Facebook group donates books to Naizi

A Facebook-based group, Friends of Naizi Community Day Secondary School, on Tuesday presented to the school prescribed literature and language books
It all started in September last year with a simple message to several people on Facebook after Switzerland-based Malawian writer Stanley Onjezani Kenani got wind of the plight of students at the school  where 10 students were sharing one text book.
Wrote Kenani: "Through this Facebook message, I am trying to build a coalition of the willing to contribute any amount you can so that the few books we can buy can make a difference to the girl children of Naizi."
Touched, the recipients of the message contributed money, which was used to buy the Chichewa and English books.
On Tuesday, Naizi head teacher Judith Vilili was all smiles: "We had no books at this school. At times, teachers had to copy literature texts on flipcharts for students to read. The teaching of literature and language without books is difficult. And to think this is coming from people who are neither the school's alumni nor those living around makes, us the more thankful."
Presenting the books on behalf of the group, journalist Jack McBrams said the books will help improve the students' grades.
"In our small ways, each of us can help our communities and this is a gesture that we can give our students half the chance to succeed. Lack of resources should not be the reason for failure," he said.
Although it is within Blantyre city, Naizi has one simple block, with two classrooms where Forms 1 and 2 learn in the morning and the senior classes in the afternoon. Teachers and students share one pit latrine. In spite of it all, the school is one of the best performers in cricket and at the recent Atem drama national finals, the school came third.