By Shadreck Maoni:
In its quest to allow deserving Malawians have access to education, Old Mutual (Blantyre) Foundation Trust has on Tuesday officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education where the Trust under its bursary program will be providing scholarships worth MK150 million to 100 students in National secondary schools every year for the next three years.
The signing in ceremony took place at Ministry’s headquarters at Capitol Hill in Lilongwe.
Speaking after the event, Old Mutual (Blantyre) Foundation Trust Chairperson, Tawonga Manda said Old Mutual through its foundation is always motivated by the dictates of the constitution which stipulates that every Malawian has a right to education.
According to Manda, the Foundation has already spent MK45 million to the first 100 students in the school calendar year 2021/2022 who among others are being provided with tuition fees, examination fees and school uniforms.
“As a responsible business, our desire is to positively impact and provide a positive experience on individuals and communities we operate in. We want to help significantly by contributing to make Malawi achieve goal number four of Sustainable Development goals which aims at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and the Malawi Growth. We also want to support Development Strategy number 3 whose clear goal on education is to Improve quality and relevant education and skills for all” he said.
Manda said, in the Malawi’s long-term blueprint, the Malawi 2063, education has been identified as a key for socio-economic development and industrial growth as it facilitates skills development.
He said the attainment of this education goal heavily lies on increasing access to education opportunities through bursary programs like the one that Old Mutual is implementing in partnership with the Ministry of education.
“Old Mutual Malawi acknowledges that it is the duty of Ministry of Education to create the conditions that make it possible for non-state actor institutions as partners, to establish and maintain educational institutions that can run both effectively and efficiently in keeping with the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi; Education Act, National Education Sector Investment Plan (NESIP); Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC); the National Policy on Early Childhood Education, National Policy on Special Needs Education and such other provisions enacted or recognized by the Malawi Government” Manda said.
Furthermore, he said as a company, Old Mutual (Malawi) Ltd is greatly indebted to the Ministry of Education for creating a conducive environment that is allowing companies that share values to come in and impact the education sector.
He said the duty to educate the nation cannot be left in the hands of government alone as it requires concerted efforts to fight illiteracy.
Manda, therefore, urged all the beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries of the bursary to embrace the opportunity with hard work and commitment to education.
He said the bursary program is offering a rare opportunity that needs to be fully utilized and show gratitude by producing good grades at school.
In her acceptance speech, Chikondano Mussa, Secretary for education in the Ministry hailed Old Mutual (Blantyre) Foundation Trust for making it possible that every deserving Malawian enjoys the right to education, and that the Ministry will ensure that the initiative is targeted towards those who are in dire need of school assistance.
Mussa said the support will go along a way in helping needy students in National Secondary Schools to realise their dreams.
