Ecobank Malawi Ltd has donated K10 million to Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources (LUANAR) to support 50 needy students with tuition fees through the Endowment Fund.
LUANAR established the Fund to mobilize funds to support underprivileged students tuition and research programmes.
Speaking during the handover ceremony held at LUANAR Bunda campus on Friday, Ecobank Head of Commercial Banking Victoria Chanza said as a responsible corporate citizen, Ecobank deeply understands the financial challenges that many underprivileged students face to have access to tertiary Education hence the donation which is in line with its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) focus on Education.
“We are pleased to support the LUANAR Endowment Fund which we believe will go a long way in assisting many under-priviledged students get easy access to the world class tertiary education offered at this University,” adding that the dual purpose of the bank is to consolidate a modern pan-African bank that contributes to the economic development and financial integration of the African continent that Malawi is part of.
To achieve this, she said, the bank believe that access to Education is the pinnacle and catalyst that can drive growth and economic development of our nation.
Chanza said the students if given access to quality Tertiary Education, are poised to guarantee a great economic future for Malawi.
She said the bank will therefore endeavour to play its part to continuously support the Education Sector which is one of bank’s key Corporate Social investment (CSI) focus area.
On his part, LUANAR Vice Chancellor, Professor Emmanuel Kaunda commended the bank for coming in to support the Endowment fund.
“We would like to thank Ecobank for this donation. This will go long way in supporting many unprivileged students at LUANAR,” he said.
Kaunda added that the funds have come at the right time when some of the students were at the verge of not sitting for exams especially those at our Bunda campus.
This kind gesture clearly shows Ecobank Malawi’s passion and commitment in supporting the Education sector, he said.
Kaunda therefore assured Ecobank that this money will be put to effective use to meet its intended purpose as it will go directly to assist in building talented future leaders of our country. Kaunda said.
Representative of the needy students, Kondwani Gondwe said it is very emotional when students fail to write end academic semester examinations because of lack of fees.
“Most students are chased out of examinations because they did not pay tuition fees, some even fail to get accomodations as well as food,” she said.
Gondwe called upon the corporate world and well-wishers to come in and support the needy students to finish their education.
