Mantchewe Community Night School Initiative and Mattress Campaign for Livingstonia Community Day Secondary School

About this Project

The community of Mantchewe in Livingstonia, Rumphi District, Malawi, through a participatory process involving chiefs, Village Development Committee members, women’s groups, youth representatives, and school authorities, partnered with Rise for Phoka Community Foundation to implement two key projects. The first is the establishment of a Community Night School to tackle adult illiteracy and school dropouts by using an existing government primary school to offer affordable secondary education, with an initial enrolment of 80 students. The second, the “Yalula Mphasa” Mattress Campaign at Livingstonia Community Day Secondary School, seeks to improve living conditions by providing 60 mattresses for female students who previously faced inadequate sleeping arrangements that affected attendance. Both initiatives aim to empower adults and youths who missed education due to poverty, early marriage, and long distances to school, while improving health, attendance, and performance, advancing sustainable community development and reflecting Rise for Phoka’s commitment to community-led solutions and partnerships.