class for the adults of the community. Our aim is to take a holistic approach with plans for a long-term investment in this community.
Our Future
Focusing on the Mazembe Primary School in the Nkhata Bay District, Taking Back Lives aims to transform this underprovided school into a progressive educational resource center open to the entire community, with the purpose of giving students the very best education possible with an emphasis on developing the next generation into leaders with the capacity and skills to pull themselves, the community, and quite possibly the nation, out of poverty.
