Malawi Education: Medicine student’s dream in jeopardy due to poverty

Aug 15, 2016 Politics 58
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Mkwate Weston
Mkwate Weston
Mkwate in dire need.

19 year-old Weston Mkwate’s dream of studying at College of Medicine is in jeopardy as his father cannot manage to pay fees for him at the college, Malawi24 can report.

The student was selected to study Bachelors in Pharmacy at College of Medicine in 2015 which is a constituent college of University of Malawi (Unima).

Mkwate told Malawi24 that he did his primary education at Nsambainsa Primary School before being selected to Dedza Secondary School.

His parents worked hard to pay for his secondary school fees which at that time was K8, 000 but things turned sour when his mother died and left the responsibility to his father. But Mkwate passed his Malawi Secondary School Certificate of Education (MSCE) with 10 points and he was selected to COM.

Impressive MSCE results for Mkwate.
Impressive MSCE results for Mkwate.

“My father alone tried to pay for my school but as of now he is not capable to pay the fees at higher education regarding his monthly earning. “I applied for a loan but unfortunately they have not released the names of those who have been granted loans,” said Mkwate in an interview with Malawi24.

The aspiring pharmacist added that he is unable to register and might have to withdraw from the current academic year as his guardians cannot afford K600,000 for this year or even K300,000 for the semester which commenced on 8th August at College of Medicine.

“I am therefore looking for sponsorship from any individuals or organizations to live my dream,” he said. Mkwate comes from Zomba but currently he is in Machinjiri in Blantyre where his father is staying.

This is happening when there is strong disagreements over the Unima’s University Council decision to hike fees in its constituent colleges.

Recently, President Peter Mutharika trimmed the fees by K50,000 across the board after meeting University of Malawi Students Union (UMSU) at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

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58 Comments

  8. Somebody’s vote is punishing innocent people, this is the change u wanted from some1 whom u believe that will change malawi because of his highest education level, I hope u are now enjoying the change!

  9. It’s unusual for students to dropout of college of medicine. Perhaps someone is selling their vulnerability card too high

    3. Boss, how many people know of those. Have you seen a student from Tukombo CDSS who’s long distance is walking to Chintheche for a weekend game of football between two villages? (I am ignorant of the selection process there, so I know you are better placed to comment on this particular case than I am)

    4. You are only eligible when you register. In fact students are encouraged to get in touch with the office of Dean of students. We lack information dissemination in Malawi

  12. I always say that we get higher education by choice, not by chance. This means that it’s one’s choice to attain better education. Si maliro obwera mwadzidzidzi, ayi. You plan for it. So if plan A fails, try plan B. If all of them fail, don’t lose your hope, just go home & get something to do, remember: you are not the first one to face this situation, even your forefathers faced the very same issue.

    1. Ching’amba what u have said is exactly what most ppo dont want to hear. Education is not cheap and higher education is an investment. You need to plan for these things.

  13. So what? Ife makolo athu analephera bwanj sinali nkhani? Ndizachilendo kulephera fees? Mukufuna akutameni ndani? Nde ife titani? Ena analephera secondary chifukwa cha fees yomweyo,nde tikadandaule wa ku college yo? Mwandisusula mabala mwamva!

    3. Chifukwa inu munakanika sukulu cos of fees mufuna anzanu akanikeso? Chi mtima choipa. …ameneyu apezeka anthu a chifundo amuthandiza…may God help him

  20. Refer him to APM, he said no student will be sent back from college owing to lack of school fees. This is not politics, it was televised LIVE on MBC TV.

  21. My daughter too is about to be withdrawn from college of medicine after i hardly paid 170000 which the college is saying i should 430000 to make full annual which is 600000 so the question is where am i going to find the money?

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