Maintenance of desks at Ntchesa Junior Primary School

About this Project

The project will maintain and refurbish 50 desks at Ntchesa Primary School in GVH Kadyalunda, Balaka district.  Maintained desks will improve the learning conditions and  motivate students  to attend classes. Additionally, fixing of the doors in the two classrooms will enhance security at the school including the desks that will be maintained. A total of 302 students will benefit once the project is completed

With support from World Connect, Global Link Concern is implementing a project which is aimed at maintaining 50 desks at Ntchesa Junior Primary School in GVH Kadyalunda, Balaka district. So far all the hardwood seats and tops for the 50 desks have been fixed, remaining with applying varnish and painting the steel frames to finish the project. Fixing these desks will help increase the number of usable desks at school hence a reduced number of students seating on the floor.

At Ntchesa Junior Primary School in Balaka District, 150 children in Standards 1 to 4 were learning from the floor. In August 2022, a $988 grant from World Connect changed that. The project refurbished 50 broken desks and two staff chairs — a modest intervention with remarkable results. Students could sit comfortably, keep their uniforms clean, and engage with confidence. For girls in particular, the simple restoration of dignity made a visible difference in classroom participation.

The numbers that followed are striking: absenteeism dropped from 26% to 4%, dropout rates fell from 17% to 2%, pass rates climbed from 49% to 87%, and school enrollment rose by 55%.

Beyond the classroom, local carpenters, transporters, and suppliers were engaged, keeping money and opportunity within the community. The project was completed fully on target, and its success has since drawn interest from other stakeholders eager to invest in the school's continued growth.