For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. — Romans 14:17-18
On June 1, 2019, Dr. Margaret Asalele Mbilizi-Sawerengera succumbed to a short illness bravely borne, after a gruesome campaign for parliamentary seat in Chiradzulu District.
A highly accomplished Malawian woman, Dr. Mbilizi thrice aspired to gain a parliamentary seat, and thrice was beaten, duped by the likes of Tippex mobsters. The loss through death of Dr. Mbilizi, is a great loss to Malawi, especially the education sector in which she spent her entire professional career.
According to a news report, Margaret Mbilizi-Sawerengera wife to Malawi US Ambassador Edward Sawerengera, passed away on June 1, 2019.
Margaret Asalele Mbilizi was a very accomplished woman. She served as Deputy University Registrar at the University of Malawi, Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, and Special Assistant for Education to the President of Malawi.
She was an Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Research at D’Youville College; Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb Illinois; and Assistant Professor of Foundations of Education at the University of West Alabama in Alabama.
Mbilizi had a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies and a Master of Science in Education (MS.Ed) from Indiana University. She also had a Master of Education (M.Ed) and a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) from Chancellor College, University of Malawi.
But I’ve not come here to talk of these accomplishments, great as they were. I’ve come here to tell the nation of MagZeenTha Promotions, a three-person civil society organization formed in the mid-1980’s and contributed over MK4,500 (the equivalent then to over $4,600.00) to the University of Malawi. MagZeenTha Promotions was the first organization to contribute to UNIMA for scholarships to needy students after government stopped making stipend contributions to the lone tertiary institution.
MagZeenTha Promotions was birthed by Zeenat Karim (aka Janet Karim), at the request of Margaret (to settle a school-based debt owed by her drama club), and endorsed by Thandikile Chisala, hence MagZeenTha Promotions.
One Sunday afternoon my Managing Editor, David Tattersall, having been convinced of the worth of my former fellow Chancellor College student Isaac Chirwa, asked me to attend his Shindig event. Tattersall asked me to bag whatever disdain I may have for Chirwa: “Just attend, write three positive paragraphs and one negative one, and enjoy a Fanta on behave of BP&P, and you’ll be fine with me.”
To get my three paras, I straight asked Isaac who else he was with, how much it cost him to hire the room, and what charity he was supporting. He was a lone horse, the room was gratis, and he was supporting MACOHA, MAP or some Malawi charity.
As I thought the gist of my third paragraph, I saw Margaret Mbilizi with a team of her drama group that had clinched 2nd place in the National Schools’ Drama Competition. She told me that she was at the Chirwa Shindig to fund raise for a K250 mini bus charge that her Head Master refused to pay from the school’s funding.
She would make about K75 from Isaac’s function, a portion of which would be divided between the dramatists. Margaret told me “Janet I’ll be dead before I finish paying this debt.”
At that point, I asked her why she didn’t organize her own event. I told her what Isaac had told me and thus began the journey to our organization. Margaret and I sat in the back of the Mount Soche Hotel and planned for a music, fashion, and drama show.
Knowing how busy Margaret could get, I approached Thandikile Chisala to join MagZeen Promotions. She was all in but asked for some buy-in on our name; this paved the way to the birth of MagZeenTha Promotions.
The first MagZeenTha Promotions show held at the French Cultural Center raised K350. The organization gave Maggie and her drama group the K250, with the K25 serving as expenses, MagZeenTha Promotions had K75 in its kitty which was used to open a bank account.
The joy for us other than having helped a friend out of a burdensome debt, was the presence of our mothers (Mom Jeannie Mbilizi, Mom Lois Mbekeani, Mom Veronica Chisala, and Gogo Thindwa in the audience, cheering and loudly clapping hands. They encouraged us to find something to support.
The encouraging words of support for our work led the organization to focus on the University of Malawi. Thus, MagZeenTha Promotions took the show up several notches and organized an Extravaganza Shindig at the Mount Soche Hotel. Through the event, MagZeenTha Promotions raised K4, 250. While the organization gave K4, 000 to our next project, the University of Malawi Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund.
The Fund was set up to help needy UNIMA students after the Malawi Government removed the tuition subsidy from university education. Both Margaret and I were alumni of UNIMA and had benefited from tuition-free university education, while the other MagZeenTha Promotions director had a high school education plus scholarship for her university education abroad.
By the time of our last contribution, Margaret was Deputy University Registrar. But our pride and joy was a cameo mention in the speech of the Chairman of the UNIMA University Council John Tembo. He commended our selfless contribution into the Vice Chancellor’s Fund.
At the time of these commendations, I was a feature’s editor at the national daily, the Daily Times, and I took the remarks and wrote articles encouraging commercial companies as Chairman Tembo had asked. He pointed out that companies were the recipient of graduates from UNIMA and that they should assist students or sponsor one or two in appreciation.
While MagZeenTha Promotions folded, the mention led to the start of social responsibility whereby numerous commercial entities such as the National Bank, Press Corporation and others began to supporting Malawi’s lone University.
As we mourn the passing of one of the pillars of the phenomenal MagZeenTha Promotions, let us salute Dr. Margaret Asalele Mbilizi Sawerengera for being one of the three champions that promoted and brought to the forefront the issue of affordable university education in Malawi.
May her soul rest in God’s eternal loving peace.
Janet Zeenat Karim
Author of Women & Leadership: Women are the Change you Seek “
A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” – Brad Henry
M.A. Sociology (Global Development & Soc Justice). St. John’s University
