Malawi kids impress Ayrshire pupils

Oct 30 2009 by Lorraine Howard, Irvine Herald

AN EAGERNESS to learn, an acceptance of domestic chores and no TV or computer games – that is the impression a group of sixth year pupils from St Matthew’s Academy in Saltcoats had of their counterparts in Malawi.

The sixth year pupils at St Matthew’s Academy in Saltcoats, together with a group of staff including their head teacher Eric Allan, might have thought they were walking back into early century Britain recently but in fact they were in Malawi.

The group were representing the school as part of a successful exchange programme, now in its sixth year, where both groups of youngsters share and benefit from one another’s experiences.

It all began when teacher Bernadette McFaddzen headed to Malawi six year ago to see if she could help improve the quality of life of children over there.

The school has been fundraising ever since she returned home.

The Scottish contingent turned up armed with gifts, the odd ceilidh step and a curiosity which was continually being satisfied on a daily basis.

“It was an amazing experience, fantastic,” said pupil Jennifer Hamilton. “Their society is so much more family-orientated.

“After school all the youngsters help out with domestic chores, there’s no benefits system in Malawi and, as a result, youngsters grow up into adults and support their parents as they age – having said that, life is short with the average person living to just 35.”

St Matthew’s fundraising ventures also pay for the schooling of more than 100 orphans at St Peter’s school in Mzuzu where it costs around £150 a year to put a pupil through secondary school, including the cost of their uniform.

Education is prized in the country as many youngsters realise it’s the only route to help them escape a lifetime of poverty.

Pupil Michael Diamond added: “There’s definitely a sense of how lucky we have it over here.

“Yet people in Malawi tend to be very happy and self-reliant. It wouldn’t occur to them to feel sorry for themselves.”

The only problem the pupils had during their stay was that they were treated like royalty by their host families.

”I’ve never shaken so many hands in my life before,” said pupil Michael Northcote. “And most times, when invited to an event, we were asked to dine at the top table. A speech was then more often than not called for.”

Caroline McCourt added: “It was hard to put such an experience into words.

“I can remember the overpowering smell of raw fish at the market place, the stunning scenery and the taste of nsima – a corn-based bread.”

To find out more about sponsoring education in Malawi, contact teachers Alastair McGuigan or Bernadette McFaddzen at St Matthew’s Academy on 01294 606680.