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Visitors from Malawi Welcomed

A group of Angus College students this week met with visitors from Malawi to learn about the challenges facing colleges and students in one of the ten poorest countries in the world where little or no funding is given to help students.  
 
 
This visit marks the end of phase one of the Malawi/Scotland Leading Learning project which recently saw Principal John Burt and other members of staff from Angus College undertaking an equivalent trip to Malawi. As part of this project a group of 9 Malawi principals and educational officials this week arrived in Scotland for a study tour. From this group Angus College was pleased to receive Brother Walter Thyrniang- Principal of Don Bosco College and Charles Mataya Phiri from TEVETA (the Malawian education authority).  
 
The links between Angus College and Don Bosco College have grown stronger throughout the course of this project and will be continuously developed in new ways after the visit. Brother Walter commented on the visit saying “This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to meet a representative group of Angus College students and make them aware of the similarities and differences between studying in Scotland and studying in Malawi. I am now looking forward to establishing deeper links with Angus College in order to benefit all involved in this project.”  
 
 
In Malawi the education system is vastly different to what Scottish students have in terms of funding and support. This is something which Angus College students were able to hear about first hand from Brother Walter and Charles Mataya, who emphasised the significance of the contributions made through fundraising. Many of the students who attended to the presentation had previously participated in fundraising for Malawi projects, giving them a chance to see how their efforts had been put to good use. Learner Engagement Officer Katie Anderson said “The visit has really helped to strengthen the relationship between students at Don Bosco College and Angus College. The students are now more eager than ever to come up with new ways of raising funds and getting involved having meeting the visiting representatives.”  
 
Brother Walter presented Angus College with Malawian wall hanging which Don Bosco students had created to mark the occasion. In exchange Angus College students gave several of the newly designed Angus College Hoodies for Brother Walter to take back to the students in Malawi. This represents the first of many exchanges which will hopefully take place between the two colleges which intend to work closely together in the future to benefit all involved.