Few Malawians have a secondary school education. To give our children every possible chance at success, we have our own secondary school on site. Home of Hope children are required to attend both primary and secondary school.
Our secondary school covers the last few years of Primary School as well as Secondary School. We begin at Standard 6. To continue schooling, all children in Malawi must pass an exam that covers Standards 6-8. If they do not pass the exam, they can repeat Standard 8.
Once the children pass their Standard 8 exam, they move up to Form 1. School finishes at Form 4, when children must pass their final exams to graduate. Of course, where needed, they can repeat years at any time.
We are proud of the quality of our school and the diligence of our children. In 2008 our Form 2s achieved an 82% pass rate and our Form 4s achieved a 56% pass rate, both of these figures being higher than the national average.
Msandikane Lucia Cilia, Form 3, aged 16
Msandikane was born close to us, in Lipunga. She came to live with us at Home of Hope in 2007, when both her parents died.
She is privileged to have 3 siblings; 1 sister and 2 brothers. Both brothers also live with us at Home of Hope. During school holidays, they all stay with their married sister and her family. They enjoy this time to reconnect as a family.
Msandikane loves school; something that is reflected in her consistently high marks. Her favourite subjects Maths and Science.
But life isn't all hard work - during her free time, Msandikane enjoys playing netball and reading.
Msandikane would like to help others when she finishes school, something she hopes to do as a nurse.
