WHO WE ARE
Timalechi Nursery School is a non-profit early childhood development center located in rural Northern Malawi, Africa. We provide early childhood education and day care services. We currently have 100 enrolled students, 4 full time teachers, 1 security guard and 1 administrator/country director. We also utilize volunteers throughout the school year. The population we serve on average, live below $1 a day.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty in Malawi by educating, nurturing and inspiring the children during the crucial fundamental years of development.
WHO WE SERVE
We serve a disadvantaged/underserved rural community in Northern Malawi.
The majority of our students range from farm worker households, single-parent or are being raised by elderly care givers. Over 50% of the student body will be first generation to complete high school.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to raise African leaders who will have a sense of pride and responsibility to their homeland thus contributing to the social, political and economic empowerment of Africa.
OUR STORY
Timalechi Nursery School was founded by retired Civil Engineer Gogo Winston "Timalechi" Zimba with the support of his daughter Mary Mphande. "Gogo" means grand father in Malawi's native language, Chichewa and "Timalechi" is a nickname Winston gave to himself using the first 2 letters of the names of Mary Mphande's children, his grand children TIchafa, MAngisani, LEya and CHimwemwe! In the late 80's , "Timalechi" left a prominent job with the Malawi Government in order to go back to his home village, Kabira Embangweni, to care for his ailing mother. After her untimely transition, he decided to stay in the village and embark on a philanthropic journey which would later inspire his grand-daughter , Agnes Nkhata, to become Director of The Timalechi Nursery School. Mr. Winston "Timalechi" Zimba noticed a cycle in his community, he noticed there where more children in the fields and in the streets than those in the classroom. In early the 1990's he decided to use part of his land to build Timalechi Nursery school of Embangweni, Malawi, Africa. The school became a safe haven for hundreds of young children annually to come play and learn while the parents worked hard in the field and in the marketplace. A few years later "Timalechi" was involved in a motorbike accident, by the grace of God he survived but with permanent injuries his right leg. The injury was so sever it affected his ability to visit the school as he did every day for years prior to the accident. Soon after, he also began to loose his eye site. This undiagnosed condition also challenged his personal management of the Timalechi School project. Nevertheless, the dedicated teachers Mrs.Ziba and Miss Chipeta kept the school going with little to no resources. By the time his grand-daughter, Agnes Nkhata, came to Malawi to visit him from Dallas, Texas, USA, the Timalechi school was in threat of closing. In 2013 Agnes traveled to Malawi to visit her family and volunteer at The Crisis Nursery of Malawi; returned to Dallas with a tremendous mission to keep the school open. During her visit she noticed a variety of challenges deterring the success of the school such as, unstable teachers salary, eroding infrastructure, few learning and teaching materials, health & sanitation challenges, lack of access to clean running water and power just to name a few. It was the same year when she became Director of Timalechi Nursery School, appointed by her grandfather, Gogo Timalechi Zimba. Since 2013, Agnes and her family have worked to bring awareness about Timalechi Nursery School project & the importance of early childhood education in developing countries. As Director, she has facilitated partnerships with non-profit organizations to fundraise for the urgent needs of the teachers and students at Timalechi School. In 2015 & 2016, a total of 6 volunteers have traveled with Agnes from USA to Malawi to contribute their skills and knowledge for the sustainable development of Timalechi school through a volunteer program called "Malawi Mission". Agnes' greatest wish is to continue her grandfathers vision and sustain his selfless legacy.
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