Airtel Malawi on Wednesday donated five bicycles to students at Mpherere Community Day Secondary School in Ntchisi as part of its K6.4 million commitment to the 2 Wheels 2 School initiative which is targeting underprivileged students in schools across the country.
Five more outstanding students at Mpherere are expected to benefit from the initiative which apart from providing bicycles, also provides notebooks, bags and school fees to beneficiaries. The students are supported until they complete secondary school.
Airtel’s Corporate Social Responsibility Assistant Manager Veronica Ngulube said Airtel is excited that its partnership with 2 Wheels 2 School will help outstanding students to complete their studies.
She noted that some of the students travel several kilometres early in the morning in order to attend school which starts at 7AM.
“So, these bicycles and the fees will assist students who walk long distances and were struggling to pay their fees. They will be able to access education and complete education,” Ngulube said.
One of the beneficiaries, Innocent Kanyinji, who is in Form Four said the donation will assist him since he travels 15 kilometres to get to school.
“With this donation and the fees, some of our challenges have been addressed and we will be working harder than before,” he said.
2 Wheels 2 School team member Promise Chipeta said they noted that students who travel long distances to school are likely to drop out of school hence it is their hope that the provision of transportation to students will help reduce dropout rate.
She added that the organisation wants the students to be role models in their communities.
“We know that they are doing well in class already and now that they are getting the support that they need, it will motivate them to work extra hard and motivate other people as well,” Chipeta said.
A total of 100 beneficiaries in 10 schools across the country are targeted under the partnership with Airtel.
The schools benefiting from Airtel’s commitment have been drawn from Nsanje, Blantyre, Neno, Dedza, Lilongwe, Dowa, Ntchisi, Mzimba, Rumphi and Karonga districts.
