By Twimepoki Mangani
LILONGWE-(MANA)-Teachers and students from the Central West Education Division (CWED) and Northern Education Division (NED) have donated MK2 million to each division (MK4 million in total) and assorted items to their colleagues in the southern region who have been affected by the recent Tropical Cyclone Freddy.
Speaking on the sidelines after a symbolic handover ceremony to Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) in Lilongwe on thursday, Education Division Manager for NED, Jennings Kayira said their division felt duty-bound to cordinate the donation as a symbol of all solidarity and compassion.
“We have our colleagues, our fellow students, teachers and head teachers who were traumatized by the loss of property and infrastructure and as members of Education, we believe for teaching and learning to go on well, our colleagues needed support in terms of property and food staff,” Kayira said.
Some of the donated items included 10 bells of Sugar , 500 kg of flour, 210 cartons of U-fresh soap, 90 bells of clothes, 5 bells of Soya pieces , Blankets , plastics cups, exercise books body lotions and writing materials.
Kayira thus expressed hope that the aid will ensure the students and teachers are well equipped when the teaching and learning process resumes subject to Ministry of Education’s order upon assessments.
Taking his turn, Education Division Manager for CWED, Joseph Nkhata said their gesture is also in line with the appeal made by President Lazarus Chakwera, on operation “Tigwirane Manja” hence joining other stakeholders who are contributing to the cause, as seen in their partnership with Malawi Secondary Schools Headteachers’ Association (MASSHA) during the donations.
“We are all one family as Malawians therefore the loss of life traumatized us and affected the teaching in the other divisions which were not physically affected,” Nkhata said.
In his remarks , Under Secretary of DoDMA Christopher Herbert said their sector working groups (clusters) have put donations into categories in order to easily direct well-wishers on what relief items the affected people are in need of.
The clusters are shelter, Protection, Health, Non-food items, food security and Nutrition and WASH which includes soap and mobile toilets.
DoDMA’s situation report released on March 24 indicated that at least 273 388 learners were affected by the cyclone with 113 students (69 boys and 44 girls) and two female teachers reported to have lost their lives, within the affected divisions , South West Division, South East Division and Shire highlands