St Fostina Primary School

St Fostina Primary School

Update 2nd March 2009
The walls of the building are nearly up. The photos below were taken on 1st March 09. It
is planned to have it roofed within two weeks. All the roofing materials are ready.

St Fostina is a very new Primary School, opened its doors to Standard One Children in
February 2008. It is on the outskirts of Mzuzu City catering for the expanding population of
the area. There are 60 children now entering Standard Two and a new group just about to
join Standard One. The new school block is to accommodate these two classes.
(Classes during 2008 were conducted in a local church building.)

Being a new school there are many 'unknowns' which would not be present in a more
established school or with a more established School Committee. It is not that we do not
trust them (they are very dedicated people and very motivated) but felt we needed to do
more ground work with the committee before entrusting to them the responsibility of the
actual building. They are now ready and on 29th December are interviewing builders for
the project. All the bricks have been prepared on site by the local community. No money
has yet been spent. The money, amounting to MK1,046,000, is in the newly opened
school bank account. Mzuzu Diocese Education Office will also play a monitoring role in
the building of the school block.

I visited St Fostina on 27th December 2008 and found the School Committee meeting
about the immediate preparation for the building to start. The Committee consists of
Vwalakata Msiska (Chairperson)
Julliet Muwanga (Vice Chairperson)
Osly Kumwenda (Secretary)
Clara Chipeta (Vice Secretary)
Margaret Mtonga (Treasurer)
Anatazio Mbale (Vice Treasurer)
Jolly Mkambule, Clara Kanyasko, Maria Chipofya, Elizabeth Shawa (Committee Members)

Below are photos of the committee and the bricks which they have prepared by
themselves.