Creating a better future: An update on building progress and plans

Jan 27
3 min read

Updated: Feb 10

Thanks to new classrooms, more students are studying at Hope Secondary School.

Our long-term objective has always been simple but ambitious: every child learning in a covered classroom, seated at a desk, supported by a well-stocked library, adequate toilets, and, where possible, housing for teachers.

Since 2020, we've made remarkable progress towards this goal. This was possible thanks to our partners and supporters.

What we’ve achieved so far

Thanks to sustained support, around 600 children now have access to proper classrooms across the partner primary schools we work with in Malawi — something that wasn’t the case just a few years ago.

Here’s what that looks like on the ground:

Hope Secondary School now has six classrooms, supporting approximately 330 students. Many of these children would not otherwise have progressed into secondary education.
Chipwepwete Primary School recently added two new classrooms and a staff room, enabling another 170 students to learn indoors
Mpemba Primary School has three additional classrooms, creating space for 270 students
Tapani Primary School welcomed two new classrooms and a library, serving 160 students across two classes

Each building represents more than bricks and mortar — it’s a step towards stability, dignity, and opportunity for children and teachers alike.

A major milestone: Chipwepwete Primary completed

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One of the standout achievements of 2025 has been the completion of Chipwepwete School. This marks the end of a 10-year journey, and we couldn’t be prouder.

A huge part of this success is thanks to our partnership with Trinity School in Croydon. Over the years, Trinity students and staff have helped raise vital funds and have sent teams of sixth formers to Malawi.

While there, students spent time reading with children, running games and craft activities, and even visiting pupils in their homes.

The impact has been immense. Chipwepwete now has:

Enough classrooms for its pupils
A staff room
A library
Toilets
Some teacher housing

It is now a fully functioning, well-resourced school — a powerful example of what long-term partnership can achieve.

Responding to challenges at Tapani Primary School

In November, severe storms hit Tapani School, and the roof of one classroom block was blown off. Thankfully, because of your support and our local capacity, we were able to replace the roof quickly and keep learning disruption to a minimum.

Unfortunately, some library books were damaged in the process. This year, we plan to restock the library with books from the UK, focusing on titles we know children engage with and love.

What’s next: Mafunde and beyond

While we’ve achieved a lot, there is still much to do.

Tapani and Mafunde primary schools both need additional classrooms.

This year, our main new build is at Mafunde, where there is currently no library or staff room, and classroom space is insufficient.

Mafunde is the school closest to the main road (around 2 km away), which makes transporting materials easier than at some of our more remote sites. We’ll once again be working closely with trusted local contractors and community members to ensure the build is efficient, sustainable, and well-managed.

Progress at Hope Secondary School and Hope Skills Centre

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Building continues at Hope Secondary School:

One block of two classrooms has been completed, opened, and is already in use
A second block is currently under construction and will be finished and opened later this year
Foundations for the school hall are now in place, ready for the next phase

The Skills Centre site and development plans.

Looking further ahead, we also have long-term plans for Hope Skills Centre, including additional building blocks to support vocational learning alongside the farm.

None of this would be possible without the generosity, commitment, and belief of our supporters. Every classroom built is a door opened — and together, we are opening hundreds.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

An aerial view of the Skills Centre and farm.

Can you help a child in Malawi?

Thanks to the support of our partners, sponsors, fundraisers and volunteers, Hope4Malawi's Youth Development programmes, building projects, resourcing initiatives, and student sponsorships continue to provide life-changing opportunities for children in rural Blantyre.