On The Ground in Malawi: Education Centres

New initiatives in Liwonde National Park

Two Environmental Education Centres at Liwonde National Park provide facilities for various learning experiences, tourism, and conferences. One is located at the Chinguni Gate entrance, while the other is within Mvuu Camp, near the Western Makanga Gate. Both centres offer visual displays and programmes for tourists, as well as for both Malawian schoolchildren and adults.


WWF Finland is refurbishing the display room in the old Environmental Education Centre at Chinguni, building a briquette centre for producing fuel briquettes, as well as renovating part of the student hostel buildings within the compound. In addition, and in collaboration with Central African Wilderness Safari, WWF Finland is building a new Environmental Education Centre at Mvuu Camp, at the western end of Liwonde National Park.

Listen to children singing

They are singing in Cichewa, one of the two official languages of Malawi. Their songs carry messages such as "Do not destroy natural forests", and "It is our duty as Malawians to protect the nature". One of their songs is an appeal to the traditional leaders of the tribe, saying, "Save the nature, it is our wealth". 

Wildlife Clubs for children are run by a Malawian NGO called Wildlife Society. The club members will be among the many people benefiting from the new education centres, built with the support of WWF.

The two education centres



Liwonde National Park is a treasure-trove for environmental education in Malawi. It is the only place in the whole country where Malawians can still see their original wildlife: indigenous species of forests and animals in abundance.

They can watch mighty elephants amble gracefully, antelope, and skittish zebras within the Sanctuary. There are also sky-reaching borassus palms, imposing baobab trees and groves of mopane line the Shire river, home to a rich diversity of birds, a variety of fish species, and many sly crocodiles.

The Centre's programme
In order to enhance the experience of visiting the National Park, the Environmental Education Centre will provide visual displays, lectures and film programmes about the characteristic flora and fauna and how the different international organizations are partnering to protect this precious wildlife. All this will be for the benefit of both Malawian and foreign visitors alike.

Refurbishing old Centres and building new ones
At the eastern entrance to the park, at Chinguni Village, lies an Environmental Education Centre that has fallen into disrepair. Nevertheless, every year 4,000 schoolchildren pass through it during their visit to Liwonde National Park.

As a part of the project of WWF Finland, the Environmental Education Centre at Chinguni Gate is now being restored with illustrated display panels, a briquette centre, as well as a refurbished student hostel. At the same time, a new Environmental Education Centre is being built at Mvuu Camp, at the western side of the Park.

The Centre will be furnished with various kinds of exhibitions, giving the visitors a chance to learn more about indigenous wildlife. They will also have an opportunity of viewing video films about one of the most exciting and endangered inhabitants of the park – the black rhinos.

Visitors will include children and adults, both Malawian and tourists alike. It has been estimated that the Environmental Education Centre at Mvuu Camp will be visited by 5,000 Malawian schoolchildren per year. It is also very important that the information centres will serve local communities. Previously, many local villagers did not feel that the National Parks was a part of their heritage; that it was only for tourists.

The cooperating parties
The Environmental Education Centre at Mvuu Camp, within Liwonde National Park, is a joint collaboration between of three parties. One is WWF Finland, another is the State of Malawi, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and the third one is the private company Central African Wilderness Safaris that operates Mvuu Camp and Lodge.