The Team Dayā school in Lambwe, Malawi is complete.
The Mkuyu Primary School (also spelled Nkuyu) is the tenth school funded by Team Dayā overall. It is our group’s second school funded in Malawi, with a third school being funded in Malawi this summer.
Please consider a donation to the group or to one of our team members. All funds go towards school construction. Team Dayā funded its first school (named M’mbula) in the country in 2023 in the community of Nchetana in the Kasungu region of Malawi.
“Now I enjoy learning,” said Tiyamike Jefita, an 11 year old student enrolled in grade 4. “I concentrate better and I will work hard to become a teacher. This school block has made me like school again.”
On Monday, June 23, 2025, our group broke ground on the project. The community of Lambwe in the Dowa district north of the capital of Lilongwe in the Central Region of Malawi (see location) has a population of approximately 1,609. It is an agricultural community dependent on farming – mainly corn, tobacco, soya and peanuts.
School Project
“[Previously, the] children learned in kitchens, outside under trees, or inside dangerous, dilapidated classroom structures that put their lives at risk,” said Hardwell Kennedy, one of the seven teachers. ”The environment was not conducive to learning, which made education extremely difficult for both teachers and students.”
With the new building, “the school’s face has completely transformed into one that is clean, attractive, and safe,” continued Kennedy.
The community continues to operate an existing school for grades 1st – 8th with 603 students (298 boys and 305 girls). Officials are now working to enroll additional out of school children and they report attendance has increased. The children are taught by seven teachers.
Bernadetta Banda (pictured above), a mother of two and farmer, shared how emotionally significant this development has been for her family. She explained that her children now go to school regularly and are able to concentrate because, in her words, “the environment is comfortable and motivating.” Her greatest hope is for her children to pass their Standard 8 Exams and transition to strong secondary schools, demonstrating how this new investment opens doors for the next generation.
A dedicated local Project Leadership Committee, made up of six men and six women, was chosen to guide the construction process. This group gathered supplies and coordinated 4,199 volunteer workdays for the school project.
Listen to Charles Jefta, headmaster of the Mkuyu Primary School in Lambwe, Malawi:
Malawi ’25 Team
Meet our Malawi ‘25 team and please consider supporting them. All contributions go directly to our school building fund. Team members pay all their own travel costs.
Benedek. Mike “The Bricklayer” Benedek joined the team during the depths of the pandemic and immediately started fundraising. The Malawi project will be his fourth Team Dayā school. Beyond being an inveterate travel and supporter of our efforts, Mike is president and CEO of the data marketplace Datonics. Read his first person account from one of our Guatemala projects Mike Benedek on Building Change in Caserío Sector Los Castro. Donate.
Matta. Gabe is a rising senior at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where he plays on their nationally ranked varsity rugby team and is a member of the National Honor Society. Outside of school, he enjoys working with kids by coaching youth football, teaching Catholic Faith Formation classes and volunteering with the Young Men’s Service League and the Downs Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia. Donate.
Matta. Serge is the president, Global Ad Sales at LG Ad Solutions. His expertise lies in leading sales teams across industries to meet revenue goals and creating strategic, symbiotic partnerships. Prior to joining LG Ad Solutions, Serge held multiple leadership positions at different companies – he was the CEO at comScore, president of global sales and marketing at GroundTruth, and CEO at video audience and content intelligence provider ICX Media. Donate.
Sears. Jay is the founder and CEO of Team Dayā, Inc. He also operates the local community news site MyRye.com in his hometown. He spent over 25 years at media and technology companies including mastercard, Rubicon Project, Pulsepoint, ContextWeb, EDGAR Online and Wolff New Media. Donate.
Sriubas. Andy was Chief Commercial Officer of OUTFRONT Media (NYSE: OUT) until January 2025. Prior to media, he spent 25 years in the investment banking industry. Andy held Managing Director roles at JPMorgan, UBS, and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, where he provided strategic advice to, and raised capital for, technology, media & telecommunications industry clients. Donate.
Your Support & The Team
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
- $40,000 Fund an entire school
- $1,000 Paint for a school
- $500 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
- $250 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
Three Ways You Can Help
- Make a Donation Online
- Example investment opportunities:
- $250 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
- $500 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
- $1,000 Paint for a school
- $40,000 Fund an entire school
- Example investment opportunities:
- Spread the Word
- Share our mission with your friends, your company and your industry
- Invite us to speak about our mission to your network
- Follow us LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
- Join the Team & Travel on a School Build
- If you have a combination of fundraising chops, an adventurous spirit and the belief each of us has the capacity to be Building Change, get in touch with us and have a conversation.
Team Dayā 2026 Plans
We are now actively recruiting members for our 2026 groundbreakings:
Guatemala 2026
- Sunday, March 22, 2026 – Saturday, March 28, 2026 [Deadline Passed.]
Malawi 2026
- Sunday, June 28, 2026 – Saturday, July 4, 2026
- Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
- Arrive & depart: Lilongwe, Malawi (LLW-Kamuzu Intl.)
Senegal 2026
- Sunday, November 29, 2026 – Saturday, December 5, 2026
- Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
- Arrive & depart: Dakar, Senegal (DSS-Blaise Diagne Intl.)
If you are curious to learn more about joining a build, please reach out to our Head of Recruiting Jaryd Knutsen. Not sure? Watch the documentary Building Change, the Team Dayā Story (8 minute run time), by Kathmandu based filmmaker Shyam Karki of Samson Film Productions.
Thanks again for your continued support,
All of us at Team Dayā
