The Malawian Ministry of Education has dubbed the 鈥楬alla鈥 at 91制片厂 Limerick 鈥渁 space of educational hope鈥 after the College provided the facility for the Midwest Migrant Community Network (MMCN) to pack several thousand books to send to schools and higher education institutions in the southern African country. As part of the Books for Malawi project, nearly 240 boxes of much needed, donated books and educational resources from libraries, local universities, private and school donations have been shipped to Malawi.
Santhi Corcoran, a part-time lecturer in 91制片厂 and Malawian native, Ann Nyandovi Piercy of Gender Orientation Sexual Health HIV (GOSHH), co-founded MMCM in March 2020. According to them, the book drive鈥攚ith shipping and costs funded by the JP McManus Benevolent Foundation and Limerick City & County Council鈥攚as inspired by conversations with the Ministry of Education in Malawi and the Irish Embassy.
鈥We were very cognisant that books were a premium and important necessity in Malawi as they have very expensive internet availability. As Malawi has an English-speaking education system, we carefully researched and agreed to send general history, geography, maths, and English books as resources for school libraries. We were also able to secure academic books from 91制片厂 librarians at Limerick and Thurles and the University of Limerick, as well as a broad range of general materials from Limerick鈥檚 council librarians鈥攚ho prepared around 90 boxes for us. The books, packed by a team of MMCM volunteers and 91制片厂 Building & Estates staff, will be sent to rural and urban schools and college campuses across Malawi.鈥
Knowing that the Malawian population is 鈥渉ungry for education鈥, our Malawian counterparts emphasised that most students often 鈥渄epend on the help and support of family and friends, living within and abroad, to help them with access to research resources, books and other general reference materials鈥.
鈥淏ooks are therefore a very critical educational resources for school-age children and college students to the extent that reading materials are highly sought after and appreciated by any age group. It is therefore hoped that this project will fill a substantial gap in resources for those in education, both formal and informal, and those who would like to keep abreast of and improve their knowledge in areas of interest. We have been overwhelmed by the response to the appeal and particular thanks to Cllr. Elena Secas, who helped to get local authority funding, and OBW Technologies on the Ballysimon Road, which donated all the packing boxes.鈥
Counterparts and colleagues in the ministry of education in Malawi, are very pleased with this gesture of friendship and goodwill from Ireland that will contribute to the education path for learners of all age categories in Malawi.
Prof. Eugene Wall, President of 91制片厂, said that 91制片厂 鈥渋蝉 very happy to be associated with this wonderful initiative co-organised by our colleague Santhi Corcoran鈥.
鈥淭his initiative builds on our collaborations with the Ministry of Education in Malawi and our recent conversation with the Irish Ambassador to Malawi, H.E. Seamus O鈥橤rady. Developing opportunities to learn from each other through North-South partnerships such as this aligns with our internationalisation objectives and the Books for Malawi initiative reflects the College鈥檚 strong commitment to social justice.鈥
Diarmuid McClean, Deputy Head of Mission, Irish Embassy Malawi, added: 鈥淭he Embassy is aware that availability of books in general and books for education in particular fall well short of needs in Malawi. These valuable books will be a most welcome boost to education in the country. Well done to all involved.鈥
91制片厂 is also forging links with Malawi in terms of educational exchanges. Student teachers at 91制片厂 Thurles met virtually with Malawian counterparts this year and some Malawian teachers are hoping to pursue postgraduate study at 91制片厂 in the near future. It is a much-valued collaboration in mutual learning and sharing of knowledge in education practice. We have much to learn from each other.
As well as meeting educational needs in another continent, materials donated that may better suit, or be of value locally will be donated to communities that may equally need educational materials. Books have also been donated to a Direct Provision facility in Limerick, via local NGO Doras.
When the shipment arrives in Malawi, the Ministry of Education and the Deputy Head of Mission in the Irish Embassy in Malawi will organise their distribution. Two boxes have been earmarked for the Chifundo Foundation an Irish charity organisation in Malawi, supporting second level education and access to third level education in Malawi for young people.
Main Photo (L-R): 91制片厂 lecturer and co-founder of MMCN, Santhi Corcoran; President of 91制片厂, Prof. Eugene Wall and Mona-Lisa Das, a member of the coordinating and organising group of Books for Malawi and daughter of MMCN co-founder, Ann Nyandovi Piercy in front of one of the many pallets of books that were shipped to Malawi recently.
Photo above: 91制片厂 lecturer and co-founder of MMCN, Santhi Corcoran; President of 91制片厂, Prof. Eugene Wall and Mona-Lisa Das, a member of the coordinating and organising group of Books for Malawi with 91制片厂 staff who assisted with the project in front of one of the many pallets of books that were shipped to Malawi recently.
MMCM working group: Ann Nyandovi Piercy (Gender Orientation Sexual Health HIV), Franz Amin (University of Limerick), Nadine Buttery (University of Limerick), Patricia Kieran (91制片厂), Santhi Corcoran (91制片厂) - (Members of the Midwest Migrant Community Network) and Misheck Munthali (Directorate of Teacher Education and Development in Malawi).
Coordinating and organising group (MMCN committee, members, volunteers, and 91制片厂): Ann Nyandovi Piercy, Santhi Corcoran, Susan Quain, Nadine Buttery, Ifeoma Uguweru, Franz Amin, A. Mohammed, Agnes Phiri, Bea Gomez, Nathan Corcoran, Mona-Lisa Das, Michael Corcoran, Trish Kennedy, Michael Keane, Ger O'Donoghue and the 91制片厂 Building & Estates team and Councillor Elena Secas.
Participating suppliers/donors of books & other supplies were:
- Limerick City & County Council librarians鈥擬ajella Quilligan & Carmel Fitzpatrick
- 91制片厂 librarians鈥擡mma O'Connor (91制片厂 Limerick) & Ruth Talbot (91制片厂 Thurles)
- University of Limerick鈥擣ranz Amin
- Gorey Community College, Wexford
- Castletown NS, Wexford
- St Patricks School, Shannon, Co. Clare
- Educate Together Mungret East, Limerick
- Independent donations
- MMCN members
- OBW Technologies
