A total of 172 underprivileged girls from three national secondary schools have received shoes and reusable sanitary pads worth K10 million from Castel Malawi Limited, in a move aimed at promoting dignity and supporting their education.
The beneficiaries are from Thyolo Secondary School, Lilongwe Girls Secondary School, and Mzuzu Government Secondary School.
Speaking during the handover, Castel Malawi Limited’s Human Resources and Corporate Affairs Director, Gloria Zimba, said the donation was made to encourage the girls to stay committed to their studies and to remind them that they are not alone.
“We have a lot of child-headed households, and you will find that it is mostly the girl child who takes up the responsibility of being a parent and drops out of school to look after their siblings. So, because of that, Castel Malawi decided to invest almost K10 million into encouraging the girl-child to give them some motivation for their future,” said Zimba during a visit to Thyolo Secondary school.
Zimba highlighted that Castel Malawi has donated school shoes and reusable sanitary pads, considering the cost of the items on the market.
“A reasonable and durable school shoe is now costing K50,000, and for a girl who cannot even afford school fees of K100,000.00 per term, it is difficult for parents or guardians to find that amount for a pair of school shoes,” she added.
Thyolo Secondary School’s Inclusive teacher, Mirriam Dosa, who represented the Headteacher, thanked Castel Malawi for the visit, which she said had given the disadvantaged girls a reason to persevere and work hard.
One of the beneficiaries, a form four student at Thyolo Secondary, Vianna Velson, expressed gratitude to Castel Malawi, describing the donation as timely.
