Community Libraries of Malawi

Denis Chavula

Head Librarian

Denis, our head librarian at Kwakupokela Community Library was born and raised in Matuli, Group Village Headman (GVH) Kanowanga Mjuma, T/A Kapingo Sibande in Mzimba District in Malawi. He studied at Kwakupokela Private Secondary School and the Blantyre French Cultural Center. He speaks four languages fluently (Chichewa, Chitumbuka, English and French) and has a passion for teaching the children in his community. He lives less than one kilometer from the library and is passionate about and dedicated to its success. Mary Stirling recognized Denis’ passion for teaching and appointed him the Headmaster of the school she once built, which still lies adjacent to the library, but is now operated by the Malawian government. Denis received his Certificate in Library Science in February 2020 after studying at the Malawi Library Association school in Lilongwe. Denis is married and raising three young children, Abraham, Moses and Joel.

Julie Chiaravalli

COLIMA President

Julie spent over two years (2016 - 2018) volunteering with the Global Health Service Partnership (Seed Global Health and PeaceCorps), teaching nurses at Mzuzu University. During her time living in Malawi and falling in love with the Warm Heart of Africa, her good friend Herbert Chawinga (a local journalist) brought her to the Kwakupokela library. It had been sitting vacant and in disrepair for a number of years and she saw and took the opportunity to build a team of volunteers from the community of Lusangazi and Mzuzu University and work to reopen its doors. Although back in the US now, she remains closely involved with the team and works to ensure its sustainability and ownership at the community level, knowing this is the only way to respectfully ensure its future successes. She looks forward to visiting Malawi again and appreciating the benefits the library can bring to a community.

Mary Grace Flaherty, PhD, MLS, MS

Board Member

Mary Grace is an associate professor at the School of Information & Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a former IMLS Fellow and Fulbright scholar (Malawi). Dr. Flaherty has over 25 years’ experience working in a variety of library settings, including academic, medical research, special and public. She has published extensively in the academic literature and has written 4 books on library topics. Mary and Julie became quick friends after meeting in Malawi, and her experience, knowledge and passion for the Kwakupokela library has been invaluable from the start.

Eric Aronson

Vice President and Treasurer

Eric is an independent business owner and the Vice President and Treasurer of COLIMA. Eric is passionate about enjoying life and new experiences, and seeks to be grateful for the inherent opportunities many of us have as Americans. Having done his graduate work in hydrogeology, he runs a small environmental consulting firm that focuses on his local community. Inspired by first-hand accounts of life in Malawi and the amazing people, Eric jumped at the opportunity to apply his small business skills to assist in establishing COLIMA, financial management, and government compliance. He is hoping to visit the Warm Heart of Africa in the years to come.

Mary Stirling

Original Founder, Kwakupokela School and Community Library

Mary Stirling was born on the 2nd April 1928. She was the eldest of four girls and was born in Scotland. She was a committed Christian and had a very strong faith. She initially wanted to train as a minister but at that time they weren’t ordaining women in the church and so decided on a career in education. She believed passionately in education and trained as a mathematics teacher. She held various class teaching roles in London England and finally became Headteacher of Golden Hillock school in Birmingham England in 1976. She remained Headteacher there for over a decade before retiring. After a year she decided that retirement was not in her DNA and volunteered for the VSO (voluntary services overseas). She was initially contracted by the VSO for two years to teach Math in Malawi. After completing the two years she felt called to open a school. She felt keenly that more girls should have access to education in Malawi and fulfilled her vision in building and opening a school. She remained in Malawi for the rest of her life, only returning to the UK to visit her three children. She died on the 20th June 2018 and her ashes were buried in the grounds of the school and library. Prior to her death she ensured the school was left as a Trust, ensuring the school continued on after her death and leaving a legacy of changed lives for those that have been educated at the school. While the school was taken on and continues to be run by the Malawian government, the Library runs as a separate Trust (Kwakupokela Education Trust) and is entirely funded by COLIMA and free and accessible for everyone in the Community. Julie had the privilege of knowing Mary at the end of her life and she was always supportive of KET’s efforts to reopen the Library and ensure its sustainability for years to come.

Gary Chiaravalli

Board Member

Gary Chiaravalli is a Regional Workforce and Business Coordinator for the state of Oregon’s Vocational Rehabilitation program. Gary has devoted the bulk of his career to expanding employment and educational opportunities for people with disabilities and helping businesses recognize the benefits of ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in their workforce and practices.

Gary and his wife, Holly, visited Julie in Malawi in 2018 where they were introduced to Mary Stirling, Dennis Chavula, toured the library, and both became passionate about COLIMA’s importance to the local community and its ability to help expand educational opportunities for the current and future generations.

Holly Kearns

Board Member

Holly Kearns is a Forest Pathologist in the Pacific Northwest who has long had a love for reading and education. Holly and her husband, Gary, visited Julie in Malawi in 2018 where they were introduced to Mary Stirling, Dennis Chavula, toured the library, and both became passionate about COLIMA’s importance to the local community and its ability to help expand educational opportunities for the current and future generations.

Khurshid Mirza Rogers aka “Chooch”

Board Member and Secretary

Written by Julie… To say Khurshid is an absolute gem in this world is an understatement of utmost proportions. She has the most open heart of anyone I’ve ever met and she’s one of my dearest friends whom I look up to and know I can lean on in the best and worst of times. After my first year in Malawi in 2016, I returned to the U.S. for a few weeks before returning to Malawi for a second year. While visiting Khurshid and family, Khurshid asked if I “knew of any good causes” for the money remaining from her infant son’s Rayhan’s memorial fund. At that time, we were just getting the library opened and wanting to send Denis to school in Lilongwe to study Library Sciences. When I mentioned this to Khurshid, there was no doubt that this was where the funds would go. She continues to be an integral part of the team and dedicated to its successes. I can’t wait to travel with her to Malawi someday.

Clifford Knoll

Communications

Clifford has lived many lives as a electrical engineer, software designer, farmer, contractor, teacher and musician. He is now also exploring the world of writing and composing his own music. We are grateful for his expertise in communications and web design.

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