Elimination of Child Labour in Tobacco Growing (ECLT) Foundation has handed over three teachers’ houses at Mankhamba Junior Primary school in Ntchisi district as one way of promoting education.

Speaking during the handover ceremony in Traditional Authority Kalumo, the Executive Director for ECLT Foundation, David Hammond, said building and renovating schools is one way of motivating families to send their children to school instead of exposing them to hazardous work.

In his remarks the Executive Director for Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), MacBain Mkandawire, expressed gratitude to the community members for their dedication and commitment towards the construction of the staff houses.

Mkandawire stated that Malawi needs such committed citizenry to achieve social economic development.

He further urged learners at the school to know that as government and other development partners are doing their best to improve the quality of education, it is their responsibility to exercise their right to education by attending classes.

Mkandawire also called on parents in the area to send their children to school instead of pushing them to work in tobacco fields.

Ntchisi District Education Manager, Votie Mboweni, said that the staff houses will help to improve the welfare of teachers, a thing that will directly lead to positive scholastic outcomes among leaners.

Mboweni added that teachers used to walk over 6 kilometers to reach the school something that had a negative bearing on their performance as well.

Meanwhile, ECLT through CLEAR project is also funding the construction of two additional teachers’ houses and a staff room at the school.

CLEAR Project is being implemented by a consortium of three partners namely; YONECO, Total Land Care and Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM).

The project is being implemented in Mchinji, Ntchisi and Rumphi districts with the aim of tackling the root-cases of hazardous child labour in tobacco growing.