DAPP Student Teachers on a 10-Week Study Tour
DAPP Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) train “Another Kind of Teachers” who are not only trained as teachers but as change agents that will spearhead community building efforts in rural Malawi primary schools.
The unique training program takes three years. In the first year, student teachers travel across countries in the Southern African Development Community region or different districts across Malawi on a bus for four months. During the travel, they carry out researches, interact with people of different background and cultures, visit historic places, carry out open days and overcome challenges that they face during the trip which are later considered lessons.
In April 2018, first year student teachers from Chilangoma and Dowa TTCs have embarked on a 10-week learning travel across Malawi, a period known as Bussing Our Country. The students from each college are grouped in two teams that travel in separate buses called Bus 1 and Bus 2.
Chilangoma student teachers are expected to visit over 18 districts while Dowa students plan to visit more than 14 districts.
Before departure, Chilangoma TTC invited guardians and community members to see off the students as they go on their learning journey.
The school’s Operations Manager Timothy Chadzandiyani assured the parents and guardians that the students will be safe and that this is part of their training requirement.
The bussing students from the two colleges have planned to visit among other places Inkosi Ya Makosi Gomani 5 Headquarters, Mulhako wa Alhomwe Headquarters, Bvumbwe Research Station, Malawi Parliament, Zomba Mental Hospital and part of Lake Malawi in Mangochi.
DAPP Malawi has four TTCs namely Chilangoma in Blantyre, Amalika in Thyolo, Dowa in Dowa and Mzimba in Mzimba district.
