Benedicto Kondowe
One goes to a community where one finds that out of 8 classes taught, half are taught under a tree, or on the veranda of a teacher’s home, or discover that a single teacher is taking care of in excess of 110 learners. We have a shortage of well-trained teachers. Imagine the kind of burden that these teachers are subjected to. In this environment, quality education is not attainable.
Benedicto Kondowe is a Malawian human right defender and Director of the Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC). The human rights defender has continued his work despite facing threats and personal attacks for speaking out and organizing demonstrations for civil rights. These threats have even come directly from the office of the President, and the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party. To date, Benedicto serves as a Commissioner with the Malawi Human Rights Commission having been nominated by civil society organisations in Malawi to represent their interest in line the Human Rights Act which states that members of the Human Rights Commission shall be drawn from civil society, faith based organizations, media bodies and private sector. He is also the Trustee Chairperson for the Council for Non Governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA) an umbrella body for NGOs in Malawi. Furthermore, he sits on various boards including the African Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation and the Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre. In furtherance of his human rights defenders work, Benedicto is a founder of the Centre for Governance and Public Participation whose ultimate goal is to entrench the democratic values in Malawi. This is a newly legally registered initiative with the intention to promote minority rights, human rights, good governance, gender and equality, rule of law, and transparency and accountability.
