It does not get any sweeter than this to see President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera securing US$100 million which will be used as educational loans to 1000 Malawian students.
The Malawi leader broke the news on Friday when he attended virtually the launch of Africa – US Presidential Forum on STEM/AI on Thursday.
“The programme is expected to see collaboration between US academic institutions and prospective African students to pursue courses in fields such as engineering, through scholarships,” Chakwera wrote on his Facebook page.
Added the President: “The initiative gives us a chance to build our own future by harnessing science and engineering technology at tertiary level which in turn will anchor our aspirations towards a middle income economy.”
According to Chakwera, the gathering also committed US$2.5 million as a grant in the form of prep-school scholarships.
Chakwera explained that he took the opportunity to lobby for more collaboration from the global community in the Cyclone Freddy recovery efforts under Operation Tigwirane Manja.
During the deliberations, said Chakwera, he was also accorded the privilege of serving as the initiative’s chairperson.
The event was hosted by Her Excellency Rev. Dr. A.K. Ocansey, the Executive Chairperson of the Nekotech Center of Excellence and Founder of the Nekotech Center for Labour Migration Diplomacy.
What the President is doing is in line with what he said in Parliament when he was delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament recently.
President Chakwera spelt some strides the Ministry of Education has scored in achieving quality and access to higher education.
The President said his Government has completed the expansion and rehabilitation of the School of Economics at the University of Malawi, including the construction of a 350-seater lecture theater and a 100-seater computer laboratory.
He also added that the construction of the new administration block
and teaching complex at LUANAR has also been completed.
Chakwera also said that the rehabilitation of two campus hostels and the expansion and upgrading of Domasi College of Education have also been completed.
The President concluded by saying that his Administration is accelerating the construction
of a technical education building at MUBAS, and the administration block at KUHeS, with an expected completion date of 2025.