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In Malawi LCD is working to improve the quality of education in 2 districts: Dedza and Mulanje
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Dedza District
The Dedza district is about 80 km south of the capital city Lilongwe and covers an area of 3,624 square kilometres, from the shores of Lake Malawi to the western border with Mozambique. It is a very mountainous region with some of the most spectacular forest reserves in the country. The majority of the population are subsistence farmers growing maize, tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar. Some commercial forestry also takes place in the district. The population of Dedza is around 500,000. LCD Malawi is working with all 208 primary schools in the Dedza district and has an office within the Dedza District Department of Education.
Mulanje District
This district is in the extreme south of Malawi about 50 km south of the biggest city Blantyre. The district occupies just over 2,056 square kilometres and has a population of 428,000 and there are 147 primary schools. The main feature of the district is the towering mount Mulanje, which at 3,002 metres is Malawi’s highest mountain. Like Dedza, the majority of people are engaged in subsistence agriculture, though there are many commercial tea plantations on the lower slopes of the mountain.
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The table below shows how the two districts perform in terms of the likelihood of children accessing Standard 1 compared with the probability that children will complete the full 8 years of primary school. The table illustrates the challenges faced by the system as a whole and indicates that Dedza district is the worst performing district in Malawi in terms of access and completion. This was one of the key factors which led to LCD Malawi starting to work in Dedza in 2006.
Source: Country Status Report (2009) - World Bank
