350 school girls to benefit from Chinese sponsorship

Chinese Ambassador Shi- Ting Wang says 350 girls in need of educational support will benefit from his government sponsorship through Beautify Malawi (Beam) Trust’s Keep Girls in School programme.

The Ambassador on Wednesday handed over a K21 050 000 cheque to Beam Trust at Kamuzu Palace In Lilongwe for the programme.

“This year, we have decided to donate through Beam to implement the Chinese Ambassador’s School Sponsorship project. I am glad to know that 350 girls will benefit from this programme this year,” he said.

The envoy said he made the donation after First Lady Gertrude Mutharika told him that many girls, especially in rural areas, are dropping out of school due to early pregnancies, lack of school fees and learning materials.

Mutharika commended the Chinese government for the support, saying China has played a big role in making Beam programmes successful.

“We have enjoyed support from the Chinese government for a long time and right now, over 1 500 girls are benefiting from our bursary programme,” she said.

The First Lady said under this programme, two girls’ hostels were completed in Mzimba and Kasungu, while two more are near completion in Mchinji and Chitipa.

She said 10 of the beneficiaries are teen mothers who were rescued from early marriages and enrolled back in school to complete their education. n