UMCKALOABO FOUNDATION AND KARONGA DIOCESE HAND OVER CLASSROOM BLOCKS IN CHITIPA
By Noel Chatepa
On Monday, April 20, 2026, the Umckaloabo Foundation, in partnership with Karonga Diocese, officially handed over two primary school classroom blocks to the community of Kameme under Traditional Authority Kameme in Chitipa.
The construction of the two school blocks was made possible through funding from the Germany based Umckaloabo Foundation, complemented by local contributions from the community in the form of bricks and sand.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Ralph Feldhaus, representative of Umckaloabo Foundation, expressed satisfaction with the utilization of the funds. “It is good to see our funding being put to good use,” Feldhaus said. He also commended the community for their active contribution toward the construction.
In his remarks, Mwawi Shaba, Secretary of the Karonga Diocese Caritas Commission, echoed the appreciation for the community’s efforts and advised them to take good care of the new infrastructure. “If you go to other countries, you will find structures that have survived for over 50 years. This is because they are well taken care of and maintained. I advise you to take care of these blocks so that future generations can also benefit from them,” Shaba said.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the community, GVH Kameme thanked Umckaloabo Foundation and Karonga Diocese, particularly acknowledging the leading role of St. Augustine of Hippo Parish Priests, Father Berlin and Father Marcel for keeping the best interests of the community at heart and taking a leading role to ensure that the two school blocks are constructed.
Umckaloabo Foundation remains one of the diocese’s longstanding partners. In addition to the Chitipa project, the foundation has also largely funded the construction of education facilities at St. Mauritius Secondary School in Rumphi and fully funded St. Steven Kasantha Community Day Secondary School in Karonga among other projects.
