For a Start, Help Kids Stay in School

March 6, 2018
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325,000

school kids benefit from this project

Lugono, who lives in rural Malawi, quit school when he was eight years old to work collecting and selling firewood. “So few kids stayed in school back then,” he says, shrugging, “and cutting firewood is the only thing we can do.” Lugono cuts firewood because 90% of Malawi’s 18 million people must cook their meals on inefficient open fires. The amount of wood required is staggering and has contributed to the destruction of half of Malawi’s forests. And as is too often the case, such environmental devastation brings worsening poverty, creating a cycle that neither Malawians nor our planet can sustain. How can we break this cycle?  For a start, help kids stay in school. Through this project, many schools all across Malawi have installed improved cookstoves that reduce wood consumption by as much as 75%. Those fuel savings alone make a huge difference, allowing schools to serve lunches, improve programs, and expand enrollment. School attendance is rising. Onani, aged 10, likes that lunch is served at his school, which, on some days, is the only meal he gets. But Onani is also a good student who has discovered his love for reading and for math. “He is a very bright boy,” his teacher says. “He has a chance for a better future.” And so does Malawi. Onani and his fellow students will grow up skilled and educated and will help break that cycle of poverty and environmental decline. Over 325,000 school kids benefit from this project, providing for their future and providing for the future of our planet. Over three million tonnes of carbon emissions have been eliminated by this project, and millions of trees saved. Let’s keep this going, for everyone. Onani agrees. “Thank you,” he says. “Thank you for your support!”
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