Lilongwe, January 20, 2019.  A Mzuzu University (Mzuni) graduate is running a free adult literacy programme in his home village in Mangochi District as a contribution to the society he lives in, Malawi News Agency (Mana) has established.

Anafi Geofrey, 26, graduated from Mzuni last year with a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Science.

Geofrey said he decided to introduce the programme in Bolera Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Mponda in the district soon after graduation, to help women in his area know how to read and write.

“I noted that the literacy level in my community and Mangochi, as a district, is very low. “As a result, many business people are unable to keep track of their businesses, to know whether they are making profits or not,” he said.

Geofrey said the programme is being run under the theme “My Area, My Responsibility.”

He said he is targeting women to equip them with literacy skills which will help them acquire documented knowledge and be able to participate in developmental projects of the community.

“Women are considered primary beneficiaries of this project because they are also drivers of socio-economic development in rural villages.

“They engage themselves in entrepreneurial activities such as selling farm produce, fish and other small scale businesses,” he said.

He said the project has already started bearing fruits because some women are now able to read and write.

Geofrey added that some of the women are also able to help their school-going children with homework, a thing they were not able to do.

“So far, we offer three main activities: the reading session, where we teach women how to read and write; and the buddy system, where a fast learner helps a slow learner how to read and write.

“There is also lending service, where women are allowed to borrow books and read at home for a period of one week,” he said.

Geofrey further said he has plans to introduce a literacy centre where children can go to acquire part-time lessons.

“I also have plans to open a community library where people can access books to increase their knowledge,” he said.

Geofrey stressed that the school is free of charge and he just volunteered himself to help the community with the little resources he has.
One of the beneficiary women Mary Leni said she is very happy to know how to read and write.

“I am now able to write my name. We also learn numeracy skills which have helped me in my business of selling fish and mats,” Leni said.
The programme has, so far, enrolled 30 women.