As the nurseries were running so well we were able to concentrate on improving the education already being given through teacher training, staff meetings, the provision of new resources and curriculum development. The children were delighted to receive some new dollies, books and sports equipment. The training sessions were as always a lot of fun as we found ourselves playing games and singing duets of nursery rhymes to a room full of adults. It was a real treat to have Kyle and Julia, Paula’s brother and his wife, for one of the training sessions. As trained P.E. teachers they were able to do fantastic training in games and sports, using some new equipment. With hula hoops, bean bags and ropes flying it was a very fun day enjoyed by all.

One of our priorities for this trip was to focus on the nursery grounds and how they could be most effectively used. At Nansato Nursery we embarked on a small building project. A small store was built to house the porridge before it is distributed to the three other nurseries. This freed up a lot of space in the classroom and ensured that the porridge didn’t get poked by little fingers! As planting season was fast approaching we grabbed the opportunity to plant hedges and fruit trees. The hedges created a natural border to give the schools their own space and the trees will provide some shade and hopefully in a year, some delicious snacks.

For the first time we were in Malawi to see the nursery classes graduate and a new year registered. It was really exciting to see the children move on to Primary School and another year of new children nervously begin nursery. We were able to throw graduation parties at the four schools which was a real privilege. The children came with their parents and guardians, along with local chiefs and ministers and we all enjoyed some food and saw some of the things the children had learned during the year. We had children writing their names, introducing themselves in English, counting and loads more.

Click here to see photos of our trip.