The hostel has a capacity of 20 double decked beds which will accommodate 40 students.

The education sector in the country is beset by a myriad of challenges that include shortage of infrastructure like classroom blocks, teachers’ houses and hostels.

Speaking after the handover Northern region education division manager, Mzondi Moyo, said the hostel will ease challenges of long distances to and from school especially among girl learners.

“The hostel will give learners ample time to concentrate on their studies as most of them were walking a distance of close to 15 kilometers to reach the school, so it means in a day they have to cover a distance of 30 kilometers which leaves them tired at the end,” said Moyo.

Moyo said most girl learners were also prone to abuse while on their way to and from school.

Senior Nutrition and HIV/AIDS officer at the Mmbelwa district council Frank Mfuni said the hostel project by WVM compliments governments efforts aimed at improving education in the district.

“As a council we appreciate what World Vision Malawi has done as we have also prioritized improvement of education in our district development plans,” said Mfuni.

Mfuni urged other NGOs working in the district to emulate what World Vision Malawi is doing in infrastructure development in the education sector.

WVM zonal manager for the north Immaculate Botomani said the organization has constructed 4 girls hostels, 16 classroom blocks and 23 teachers houses in their Khuyu area program since they started working there in 2006.

Botomani however expressed disappointment with communities in the area for lack of interest in development projects they had been initiating in the area.

“However let me express my disappointment here that we failed to construct another hostel which was meant to be for boys because communities did not show interest in the project,” said Botomani.

Apart from infrastructure, the organization has also been supporting communities in parts of Mzimba in the sectors of health, agriculture, water and sanitation.