In Malawi, Ubuntu School for refugee children, celebrates two years in activity.

310 children are currently enrolled in early childhood and elementary education Teacher.

By Taemã Oliveira, FWB Press Office.

The Ubuntu School, of the Ubuntu Nation Project, of the humanitarian organization Fraternity Without Borders (FWB), in Malawi – Africa, completes two years of operation at the Reception Center that is next to the Dzaleka Refugee Camp.  

For the celebrations, nine Ubuntu values were worked on with each class of students, among them: peace, solidarity, justice, and spirituality. The students had the mission of creating a relation of these values with some music, with some experience. The results were dances, walks, and even a play. The children also participated in the new visual intervention of the physical space, painting their own hands on a wall in the colors of Fraternity without Borders.

Manny advances have been done since the inauguration of the Ubuntu School. In the first year it only had early childhood education with 208 students enrolled, aged between four months to five years old. The challenge, at that moment, was to expand to elementary school as well, this was possible in this second year of activities. Today there are 310 children enrolled in kindergarten and elementary school, aged between three to nine years old. In addition, the day care center has started its operations, caring for 60 babies up to three years old. To take care of all these children, there are five infant classes and four elementary school classes. And they receive two meals daily. 

“Some children are selected because they are in situation of extreme vulnerability, because they do not have enough to eat at home. Just in this transition to school we have already noticed an improvement in their health status,” said Lilian Villanova, pedagogical coordinator, about the importance of school not only for the education process of these refugee children. Even with all the dedication and achievements, it is estimated that more than 20 thousand children at school age are still outside the classrooms in Dzaleka. 

Ubuntu School is a formal school that is in the process of regularization with the Malawi Ministry of Education, but even before this regularization comes out, it already follows the national school calendar. The teachers are refugees and migrants from Dzaleka, some are Malawians. All of them receive continuous training. “Our pedagogy values relationships, so the school is a place of great affection, and this improves the feeling of well-being and security. It is so curious that on weekends there are children trying to run away from home to go to school. It’s because the school environment has become healthier than the home environment,” Lilian concluded.

To understand how the families see the school in the lives of their children and everyone else is the challenge now. To this end, teachers and employees are applying quizzes. The results will be available soon. 

A year ago the project had 84 collaborators, today has 257 volunteer that make the Ubuntu Nation Project happen every day.

About the Ubuntu Nation Project: – Since September 2018, the Ubuntu Nation Project in Malawi, aims to change life stories and offer to children, youth and the entire population of refugees and Malawians in vulnerable situations, a new model of life – a new opportunity. Workshops are offered in biochar work, sewing, and soap production in addition to school. On site schools and houses are under construction. Currently, 310 children study thanks to the FWB, and 78 families have their own homes.

About Fraternidade without Borders – The FWB is a humanitarian and Non-Governmental Organization, headquartered in Campo Grande, with Brazilian and international operations. The institution has 68 work centers, maintains shelters, offers food, health, vocational training, education, sustainable agriculture, construction of houses, and also embraces projects for children with microcephaly and rare diseases. All the work is maintained through donations and mainly by sponsorship. For more information, access the site www.fraternitywithoutborders.org