NACC Education Program Transforms Lives at Mdinde CDSS, Katuli

Our Education Program is making waves at Mdinde CDSS in TA Katuli, Mangochi, showcasing the positive impact of community initiatives addressing a critical challenge faced by students. We are thrilled to share with you the remarkable impact of our Education Program, particularly through our hostel initiative at Mdinde CDSS.

Mdinde CDSS was facing challenges with student enrollment, retention, and access to school facility especially among female students who had to endure long walks to attend school. This hindered their academic performance and led to high dropout rates. In response, NACC collaborated with the communities surrounding the school which included; chiefs, ADC’s, religious and political leaders, and child CVSU members to build a hostel to accommodate these students. Since its establishment, the hostel has been a game-changer for the school community

In a recent interview, the headteacher for Mdinde CDSS, Mr. Witness Gomera, excitedly applauded his gratitude for the hostel initiative, noting a significant decrease in dropout rates and a remarkable improvement in both enrollment and academic performance. He emphasized the hostel's role in providing a conducive learning environment for students.

“ I am very happy with the coming in of the hostel because now I can see that school dropouts have decreased, and the student’s performance has definitely improved because now these girls are not distracted from the outside noise and don’t have to walk long distances to come to school"

Likewise, two female students currently residing in the hostel shared their exciting experiences.
One student, serving as the sanitation prefect, Grace Malunga, an aspiring nurse, credited the hostel for enabling her to focus on her studies, free from the burden of long-distance walks. She said this newfound focus has resulted in improved academic performance and opened doors to future opportunities.

"Before this hostel I was commuting from home and was tired before classes even started due to the long distance and household chores. Now, staying at the hostel, things are easier, and my performance has improved and I believe that my dream of becoming a nurse will come true". She explained.

Community leaders, including the Traditional Authority Katuli and the Senior group village head man Kalanje, echoed their appreciation for NACC's intervention. They highlighted the positive transformation in the school and attributed it to the hostel's contribution to the community.

“We are very appreciative of NACC for bringing in this intervention. The school is thriving, and it's all possible because of the hostel's contribution to the community, the coming in of NACC to work with us, has brought us a remarkable change in many key education outcomes including high persistence and improved performance. Today we have many girls who dropped out of school coming back to school all thanks to the hostel.” They said.

The success of the hostel initiative underscores NACC's commitment to transforming lives through accessible education.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all partners, supporters and more importantly the community members who have made this possible. We only brought a hostel with funding from Polly Lau through Firelight Foundation the communities introduced a feeding program for the girls. Innovation: Africa brought electricity and water at the school. The government brough a borehole specifically for the hostel. Together, we can continue to empower communities and create lasting change. Join us in our mission of creating equitable access to education for all.

Needed Actions for Community Care and Development - NACC, Building Healthy, Resilient and Prosperous Communities