The Japanese Government recently constructed a new dormitory at the Planet Aid-sponsored Amalika Teacher Training College in Malawi. The dorm (which is referred to as a "hostel" locally) will increase the college's on-campus housing capacity by 32 students, raising the total to 96.
Japanese Ambassador Shuichiro Nishioka spoke at the christening of the new dormitory. He stated that constructing the student housing was in line with Japan's commitment made during the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development to promote education in Africa.
"The Japanese government is committed to supporting education in Malawi," he said. "Malawi is committed to improving quality, equity, relevance, access and efficiency in education systems. Some of the strategies of achieving this include construction of additional schools, infrastructure and training and recruiting of additional teaching staff. We know the challenges that Malawi is facing because of free primary education which has created acute shortage of teachers especially in the rural areas and this donation was made to reduce the shortage."
Lisbeth Thomsen of DAPP Malawi, which operates the Amalika college, expressed her gratitude to the Ambassador and to the People of Japan for their gift. She indicated that that the graduates of the college will inspire Malawi's children and the larger communities in which they work.
Click here to read about how one graduate of the Amalika Teacher Training College is making a difference where she works, and read a summary of an UNESCO evaluation of the teacher-training program in Malawi.
