Youth climate advocate, Joel Chirwa, has donated and installed solar lights in strategic locations at Malunje Primary School in Lilongwe Rural to improve night study conditions.
Chirwa said three solar kits were installed in a classroom and two boarding houses for boys and girls as part of a youth-led solar energy project dubbed “Solar Study Lights for Lilongwe Rural Standard 8 Boarders Initiative”.
According to Chirwa, the initiative has been supported by the African Climate Alliance (ACA) through the ACA Youth Network Energy Action Projects initiative.
He said the initiative was inspired by his rural upbringing and the challenges learners face while preparing for examinations without reliable lighting.
“Many learners depend on candles and paraffin lamps, which are unsafe and also affect their health and concentration,” said Chirwa.
Headmaster of Malunje Primary School, Gladwell Custom, described the initiative as a timely intervention.
“We believe this will contribute towards improving learner performance and the school’s pass rate,” said Custom.
Primary Education Advisor for Chatsala Zone in Lilongwe Rural East, Moses Moyo, commended the initiative for responding to real educational challenges affecting rural schools.
The project seeks to address challenges faced by rural learners who attend self-boarding examination preparation camps at school due to a lack of electricity, limited study space and difficult home learning environments.
