Mbirira Community Philanthropy Committee
In Salima, community leaders around Mbirira Community Day Secondary School were drawn and a vibrant community philanthropy committee was formed under the Strengthening Higher Education Access In Malawi Activity(SHEAMA). The committee has been working with 125 chiefs around the school who have been contributing resources for the support of needy students. Mbirira Community Philanthropy Committee
According to the secretary for Mbirira Community Day Secondary School, Ruben Chirombo, since Mbirira Community Philanthropy Committee was formed, CRECCOM trained them on how they are supposed to source and manage funds to improve the education of the needy students at the school which has already seen some students benefiting with school fees.
“We were happy because chiefs and the headteacher at Mbirira Community Day Secondary School were highly involved throughout our orientations with CRECCOM and they have been central in resource mobilization and identification of 33 needy students,” said Chirombo.
After having several meetings as a committee, they agreed to start assisting one of the neediest students at the school in the name of Modester Damalesi aged 16 from Group village Head Chilambe who had financial challenges to support her education in terms of school fees and other necessities which could have led to her dropping out of school. The committee hence came to her rescue since she was in form one in 2021 and have so far paid for her for 3 academic terms.
“The Committee paid school fees for me ever since I was in form 1 and I do thank SHEAMA very much for the initiative. They still support me up until now,” said Modester.
Modester would like to become a secondary school teacher just like her female teacher at Mbirira Community Day Secondary School who inspires her.
Apart from supporting Modester in terms of school fees, Mbirira Community Philanthropy committee also motivates Modester on the importance of being educated by giving her an example of some of the people who have done well all because of education.