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Ezondweni, North Malawi

The decisive solution: resilience

Putting up a big building for practical training as part of a vocational school in Malawi is a complicated matter in itself. Corona and many other factors have made the realisation of this project even more difficult, both in Switzerland and in Ezondweni. But they could not stop it.

These are said to be the pillars of resilience: optimism, acceptance, solution-oriented attitude, giving up victimhood, a positive planning of the future and self-reflexion. They are all true for the students at Enge high school and the local IPA partner who are involved in the project for the Community Technical College in Ezondweni. This is the only state vocational school in a catchment area of 600'000 people. Practical training for a future carpenter or a plumber did not exist. There was a very old workbench, but no machines, and there was not even a room where practical work could be trained. So how should you be able to learn a trade? And in fact there are good prospects to earn a living in these professions.

This was the ideal starting point for those students in Zurich who had been attending the IPA course "practical development cooperation". After discussing the various needs of the college, they decided – with the approval of the beneficiaries – to build two well-equipped rooms for practical work and instruction. But the course was overshadowed by the pandemic. The corona virus protection concepts were constantly changing. The teams had to wear masks and to do their work separated by disturbing plexiglass windows. Planning a fundraising event was almost impossible and again and again about a third of the students were at home under quarantine. The informative meeting at the Three Kings Church, which had been carefully planned for an audience of 250 people, was attended by only 25. Resilience was urgently needed and in fact the enthusiasm of some students did not falter in spite of these difficulties. Instead of pieces of tart they now sold, respecting the corona directives, biscuits. The charity run was postponed to a date after the end of the course.

Not only Corona

It was not any easier in Ezondweni. The problems started with cutbacks on the building site. For weeks the IPA partner was ill with corona and the owner of the building company died in the middle of the project. Moreover there were misunderstandings concerning volunteer work and the transportation of water. And when the foreman finally threw in the towel, the project came to a standstill for a while. Resilience? Our local partner set a good example. Giving up was no option. So he made the perfect suggestion: a well-functioning team of builders, after completing the IPA project in Mlongoti, was transferred to Ezondweni to erect the building.

Now the shell is complete and phase 2 can be started: the equipment of the two rooms with appropriate machines for two training courses. The funding is secured. Committed to optimism and a positive planning of the future, the situation will hopefully improve.

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