• DAPP Malawi is in 2021 celebrating 26 years of active involvement in development work with communities through out the country

  • DAPP is implementing 17 projects within education, health, agriculture and community development in 25 district that span across the country's three regions

DAPP improves transitioning of infant learners from CBCC into Primary School Findings

The DAPP Let Children Stay in School (LCSS) project was implemented in six districts namely Chitipa, Rumphi, Ntchisi, Lilongwe, Machinga and Nsanje targeting to reach 114 primary schools.
The goal was to improve the transition of infant learners from community based care centres into primary schools specifically targeting standard one and two learners.
Running between June 2015 to May 2018, the project worked with government stakeholders like the District Education Managers, Primary School Education Advisors (PEAs), teachers, school committee structures like the Parent Teachers Associations, Mother Groups and community members that surrounded the schools.
Following an independent evaluation that was carried out by Makoka & Associates it was discovered that the project has reduced the dropout rate of grade one learners who proceeded to grade two by 9 percent. This was revealed during a validation workshop that had been organised to share the results with implementers which DAPP worked with.

Rodger Federer Regional Representative (left) interacts with members during the meeting

Rodger Federer Regional Representative (left) interacts with members during the meeting

Participants during the

Participants during the "Let children stay in school" validation meeting


Present during the meeting were representatives from Rodger Federer Foundation – donor, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Action Aid Malawi, District Education Managers from the 6 districts, Primary Education Advisors (PEAs), Coordinating PEAs, Head Teachers, and School Committee members that represented the community members.
Addressing the audience during the meeting, the Interim Regional Representative for Rodger Federer Foundation Martha Khonje said as a Foundation they want to give back to the community through early childhood development programs as a foundation for opening developments in countries.
Action Aid Malawi received the grant to implement programs targeting Community Based Care Centres (CBCC) in all the 28 districts in Malawi but there were challenges in transitioning from CBCC to primary school which they attributed to lack of other necessities like food and shelters in some government primary schools as such they sub granted DAPP Malawi to facilitate the transitioning process.
The DAPP Malawi’s Head of Education Programs Iben Brandt-Pederson expressed satisfaction towards all the implementers that played key roles towards the project’s success. She said as DAPP, they are grateful for they have contributed towards such an impact.
Among the key findings following the evaluation are that there is an increase in the number of learners who proceed from grade two to three with an overall reduction rate of 63.9 percent, a reduction in class repetition for grade two and a reduction in drop out among grade one learners.
The activities in the project included in-service teachers’ trainings for child friendly school environments, establishment of standard play grounds made from locally available resources, community engagement in school feeding programs and sustainability which included trainings in income generating activities.

I want to set up my tailoring shop – Ester Michael

Esther Michael is 18 years old, she comes from Pemba village in Traditional authority Nsakambewa, Dowa district. She is one of the Satellite tailoring training beneficiaries being offered at DAPP Malawi’s Dowa Teachers Training College (TTC).
The Satellite Tailoring is an extension of DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational Schools program to reach out to more youth who are vulnerable and needy in rural areas with vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
When I heard that I was one of the girls who had been selected to go to DAPP Dowa teachers training college to be trained in Tailoring my heart was filled with joy because at that time I was just staying home and helping with the farm activities.
Esther is a second born in a family of five with both parents alive. She said she comes from a poor background and her parents depend on farming but during the past growing season their harvest was poor due to lack of fertilizer.

Students prepare materials produced during training

Students prepare materials produced during training

Petticoats are some of the products made during training by satellite tailoring students

Petticoats are some of the products made during training by satellite tailoring students


“When I finish my training here at Dowa Satellite, I am confident I will be able to source money from sewing and be able to support my family. After working with members of my trio (a group of three students) I would like to set up my own tailoring shop through which I can pass on my skills to other young women from my community who have not had the opportunity to benefit from such a training at DAPP,” explained Esther.
Apart from the tailoring theory and practices, the trainees are also introduced to entrepreneurship subjects that prepare them to start small scale businesses after graduating.
Esther Michael said she is enjoying her time at DAPP Dowa TTC because she is learning more than tailoring but other skills like cooking, cleaning the surroundings, grooming, and also how to welcome and interact with people of different races and backgrounds.
DAPP Satellite Trainings aims at equipping youth with technical skills and knowledge for them to become self-reliant in order to be able start up a small scale business .

Deputy Director in Ministry of Finance Commend DAPP for Strides in Child Aid Project

The DAPP Child Aid project in Machinga district together with the DAPP Social Development Fund (SDF) organized a project visit where partners had a chance to appreciate the project’s progress to date.
Started in November 2017, the project is being implemented in three Traditional Authorities of Liwonde, Mlomba and Nsamala in Machinga district with funding from the DAPP Social Development Fund.
The aim is for communities to get organized with a mutual goal of creating conducive environments in which to raise their children through promotion of sanitation and hygiene, nutrition and environmental conservation.

A child washes hands on a tippy-tap

A child washes hands on a tippy-tap

A vegetable garden established in at one of the households

A vegetable garden established in at one of the households


On 22 June 2018, the SDF Committee hosted Deputy Director in the Ministry of Finance, Machinga District Gender Officer, the Machinga District Education Manager (DEM), representatives from World Food Program, Plan International, the DAPP Finance Director as well as the Head of Economy and Administration.
Following project briefs, the team visited Makuluni and Ngalukanika villages in Traditional Authorities Mlomba and Nsamala respectively where they appreciated the hygiene and sanitation activities in the village with all households having hand washing facilities, well constricted toilets with drop hole covers, dish racks, rubbish pits and firewood saving stoves.

The Deputy Director in the Ministry of Finance Alfred Katengule commended DAPP for the project indicating that the results are already being seen which shows that people on the ground are also working. He therefore called for DAPP to ensure that there are follow ups even after the project has phased out to ensure sustainability in the sanitary activities.

Community performances during the visit

Community performances during the visit

DAPP Head of Economy and Administration briefing guest about the project

DAPP Head of Economy and Administration briefing guest about the project


Speaking during the visit to his area, Traditional Authority Nsanama said he is satisfied with how DAPP is working in the area and he promised that even after the project phases out in October the people in his area will still be able to maintain the standards the people have seen.
DAPP Malawi is also implementing Child Aid projects in Zomba and Neno district where apart among others families are being trained to provide nutritious meals to their children for them to grow.

Soya milk making supports nutrition of Kalumo village families

Before 2015, the family of Agnes Kaliati from Kalumo village of Traditional Authority Kalumo in Ntchisi could not afford to buy milk. It was too expensive and the family could only drink milk once or twice in a year. Since joining Mother Group at Masangano Primary School in 2015, Agnes together with other women were trained by DAPP in various skills including production of milk from soya beans.

DAPP Malawi with support from the Roger Federer Foundation implemented a Let Children Stay in School project aimed at improving the school environments for Standard 1 and 2 learners in 114 primary schools in order to enjoy learning.

The Milk Is Also Enjoyed In Schools

The Milk Is Also Enjoyed In Schools

Materials Used For Making Soya Milk

Materials Used For Making Soya Milk


One of the component in the project was working with community members who were engaged in mobilization of local resources that were used in construction of standard playgrounds for the lower class learners. Additionally, the community members were trained in income generating skills among which included production of milk from soya beans, jam as well as juice making.
To mitigate the effects of climate change, the communities around the schools were also taught how to make and use firewood saving stoves in order to reduce cutting down of trees for fuel.
“It is easy to make soya milk; first we clean our dried soya beans, boil them until the hulls become soft and loose then we flush out the hulls and rinse the beans thoroughly. The beans are then pounded in a mortar and water is added to separate the soya milk from solids using a sieve [or squeezing through cheese cloth]. Finally, we boil the milk till and let it cool. For an improved taste we add a little salt and sugar to taste,” explains Agnes.
Agnes says is proud she acquired the milk production skills through the project and that her family now enjoys milk which is cheap to produce from soya beans.
“My family enjoys this milk and they encourage me to make it every day” says Agnes who described the soya milk as being good as fresh milk from the shops.
Apart from happiness the milk has brought to her family, she also noted that the milk has improved the nutrition status of her family. She plans to cultivate more soya during the next farming season so that her family can drink milk throughout the year.
“I am encouraging people to cultivate more soya and use it to make milk because it is good for our health.” Adds Agnes who says this milk is both nutritious and cheap.

Government Economist Urges Farmers to Capitalise on Macadamia Nuts Project

The Chief Economist in the Ministry of Local Planning and Development Flemings Nyirenda says smallholder farmers working with DAPP Malawi in a Macadamia Nuts Value Chain Enhancement project in Mzimba district should capitalize on the project’s initiatives in order to enhance their farm production.
Nyirenda was speaking in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzikubola, Mzimba district where he attended a field visit along with the DAPP National Partnership Assistant Manager, the project coordinator and the Farming Instructors, among others.

A farmer explains to the audience during the visit

A farmer explains to the audience during the visit

Solar dryers are being promoted in the project

Solar dryers are being promoted in the project


In the area, the team visited two farmers Felix Moyo and Angel Banda who have planted 100 Macadamia trees each. Moyo and Banda briefed the visitors on ways of caring for the trees and how they look forward to when they will start benefitting from the trees.
Implemented in Thyolo and Mzimba districts, the project runs from 2016 to 2021 with financial assistance from Sympany of Holland. The aim is to organize small scale farmers in clubs in order to link them to the value chain so as to produce quality Macadamia nuts that meet international standards.
Other initiatives in the project include introduction of Village Savings and Loan groups through which the farmers are able to save and borrow money thereby starting up small scale businesses. In addition, the farmers have been trained in environmental conservation through the use of firewood saving stoves that requires less fuel for cooking.
The project also promotes sanitation and hygiene through construction of hand washing facilities such as tippy-taps which are suspended outside toilets to encourage handwashing after visiting the toilet.

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DAPP Malawi
Plot No. CC 1086, Maselema, Limbe
Blantyre District, Malawi

Cell: +265885834277

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