OUR CONCEPT
Fabric educational materials that combine play and learning so that no one is left behind
Malawi has no major natural resources, is a landlocked country, and is not well suited to the production or transportation of industrial products, so 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture, and the products it produces, such as tobacco, corn, and tea, are easily affected by economic fluctuations, making it one of the poorest countries in the world.
In the field of education, too, due to a lack of facilities, teaching materials, and childcare workers, less than half of children are able to attend nursery schools, and the lack of adequate education for preschool children is an issue.
The lack of preschool education also leads to high rates of repetition and dropout in primary school and beyond, limiting the options available to Malawian children when they think about their future, and making it difficult for them to pursue the future they want.
Malawi's Educational Issues
Malawi data
Children not attending nursery school = 50%
First grade repetition rate = 40%
Student-Teacher-Racio = 148:1
Electrification rate = 18% (urban areas: 46%, rural areas 5%)
Mobile phone penetration rate = 48%
Internet Penetration = 13%
source:
Electrification rate (World Bank, 2018), mobile phone penetration rate (World Bank, 2019),
Internet Penetration Rate (Internet World Stats, 2020)
Chitenducation Initiative
Chitenducation's mission is to create opportunities for everyone to receive pre-school education by solving the shortage of educational materials! With this in mind, we have created cloth educational toys using Chitenducation, which can be used without a preschool, without a teacher, and without textbooks.
Why Chitenge (=cloth)?
1) Paper media is not durable enough due to the climate and customs.
2) It can be folded and stored compactly, making it easy to carry.
3) Items that are used daily in Malawi are more acceptable than novelty items.