Over 3,000 pupils in Lilongwe and Kasungu districts will benefit from safe drinking water and new classroom desks following a K43 million donation by the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI). According to the Nyasa Times, the corporate social responsibility initiative delivered boreholes and double-seater desks to six rural schools, including Mwenda and Chioloko primary schools. At Chioloko Primary School near Mitundu, learners received desks for the first time since the institution opened 27 years ago. The new boreholes are expected to reduce waterborne diseases and provide clean water access for both the schools and their neighbouring communities.
In higher education, two students from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) are representing Malawi at the Africa Regional Competition in Nairobi, Kenya. According to LUANAR, innovators Ufulu Kampinga and Monica Didas are pitching a youth enterprise project named HopeSeed AgroLink. The agricultural services project aims to support smallholder farmers in the Kasungu district by integrating technology, mechanisation, and better market linkages.
Meanwhile, the government is expanding efforts to enforce compulsory education policies and keep children out of hazardous work environments. Pan African Visions reports that during a recent anti-child labour event in Mzimba District, officials pledged stronger workplace inspections and community awareness programmes. As part of the initiative, Ekwaiweni Primary School received textbooks and additional learning materials from development partners to improve classroom instruction and student retention.