Every morning, long before the sun fully rises over the hills of Nkhata-Bay West, small footsteps trace dusty paths toward Lifupa and Kadele Primary Schools.
Children carry worn exercise books some without covers, others clutched tightly to shield them from the morning dew. For many, the journey to school is filled with hope, yet the classrooms that await often threaten to extinguish it.
In communities surrounding Lifupa and Kadele Primary Schools, parents, guardians, and teachers are holding onto renewed optimism following the announcement of a K5 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation. They believe the funding could finally restore dignity and safety to learning environments that have failed their children for decades.
Investigations by Malawi24 reveal a painful reality: learners at both schools are studying under conditions no child deserves. Crumbling and makeshift classrooms, inadequate learning materials, and severe overcrowding have become the daily norm, turning education into a struggle rather than a pathway to opportunity.
At Lifupa Primary School, established in 1974, the scars of neglect are impossible to ignore. Despite its long history, the school has only one permanent classroom block and even that was not built by the government, but through the sacrifice and determination of the local community.
Parents molded bricks by hand, sold farm produce, and contributed whatever little they could to ensure their children had at least one solid roof over their heads.
The remaining classrooms are temporary, grass-thatched structures that are fragile and unsafe. When the rains come, lessons are frequently disrupted as water pours through leaking roofs. Learners squeeze into overcrowded rooms or are sent home altogether.
“Our children love school,” said one concerned community member, his voice heavy with emotion. “But when it rains, learning stops. Sometimes they return home soaked and discouraged. It breaks our hearts.”
Teachers at Lifupa say the learning environment makes effective teaching nearly impossible. Pupils struggle to concentrate as they dodge dripping water or sit on cold, muddy floors.
Academic performance suffers not because of a lack of ability, but because conditions rob learners of focus, confidence, and motivation.
Just a few kilometers away, Kadele Primary School, founded in 1994, tells a similar story. With too few permanent classrooms and limited learning materials, pupils are exposed to harsh weather and severe overcrowding.
During the hot season, classrooms become suffocating, during the rains, learning often comes to a standstill. Parents and guardians fear these conditions are quietly stealing their children’s futures.
Many say the poor state of the schools has led to high absenteeism, low morale, and, in some cases, a complete loss of interest in education.
“We fear that if nothing changes, our children will be trapped in the same cycle of poverty,” one parent lamented.
The K5 billion CDF allocation has therefore ignited hope across Nkhata-Bay West. Communities are appealing to their members of parliament and local authorities to place education at the center of development priorities.
Their plea is simple yet powerful: build permanent classrooms, provide desks and learning materials, and give children a safe space to dream.
Charity Phiri, a community member, said residents are ready to play their part once again.
“As communities, we are willing to support development projects. But we need the CDF to be used wisely so our children can learn in safe and decent classrooms,” she said.
For Lifupa and Kadele, the coming months carry the weight of long-awaited change. If the CDF is used transparently and responsibly, it could transform not only classrooms but lives turning leaking roofs into solid shelters of hope and fragile dreams into lasting futures.
As children continue to walk those dusty paths each morning, the people of Nkhata Bay West wait, hopeful that this time, the promise of development will finally reach the classroom door.
