Former president Joyce Banda on Wednesday appealed to Malawians to give back to others when they get assistance.
Speaking when she graced the launch of the Joyce Banda Foundation International (JFBI) K315 million Empowering Girls’ Future Bursaries project, Banda said beneficiaries must take the scholarships as a loan. Under the project, the foundation will offer scholarships to 1 000 secondary school learners and 1 000 university students.
“It is only proper to give back where we get assistance. I take these scholarships as loans. Beneficiaries don’t have to give back to me, but to others. Imagine, when we asked one previous beneficiary we assisted with studies in America, she said she could not afford to assist some students who could not afford school uniforms,” said Banda.
According to JBFI managing director Edith Akridge in the past 30 years, the foundation has offered scholarships to 6 500 secondary school learners and 2 500 university students. In the 2021/22 calendar, 324 students benefitted, while in the 2022/23 school year, 105 won bursaries and in the 2023/24 year, 219, including four boys got scholarships.
“All we ask from awardees is hard work so that they succeed. Off the top of my head, one awardee was performing badly and after several warnings the scholarship was cancelled. Right now he is working in a maize mill,” she said.
Akridge added that the foundation will soon issue a call for applications through secondary school head teachers and university registrars where awardees will be selected after proof of academic excellence and financial need.
University of Malawi Student’s Council representative Thanks Mwalwanda said the scholarships are timely, as many students are on the verge of dropping out for lack of assistance.
“It rescues excelling students who would drop out due to lack of fees, lodging and food. This complements the efforts of the loans board. Even the university alumni can emulate this gesture,” he said.
