Underprivileged students receive K21m for small-scale businesses

Underprivileged students in seven schools have received a K21 million financial package to enable them establish small-scale businesses that can support their education and daily living.

The Marist Brothers in Malawi have provided the resources with assistance from an Irish charity called Misean Cara.

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It is expected that 15, 000 underprivileged students from Likuni Boys Secondary School in Champagnat Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) and Marist Secondary School in Dedza, St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School in Balaka, Zomba Catholic and Mayaka Community Day Secondary Schools in Zomba and Msalura and Mafco CDSSs in Salima will benefit from the initiative.

Speaking on Monday during a training workshop at Likuni Boys Secondary School in Lilongwe, National Provincial Councilor for the Marist Brothers in Malawi, Brother Francis Jumbe, said the major objective of the support is to give the students an opportunity to gain entrepreneurship experience through a more experiential approach.

Said Jumbe, “Entrepreneurship and innovation are key in empowering students to become independent and channel their creativity into creating something of their own while at the same time enhancing the analytical and logical skills that can enable them solve any problem. That’s why we strongly believe that students need to develop skills that prepare them to innovate, lead, collaborate, and persevere; that is why entrepreneurship is so important for all students.”

Girls Education Project assistant manager Patrick Siwinda said entrepreneurship has potential to help in reduction of poverty and economic inequalities among families.

Siwinda therefore encouraged the beneficiary students to make use of locally available resources and promote innovation by taking advantage of the financial support they have received.

One representative of the beneficiary students, Sarah Ving’ando, thanked Marist Brothers in Malawi for the support, saying it will go a long way in addressing the economic challenges her family is facing.

Ving’ando once dropped out of school and only returned with support from the project, which has seen 15, 000 underprivileged students receiving support in various forms.