Students gain access to new library as part of project

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries completed construction of a new multipurpose hall at the Don Bosco Secondary School in Nkhotakota, Malawi, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The project is enhancing the educational environment and activities at the school.

The new hall will impact 420 students and all those who use the St. Paul’s parish, as well as youth from the local oratory. In addition, Salesians created a school library for the students.

A Salesian noted, “Thanks to this project, the school will benefit from the library and now have a place for assemblies, eating meals, playing games, sharing talents, socializing, studying and more. We are grateful for the support that was provided to us.”

With the funds, construction included leveling the ground around the hall structure to put in a slab. The building was constructed with room for 300 plastic chairs and 200 stools.

One of the beneficiaries is Kruza, who became the prefect of the library. With access to books and hours spent in the library, she has improved her grades, especially in science where she struggled the most. Her teacher was surprised that she improved from being a C to B student.

In addition, the results of the Junior National Certificate for 2025 show 100% of the school’s students passing.

The Salesian added, “The access to basic text books has been crucial to obtain such results. We also hope that thanks to the library the graduating class will also have a very high percentage of those who pass the Malawi School Certificate of Education.”

In Malawi, more than 50% of the population lives in poverty and the majority of households have women as the head of the household, according to the World Bank. Agriculture is a central part of Malawi’s economy, but land distribution is unequal and crops are highly vulnerable to the region’s frequent droughts. Few houses have piped water and less than one in 10 Malawians has access to electricity. Water is collected from wells or streams, and most people cook over an open fire. Malawians deal with hunger and malnutrition on a daily basis.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Malawi

World Bank – Malawi