Following the donation of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) equipment from DVV International to the National Centre for Literacy and Adult Education (NACLAE) in Lilongwe on Wednesday April 13th, Malawi Government is now ready to roll out Adult Learning and Education Management Information System (ALEMIS).
DVV International handed over the ICT equipment worth K24 million to promote Management Information System (MIS) for Adult Learning and Education (ALE) and Integrated Adult Education (IAE) in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare. The donated ICT equipment include 65 Samsung tablets, 4 desktop computers and 4 printers.
With the ICT materials, Malawi Government will now start collecting ALE related data electronically, unlike in the past when it was doing it physically and manually at community and district levels. This will also enable data to consistently and quickly reach NACLAE at the central level where it can be analysed and used to monitor, strengthen and improve programmes.
Principal Secretary (Administration) in the Ministry of Gender, Isaac Katopola, while thanking DVV International for the donation, has called on all extension staff who will use these gadgets to take care of them so that they should outlive their economic life and also use them for the intended purpose.
“The ALEMIS is a great milestone in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare in general and NACLAE in particular. This online platform will improve timely transmission and ensure that credible data is available for improved programming in the Adult Literacy and Education sector.
“I am aware that DVV International has been partnering my Ministry in the area of Adult Literacy and Education for some time and that it has supported the Department of Community Development specifically through NACLAE in a number of areas. I thank DVV International for the gesture and I also request other stakeholders especially the private sector to come and support government like the way DVV International has done,” Katopola said.
The previous DVV International’s support to the ministry include procurement of ICT equipment for administrative purposes at NACLAE, procurement of over 60,000 adult literacy Chuma ndi moyo primers which were distributed to the 9,633 National Adult Literacy Programme adult literacy classes, development of the first ever National Adult Literacy Policy which was approved by Cabinet in February 2020 and currently the development of the National Adult Literacy and Education Strategy currently pending approval by the Ministry’s management.
Director for Community Development Ministry of Gender, Clotilda Sawasawa, said that the equipment donated to her ministry will ensure that the adult literacy programme responds to real needs of the Malawian community through availability of quality data.
Sawasawa said: “The ICT materials will ensure cost effective and reliable data collection and processing for the ALE programmes.”
DVV International Regional Director for Southern Africa, David Harrington, said the equipment will help the adult education sector in their ongoing work to create a Malawi where all people are able to read and write and possess the knowledge and skills they need for personal, community and national development.
The donation of ICT equipment to government follows other financial support worth close to K40 million which included hiring of a consultant to develop the ALEMIS and trainings for Community Development Officers from district level on how they would
operate the MIS.
Harrington said support for adult education is crucial because all the sectors of development now need ALE.
“The key role of adult education, not only as a sub-sector of the education sector, but also as a linchpin of national development is too often overlooked and poorly understood. Educated adults better understand the importance of sending their children to school and maintaining them there.
“Adult education is also multi-sectoral. In and across every sector of life, adult education is taking place and is essential. This is generally not well-recognized. However, there is no sector where adult education is not needed. Whether we talk about health, sanitation, agriculture, or labour, there is no sector where adult learning is not happening; it is in this vein that our organization thought of partnering government in developing adult literacy through donation of the ICT equipment,” Harrington said.
Harrington added that DVV International, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will continue supporting Malawi Government as it has been doing since 2017 when the organisation started its operations in Malawi.
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