Funds amounting to K744 555 ($1 489.11) realised from this year’s national service of worship ahead of the Independence Anniversary Celebrations held on July 5 in Blantyre have come to the rescue of Bandawe School for the Hearing Impairment.
Head teacher for the institution, Lerapie Banda, said the donation has come at a right time as the school was in a financial crisis.
He said: “We have managed to settle huge outstanding utility bills, improved the students’ diet and procured enough maize stock which has been our major problem before the intervention.”
In his remarks, boarding master Kennedy Nkhata said the institution solely depends on monthly other recurrent transactions (ORT) funding of K210 000 ($420). They used the ORT to settle all expenses, including payments of five support staff.
Said Nkhata: “The CCAP Synod of Livingstonia has continually sustained its support to the institution with relief food items.”
He said the institution requires not less than K400 000 ($800) monthly funding to operate smoothly.
Nkhata also said the student population at the school is growing adding more strain to the already thin budget.
He said: “Accommodation is also a problem as the hostels are meant to accommodate 80 learners, but we now have 93 residential learners.”
The institution has standards One to Seven and is expected to introduce the Standaard Eight soon.
