According to Chikwawa Chief Education officer Macshades Dakamau, the vulnerability assessment conducted in all zones in the district revealed that high poverty levels including lack of food and other factors like long distances to school are exposing these children to face hard times to access education.

Dakamau said Government and non-state actors are doing everything possible to support such children.

"For instance, government has given various items in all schools to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

Further to that mother groups have been empowered to teach parents to make face masks for their children," said Dakamau adding that the mother groups are also giving free masks to orphans and other needy children.

The District Chief Education Officer was speaking on Tuesday when Campaign for Health, Education and Hygiene, CAHESH and Optichem Fertilizer Limited launched the distribution of face masks to 10 schools in Chikwawa targeting standard eight learners that are expected to start their Primary Education Certificate Examination on Wednesday morning.

He added that the district has prepared very well to manage the MANEB primary school examinations.

CAHESH Director MacDonald Kaluwa said some of the targeted schools in the masks distribution exercise are Gola, Chande, Khoko, Makande, St Mathews, Mtayaamanja and Bodza.

"We want to thank Optichem Fertilizer limited for joining hands with us to distribute the masks to needy learners," said he.

Kaluwa then asked the learners to remain focused in order to get good grades and be productive citizens of the country.