In Malawi, a New Design for Sustainable Schools

In Malawi, a New Design for Sustainable Schools – Clinton Hunter Development Initiative

In Malawi, where 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas and farming is the main income generator, communities struggle to meet basic needs and have few resources left over for schools or other public services. To address this issue and spur sustainable infrastructure development, the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative (CHDI) partnered with the John McAslan Family Trust to design a new generation of low-cost, low-energy, high-quality schools in Malawi.

In 2007, CHDI and the McAslan Trust began designing and testing a prototype and, a little more than a year later, the first schools were built and put to use. The schools improve upon existing designs by increasing light and ventilation, so classrooms are both brighter and cooler and make best use of their natural environment. The structures also utilize local raw materials in their construction, are relatively simple to build, and cost less than current designs — meaning they can be easily replicated and scaled up by local governments. In 2009, the Ministry of Education in Malawi adopted the improved design for use in constructing primary school classrooms across the country.

Moving forward, CHDI hopes the design can serve as a model for sustainable school buildings not only in Malawi, but throughout Africa and India as well. The schools project is part of a broader CHDI effort to implement solutions that can be sustained locally, without reliance on foreign aid. While the new school design will ultimately need to be tailored to meet the unique needs of each community, it has already proven that, when organizations and local governments share resources and innovations, sustainable solutions to even the biggest challenges are possible.