TRANSHAVEN CHILUNGA SECONDARY SCHOOL [TCSS - to see photos]

The TCSS is located in southeast Malawi in Thom Allan Village, Mwambo Traditional Authority, 6km from the center of Zomba town and is helping to provide Secondary School education for Primary School graduates in the Zomba District, in accordance with the Government curriculum. It also provides HIV/AIDS prevention classes, adult education classes and has a strong focus on teaching hands-on practical agricultural studies [see AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS ].

The TCSS now (May 2009) has 350 students, ranging in age from 13 to 28 years. They include many orphans and other disadvantaged students, who otherwise would not be able to get a secondary education. In Term 1, 2006, an ongoing sponsorship scheme [see SPONSORSHIPS ] began for these students to get the education they must have to relieve them from poverty. 98 of the students have so far been generously sponsored but many more need that support. 3 more are now being supported at the Tertiary level with studies in Accountancy and Rural and Community development. 

The TCSS is a registered private school with the Malawi Ministry of Education (MOE). It is also registered with the Private Schools Association of Malawi (PRISAM) and the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB), which administers national examinations in the country. The provision of a school hall has allowed it to be officially recognised as an examination centre. The Director, Rev. L Mandawala, is the PRISAM representative for the Zomba District.

Construction of that multi-purpose School Hall, funded through the Mozambique Office of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) was completed within budget, on schedule and to a high standard. It was formally opened on August 10, 2006 by the Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe, with a representative present from each of the AusAID offices in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The latter had earlier made possible the purchase of a small electricity generator, there being no power within 2 km of the school, and have subsequently made a further grant to purchase textbooks. Less than 2% of the population of the Zomba District (546,000 at the 1998 census) have access to electrical power and rely principally on firewood as an energy source. Through a wonderful grant from the Australian AIDS Fund, Inc., ESCOM (Electicity Supply Commission of Malawi) has extended the power line to TSP Project facilities.

There are 4 classroom buildings, each with 2 classrooms, for the 4 Forms of a Secondary School in Malawi (Primary Schools have 8 Grades) allowing for two streams. The third classroom block was completed in December 2006 and was partly funded by the Bentleigh-Moorabbin Rotary Club in District 9810.   The fourth classroom block was completed in May 2007 within budget and was completely funded by the Shepparton South Rotary Club in District 9790.

The Computer/Science Laboratory was completed at the end of 2007, again generously funded by the Australian AIDS Fund, Inc.

The original Staffroom and Office facilities are no longer adequate and other rooms are being used until a new Administration building is funded and constructed. Additional toilets have been added to the 3 separate toilet blocks for the Staff, Boys and Girls.

A kitchen, partly funded by the Australian AIDS Fund Inc., opened in May 2007 with the provision of lunches and will later serve as a teaching aid for the students. 

More buildings are required [see HELP US ] to house the demand from eager students near and far in Malawi, provide all the necessary facilities of a quality Secondary School, and provide staff and volunteer housing; as well as transport (school bus), equipment (computers and science laboratory) and materials (textbooks, etc).

The TCSS students have demonstrated a natural ability in the sports arena, the boys winning most of their soccer matches and the girls their netball matches. 

TRANSHAVEN TRUST NURSERY SCHOOL [TTNS - to see photos]

A new nursery school opened with 28 children in January 2007, at the TCSS, using facilities at the TCSS until their own building was completed in September, 2007, on a new block of land nearby. Funds for the TTNS building and the land were provided by the Australian AIDS Fund Inc. More than half the kiddies at the TTNS are disadvantaged and a sponsorship scheme [see SPONSORSHIPS ] was established to provide their minimal fees and other nursery school needs, and allow more to come from the nearby villages. 35 have so far been sponsored by caring and sharing people on both sides of the equator with more sponsored in the TCPS (see below)!

There were 45 (July. 2009) with 43 having moved up to the primary level (Standards 1 & 2) in the Transhaven Chilunga Primary School. The Principal of the TTNS/TCPS is Mr A L Kamwendo who has 3 teaching assistants. The children are taught in English as well as Chichewa, the two national languages, which will be a great advantage for them as they move through the education system (as at the T3MNS); most Primary Schools teach mainly in Chichewa. The children are provided with basic toys for playtime and some nutritious food at the mid-morning break, including likhuni phala, a fortified maize porridge.

TRANSHAVEN 3-MILE NURSERY SCHOOL [T3MNS - to see photos]

The T3MNS, which was partly funded by TSP has now become independent under its Director Mrs M Matiya.

 TRANSHAVEN CHILUNGA PRIMARY SCHOOL [TCPS - to see photos]

Thirteen children at the TTNS in 2007 were recommended to move up to Primary School level and it was decided that they would have more opportunity to continue their English language skills learnt at the TTNS, if they stayed within the TSP system, which would allow them more personal attention in smaller classes than those at the Government Schools. So began the Transhaven Chilunga Primary School at the beginning of 2008. Other advantages would be that they would continue to receive a nutritious morning meal and be closer to home. There are 25 in Standard 1 and 18 in Standard 2.

AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS [link - to see photos]

A second block of land (3 hectares) was acquired [see FUTURE] for the agricultural projects scheme, teaching food production, food security and business studies. The land is also the site of the TTNS and TCPS, and proposed residential accommodation for the TSP Volunteer program [see VOLUNTEER ], Staff and Director, in "Transhaven Village". It has been funded by the Australian AIDS Fund Inc. A third block, the Mulunguzi Land, was acquired through the same donor on the banks of the Mulunguzi River that is serving mainly as a large vegetable garden.

The first block of 1 hectare, the Likangala Land that was generously donated by the Village Chief, Thom Allan, for both the school and the villagers in a combined agricultural project was planted with its first maize crop in 2006 that was harvested in April 2007. In late 2007, cassava, sweet potatoes and groundnuts were planted to add to the nutritional and educational diversity provided for the students.

Acquisition of the much better quality and variety of the Mulunguzi Land, only part of which has been cultivated so far, has allowed the Likangala Land to be returned to the Village Chief for others to benefit from. 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS [link - to see photos]

MAIZE MILL

In early 2007 a business development plan was drawn up to establish the viability of having a maize mill built in the area, a long held desire of the Thom Allan Village Committee and people. This indicated that having electricity as the power source would be far more desirable than using diesil powered machinery. In June 2007 funding was raised by the Unity Church of Hawaii for this project and the maize mill built, machinery purchased and installed before the end of 2007.

The Australian AIDS Fund, Inc generously supplied the funds to bring the electrical power to the maize mill site and also provide power for the schools of the TSP in the same area. Provision of that power by ESCOM (Electricity Company of Malawi) was delayed, principally due to "lack of materials". The project was completed in August 2009 with the replacement of the 25kva transformer by a 50kva transformer to provide adequate power for both the sheller and grinder machines that had been installed in the Maize Mill 18 months previously to operate simultaneously.    

CHICKEN AND GOAT FARMS

These are also under consideration as educational opportunities and business opportunities for revenue raising for the TSP schools.