Standard Bank moves in to assist the girl-child at Mudi CDSS by donating mattresses for its hostel 

Despite being a community day secondary school, Mudi CDSS in Lunzu was provided with a special girls’ hostel constructed by Blantyre City Council, through a community managed project that was funded by MASAF.

In response to this initiative — and as one of its objective of improving education standards in the country — Standard Bank Plc has donated 63 mattresses for the hostel worth K2.6 million to enhance girls’ education at the institution.

Presenting the donation at the school, Alipo Nyondo — Standard Bank’s head of innovation ecosystems & partnerships — said the investment underscores the Bank’s commitment towards supporting education and alleviating challenges that affect the quality education and living standards for girl students.

Nyondo (2nd right) presenting the donation

And it also resonates well with the Standard Bank’s overall purpose of ‘Malawi is Our Home, We Drive Her Growth’.

“Like many government schools, Mudi has a shortage of materials to carter for boarding students,” Nyondo said. “Therefore, reaching out to this school, we are extending our impact to ensure that learners have a good place to live as they pursue their education.”

He added that the donation compliments government’s efforts to ensure sustainability in the education sector, saying: “At Standard Bank, we believe that education is key to transform the economic status of the country earmarked in the government’s policy.

“Our presence here is significant as we are enhancing secondary school education for sustained positive results and growth. Thus, this investment is a fulfilment of Standard Bank’s promise to give back into communities and be a reliable partner for development more especially in the education sector.

“This is in line with our purpose which seeks to unleash Malawi’s potential and drive the overall growth,” he said.

Blantyre District Council chairperson, Akima Chipwatali — who was the guest of honour at the handover — emphasized on the need for consolidated efforts to improve girl education in the country.

“Girl education is facing a lot of challenges where there is a need to have massive partnerships and investment to help in the achievement of meaningful development.

“The gesture by Standard Bank is commended as it will motivate girls in the area to work so hard in class,” she said.

Mudi CDSS headteacher, Greyson Katimba said the hostels will enhance school enrollment for the girl-child, saying: “We embarked on the hostel project after noting a surge in school dropout, more especially among the girls in the area.

“The assistance from Standard Bank with the mattresses is ideal development that will support our efforts towards improving girls’ education,” he said, while calling on other companies to emulate the kind gesture to help the school to register more desirable results.

Highlighting challenges at the school, Form 2 student, Faith Chirwa called for more support to enhance safety as the hostels are not secured as well as not having water, which she said are challenges that are affecting their education on daily basis.

“Despite having the hostels, we are not secured as the structure has no fence and we are prone to several risks,” she said, while applauding Standard Bank for the timely donation that will see the school delivering quality education — which in the process will help in developing the nation.

“This donation by Standard Bank is very important not because it is channelled towards girls, but it will enhance education. The development will arouse our curiosity to do more in our studies — a motivation we always cherish, thank you Standard Bank,” she said.

This is a third invest investment in the education sector by Standard Bank in 2023 — the first being towards Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) worth K20 million in January and the second on Wednesday, through its Limbe Branch in which it donated K1 million to the global school feeding charity, Mary’s Meals aimed at feeding 45 primary school children for a full academic year.

The Bank continues to invest in the education sector as a key driver in the nation’s attainment of MW2063 development blueprint.

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