This article was originally published on Malawi24 ">Malawi24, Malawi's #1 independent news platform. University dream was becoming too expensive to hold onto for 25 talented first year students at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). Tuition was only part of the struggle. Food, accommodation and other basic needs were piling pressure on students who had the talent to succeed but lacked the means to stay the […] Read the full article and more Malawi news at 25 dreams rescued fr
University dream was becoming too expensive to hold onto for 25 talented first year students at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Tuition was only part of the struggle. Food, accommodation and other basic needs were piling pressure on students who had the talent to succeed but lacked the means to stay the course.
Then, an unexpected lifeline arrived.
The Airtel Nzeru Fund Tech Scholarship Programme has stepped in to keep the 25 students from 17 districts in class, covering their tuition and providing accommodation, monthly stipends, internet connectivity and laptops as they pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes.
The scholarship has been launched through a partnership between Airtel Malawi and MUST, targeting high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds.
Beyond paying tuition fees, the programme seeks to remove some of the financial barriers that can force talented students to abandon their education.
Speaking during an induction event for the beneficiaries, Airtel Malawi Managing Director Aishish Dutt said the initiative is aimed at bridging the gap between talent and opportunity.
“We know that talent is there everywhere, but the opportunities are not. And that’s where Airtel comes in, to close those gaps between the opportunity and the talent,” said Dutt.
He said the company will provide comprehensive support to the students throughout their university studies, which could take four or five years depending on their programmes.
Dutt: they just need an opportunity
“We are not only giving the tuition fees for the university, we are also taking care of their connectivity needs through internet. We’ll give them internet, we’ll give them their monthly stipends in terms of their food and other things that they need,” he said.
Dutt said Airtel’s decision to invest in the students is also driven by its responsibility as a corporate citizen.
He said the beneficiaries have demonstrated immense talent and, with the right support, could contribute significantly to Malawi’s technological development.
“If we can come and play our part as responsible corporate citizens, we are unleashing the complete cohort of the students who can shape the future of Malawi and help us all realize the digitization future that is there in the 2063 vision for Malawi,” said Dutt.
At MUST, the intervention has been welcomed as timely support for students facing financial challenges.
Dr Duncan Batizani, Assistant Registrar responsible for Academics at MUST, said financial difficulties can affect students’ academic performance and ability to remain at university.
“This is a welcome gesture. As you know, we receive students that are having challenges financially and the financial problem leads into failure in the academic,” he said.
Batizani said the pressure on students has increased as the demand for university education has grown.
He recalled a time when government support covered a much larger proportion of university students’ needs.
Thamanda: thank you Airtel
“20 or 15 years ago, every student at university was adequately supported by government. But we have high demand now. Government cannot also support everyone as it had already been the case,” he said.
According to Batizani, students are now struggling with basic needs including food, tuition fees and accommodation.
He said the Airtel scholarship is helping to address some of those challenges by providing the beneficiaries with tuition fees, accommodation and monthly stipends, among other forms of support.
For Emmanuel Thamanda, one of the beneficiaries, the scholarship has provided a fresh opportunity to pursue a career he may have struggled to finance on his own.
Thamanda is studying for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems and Security at MUST.
“I am very excited. This scholarship has given me an opportunity to engage in something that I was unable to do on my own,” he said.
He said the financial assistance has given him confidence that he can continue with his education and build a sustainable future.
Thamanda described the intervention as highly commendable, saying such support is rare but badly needed in Malawi.
“I would say that it’s highly commendable because they’re doing something that is rare and far more needed in this country,” he said.
