By Dean Chisambo
Member of Parliament(MP) for Dedza North constituency, Savel Kafwafwa, has rewarded students who have been selected to various secondary schools from Chitundu zone.
The zone has achieved a significant milestone, with 22 students selected to national secondary schools, 53 to district boarding schools, and 33 to community day secondary schools.
Kafwafwa expressed his delight, considering this a great achievement, especially since the area has historically performed poorly.
He noted that Chitundu constituency has the lowest number of educated individuals in Malawi, but this achievement brings hope for a brighter future.
The lawmaker spent K3 million on bags and an additional K2 million on arranging the function.
He also promised another K2 million to teachers and headmasters to encourage them, stating that this is an annual commitment.
Regarding bursaries, Kafwafwa appreciated the government’s response to their request, setting aside 10% of the bursary, now amounting to K10 million.
However, he noted that the increased number of students going to national secondary schools (22) poses a challenge, as their fees are around K200,000, totaling K400 million per term.
With only K3.5 million available, he expressed concern about meeting the demand for bursaries.
Ashraf Jima, a learner selected to Robert Blake Boys Secondary School, shared his journey, attributing his success to hard work, parental support, and group discussions with fellow learners.
He encouraged this year’s Standard 8 learners to work hard and pass with flying colors.
The headmaster for Chitundu Zone expressed happiness with the results, citing the encouragement of hard work and strong leadership.
Senior Chief Tambala urged parents to continue sending their children to school, aspiring to become leaders like Kafwafwa.
Chitundu zone, comprising 14 schools, has emerged as the second-best performing school in this year’s PSLCE examination results.