TNM Plc, through its mobile money business, Mpamba Trust has drilled three boreholes worth K9 million in Ntunthama schools in Kasungu.
Through the Mpamba Board Trust the company has also made an investment of K9 million for the purchase of 200 desks at Chipoka Secondary School in Salima.
TNM’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer,
said at the handover of the boreholes in Kasungu and desks in Salima that the contribution is a fulfilment of TNM Mpamba’s pledge to give back to community proceeds from the mobile money business.
He said funds for the donation have been sourced from interest accrued through the Mpamba business.
“This contribution is a fulfilment of the Mpamba Trust’s pledge to invest back into community and provide safe drinking water to people in water-supply distressed rural areas. At TNM, we keep our word, and through Mpamba our commitment to partner people and communities across Malawi is real,” he said.
Makata said TNM Mpamba is committed to apply mobile telecoms and ICT innovations as a catalyst for economic development in Malawi and through partnerships with communities.
“Through our digital financial service, we are proud to be a partner for development through contributions to the provision of portable water as is the case today in Ntunthama . TNM Mpamba is there for Malawians and has a tradition of giving back to community every year,” he said.
The TNM Chief Sales and Marketing Officer said TNM appreciates the challenges that people of Ntunthama have been experiencing in as far as access to portable water is concerned.
“Most of the boreholes have deteriorated because they were drilled more than ten years ago, and required to be replaced, upgraded or declared obsolete. Unfortunately, the rising cost in the provision of portable water cannot be managed by the communities alone. This situation does not bode well for people living in Ntunthama hence this intervention from TNM Mpamba,” he said.
Makata said with strong faith in the saying, water is life; Mpamba Trust believes its contribution to the community through access to portable water would ensure the health and wellbeing of the beneficiaries noting the intervention could have come at a better time than now when the country was grappling with a cholera outbreak.
Makata said the Mpamba Trust Fund in 2017 set aside over K270 million for community and people-centred intervention projects in health and education that the boreholes are just a continuation.
Ergo Community Days Secondary School (CDSS) headmaster Hardly Zondwayo Lozi hailed TNM for the timely assistance.
Lozi said that students, girls in particular had water problems as together with the surrounding community were scrambling for a single well which was far and usually dry most of the year.
“Everytime the well had water, it was the community first and the students second, which most of the times left them with water. For girls it was a worse situation because most of them had to abscond classes on sanitary issues
“With this borehole in place, class’s attendance by the students will improve which in turn will lead to better performances during national examinations. Girls enrolment will also increase because they will have nothing to worry about when it comes to access to clean and quality water,” he said.
On his part Salima District Education Manager Christopher Kumikundi hailed TNM for bailing out Chipoka School which was in dire need for desks.
“It was a bad situation to see form one and two students sitting on the floor, a very bad situation for girls. This becomes worse in the rainy season as classes are abandoned due to rainfall,” said Kamikundi.
TNM also drilled the boreholes at Vitangalala Junior Primary School and Chigampha Primary School.
Other health facilities that have that have benefitted from the Mpamba Trust Fund include Mulanje Mission Hospital, Majete Health Centre in Chikwawa, Kamuzu Central Hospital High Dependency unit, Ntchisi district hospital, Magamba Health Centre in Machinga and Malawi Against Physical Disability’s Kachere Rehabilitation Centre.
