Nursery school and community center in Lifuwu

We support a nursery school in Lifuwu village which offers education and daily nourishment for children ages three to five. The nursery school is managed by the Tiyanjane AIDS Fighters, a community based organization (CBO) that is run by local volunteers with the goal of improving the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in the community. The school offers a nursery and a daycare center to over 200 children. Most of the teachers are local volunteers with little or no formal training in education and often speak very little English.

In 2013 help2kids renovated the existing classroom, painting the walls with fun, educational pictures. Additionally, we built two completely new classrooms complete with desks for up to 50 children. This new addition has enabled us to divide the younger daycare children from the nursery school children for better learning environments that cater to their different skill levels. In 2014, help2kids hired two nursery school teachers and a daycare teacher to implement a more structured curriculum. In addition to funding the salary of the teachers, help2kids is providing a stipend for the local cooks and volunteer teachers. We continue to contribute educational materials to help foster creativity in the teaching methods and provide maize porridge enriched with protein-rich soy flour to ensure that all of the children that attend the preschool receive breakfast. This important meal gives the children energy to learn and helps prevent growth stunting and malnutrition.

Your role as a Volunteer

(Morning) Pre-School Teacher Assistant: Volunteers are involved in improving the quality of care and education of the children through nursery rhymes, games and other fun activities, in addition to giving extra love and attention. New ideas and inventiveness are welcome in order to encourage active learning. Furthermore, volunteers assist the local teachers in preparing breakfast (porridge) for the kids and generally helping to improve the facilities by keeping the school clean and organized. Anyone willing to help is most welcome!

(Afternoon) English Course: In the afternoons, volunteers can be involved in offering private English lessons to young adults in the community. This program provides a great opportunity to empower the local populace and helps ensure a meaningful volunteer experience with a sustainable impact on the community. Our volunteers enjoy working with their Malawian peers, creating friendships that enrich their time in Malawi.