Our Story
Watch our journey and impact in the Dzaleka refugee camp
Our Background
Comfort the Community (CC) is a community-based organization (CBO) located in Dzaleka refugee camp, just 20 km from Kamuzu International Airport and 45 km from Lilongwe city. We have purchased a plot of land in the Dowa district of Malawi to expand our education program by building a secondary school for both refugee and host community children.
Our school welcomes all children, but our target beneficiaries include children with disabilities, orphans, and girls vulnerable to early marriages. We believe that every child deserves access to quality education, regardless of their circumstances.
CC aims for equal and effective participation in development by all citizens at all levels. Under CC, we operate a nursery, primary school, and secondary school for refugees and host community members. We currently serve 600 direct beneficiaries and 2,400 indirect beneficiaries, representing 600 households.
Our Mission
To promote socio-economic empowerment through strategic interventions and sustainable development programs to reverse, reduce, and stop the effects of trauma and poverty among communities.
To educate, empower, and care for disadvantaged and poverty-stricken communities, and to carry out capacity building in requisite life skills, such as education and professional training (farming, tailoring, baking, carpentry, etc.) for improving the economic standards of those living on the continent of Africa.
Our Vision
To empower societies across Africa with equal opportunities to design, implement, and manage community development projects which promote sustainable livelihoods and self-sufficiency.
Comfort Community Secondary School (CCSS)
Comfort Community Secondary School (CCSS) is a community initiative responding to the growing number of children who do not have access to education in Dzaleka refugee camp or the surrounding areas and are also at risk of early childhood marriage.
CCSS was established in 2017 through the efforts of CC and Pascal Bagaluza, one of the refugees residing in Dzaleka who grew concerned for the growing number of children who were not attending school due to lack of options. Supported by Dzaleka community leaders and pastors, CC currently provides education activities following the Malawian national syllabus in the form of:
- Nursery school (3 classes)
- Primary school (8 classes; G1 to G8)
- Secondary school (Form 1, 2, and 3 students)
CCSS is currently educating 573 students (344 females, 229 males), and there continues to be increasing demand from parents in the community to accept more students. However, the limited number of classrooms that CCSS has access to make this impossible.
Our Objectives
Main Objective
Child protection through the provision of a safe space for children living in the Dzaleka refugee camp and the surrounding areas to access high-quality education.
Inclusive Education
Ensure and encourage the participation of children with disabilities, orphans, and those vulnerable to early childhood marriage.
End Early Marriage
Work to end early childhood marriage through education and empowerment.
Teacher Development
Teacher training and capacity building to ensure quality education.
Student Empowerment
Help students become self-sufficient, critical thinkers, and independent learners.
Our Journey
A timeline of our growth and impact since 2017
Foundation Year
Comfort Community Secondary School was established through the efforts of CC and Pascal Bagaluza, responding to the growing need for education in Dzaleka refugee camp.
Expanding Programs
In our second academic year, our student body grew to about 164 students as we expanded our educational programs and began serving more students from both refugee and host communities.
Growing Impact
As our student body continued to grow, we faced significant financial challenges. We struggled to cover rental costs for our facilities and teacher salaries, yet remained committed to providing quality education to our students.
Adapting to Challenges
Despite global challenges, we adapted our programs to continue serving our community effectively.
Strengthening Infrastructure
We worked on strengthening our educational infrastructure and expanding our reach.
Community Growth
Our community continued to grow, with more students enrolling in our programs.
Land Acquisition
We successfully purchased a seven-hectare plot of land to build our permanent school infrastructure.
Parliament Visit
Our students had the opportunity to visit the Parliament of Malawi, gaining valuable insights into the democratic process and governance of the country.
Current Year
We continue to serve 573 students and work towards building our permanent school facilities.
Future Vision
Building a permanent secondary school to serve even more children and create lasting impact in the community.
Our Location
Our campus is located in Dzaleka refugee camp, just 20 km from Kamuzu International Airport and 45 km from Lilongwe city.
We have purchased a seven-hectare plot of land near Dzaleka refugee camp, which is enough to build infrastructure that can accommodate both primary and secondary school students. This land will allow us to continue providing high-quality education for refugee and host community children.