Mchinji DC hails Age Africa for its bursaries

Mchinji district commissioner (DC) Lucia Chidalengwa has commended Advancing Girls Education in Africa (Age Africa) for supporting needy learners through bursaries.

Age Africa, an organisation that advances girls’ education in Africa, on Thursday held an academic retreat for secondary school learners at Mchinji Secondary School under the theme ‘Access to Achievement—elevating academic performance for tertiary transition’ that targeted learners whose education and dreams were at risk due to financial challenges.

Chidalengwa (L) presents an award to Mchinji Secondary School. I Chrispine Msiska

Speaking during the event, Chidalengwa thanked Age Africa’s End-to-End scholarship programme and urged students to utilise the bursary to achieve their dreams.

“Never take this opportunity for granted when your friends out there who are three times more unprivileged are dying for the same chance,” she said.

Mercent Mthuzi, a teacher at Magawa Secondary School in Mchinji, who is also faculty adviser for Age Africa, said teaching English was becoming increasingly difficult as students struggle to understand the language.

She said learners fail to grasp knowledge in English because they do not read widely.

“Language is key to learning other subjects but the culture of reading is dying and learners fail to understand content delivered in English. You simplify it and half the class still looks blank, and you have to start from scratch,” said Mthuzi.

The programme’s beneficiary Maston Gomba, now in third year studying Occupational Therapy at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, said the initiative has boosted education standards in Mchinji.

On his part, Age Africa regional coordinator Lovemore Kutani said the programme provides comprehensive educational support from secondary through post-secondary levels.

“We also promote community engagement and life-skills development to boost academic performance and secure long-term livelihoods,” he said.

Meanwhile, Age Africa, with support from Phillip Morris International, says it plans to expand its 10-year End-to-End programme from 290 to 505 students

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}