Malawi to the fore at Lockerbie Academy

THE AFRICAN Link Enterprise Group is a small committee consisting of a mixture of pupils who work to fund and promote awareness for Thawale Primary School in Malawi.

Thawale Primary has 1,200 pupils yet only nine teachers and faces daily problems that would not be encountered by a school in Scotland.

The group’s aim is to raise money to provide the pupils and teachers in Thawale with improved learning and teaching resources. The group is enthusiastic to promote the link to the community of Lockerbie and the surrounding areas. By doing this, it is hoped the partnership between Lockerbie and Malawi will continue to prosper strongly.

Lockerbie Academy has already begun to improve the education of Thawale Primary Pupils. After a fundraising event which took place in summer 2008, a large sum of money was raised and has been spent in providing £500 for stationary to be bought and sourced in Malawi, 100 books were also sent and a library is in the process of being furbished.

At the beginning of this year, 300 pen pal letters were sent to and from Malawi from both teachers and pupils.

After a successful year in 2008, an agreement was set up in which the link will try to advance teaching and learning in both schools.

For 2009/2010 the enterprise group has an ultimate aim to increase cultural awareness between Thawale and Lockerbie.

A coffee morning will be held on Saturday, November 21 to fundraise for Thawale Primary to ensure we can provide them with as many resources as possible.

The coffee morning, held at Lockerbie Town Hall between 10am-12 noon will include tea and coffee, a raffle and stalls such as the tombola, cake and candy and many games in which children can enjoy. The school hopes everyone can attend and support the link further.