According to Lusizi Kambalame, Chitetezo project aims at helping young people to learn how to envisage local solutions to improve road safety.

“Through creating series of large murals to tell a story, young people are learning how to improve road safety through art with hopes and wishes about safer road environment,” She said.

During an exhibition which took place on 15th July at the Polytechnic ODL Auditorium, the Jacaranda students showcased different murals which are used to outline day to day road safety problems which they later came up with relevant solutions. 

Dr Edward Duncan, Associate Professor in Applied Health Research at the University of Stirling, explained that teaching the youth just theory about road safety is not sufficient.

“There are many other linked factors such as road quality, driver behavior, law enforcement and the behavior of pedestrians and cyclists. Through art and creativity is one way of sending a message to the public,” he said.

Delegates from the Ministry of Education, Road Traffic Directorate, The City council, The Police, Polytechnic Staff members, Traditonal leaders, secondary, primary schools teachers around Polytechnic and students took a tour around the murals where the students were explaining and translating the art works.

One of the students, Norah Mang'anda a standard 7 pupil from Jacaranda explained that they faced challenges like, coming up with the idea, sketching and mixing of paint but in the end they came up with beautiful artwork.

After the exhibition, delegates commended Jacaranda, Polytechnic and the other University partners for the initiative citing that most Malawians pay much attention to information which comes through art.

The story, which the murals were telling, was about a character Maria who identified road safety malpractices and involved the community in helping to rectify them without waiting for the government to do everything.