Our Goal for 2012

Our goal is about education but in the widest possible sense of the term. The ARK Malawi has identified a need for a community room or gathering place where local people can source and become involved in adult education classes, community based arts and creativity projects.

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In line with our partners, The Ravenous for Art project in Corby, we are planning to raise funds to build such a centre. Our intentions for this are as follows:

Raise awareness and funds through a series of projects/events in both Corby and London. These include showcasing Malawian artists, singers, and performers and generally raising awareness of the ARK and Malawi.
Designing a building in line with the local requirements in Nkhata Bay. At the time of writing these include concerns that will mean the building has a low impact on both existing buildings within the community and environmentally. For example the building will be constructed using a technique known as “Rammed Earth”. The particular technique used has been especially adapted for Malawi so that trees/wood usage will be kept to a bare minimum in order not to exacerbate current deforestation issues.
The building will be constructed jointly by local builders, UK based rammer earth experts and senior school children from Nkhata Bay and from Corby who will have received basic training in the Rammed Earth technique.
The building will also use (wherever possible) renewable energy technology including solar power and/or wind power
Once constructed the building will house an internet centre (which will be available to members of the community at reduced rates), a library for fiction and non-fiction books, a café, and also classrooms.
At the moment, the exact usage of the classrooms is undecided however sexual health awareness, adult education, focus on African and Malawian Arts will all be areas of attention.
For the classes, there is also an intention to “teach the teachers” by importing UK teachers who are willing to share their skills with Malawian teachers, so that the Malawians can continue teaching classes on an ongoing basis.

If you would like to get involved in some way with any part of this project by donations of money, time, skills or resources, please Contact Us

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