Bridget Khunga is a recipient of the Orant Ulemu Scholarship, a university scholarship for high achieving students in rural Malawi.
Meet Mara Kamutu: Orant Sponsored Student
Cases of school dropouts and early marriages are not a peculiar phenomenon in the Northern Part of Dowa, T/A Nsakambewa.
Even intelligent girls tend to not realize their potential due to the realities of poverty.
According to a report by The World Bank, certain girls are farthest behind. They are those who face multiple disadvantages such as:
- low family income
- living in remote or underserved locations
- having a disability
- belonging to a minority ethnolinguistic group
Born and raised in the typical village of Bimphi, Mara was no exception. She had always been one of the best performing students from Bevu Primary School. She was selected to Nkhamenya Girls Secondary School, a national secondary school in Malawi.
“I had high hopes of beating the odds,” she says. “However, I could see my dream dying as my parents could not afford my school fees.”
Mara’s mother says, “We have 8 children. None went far with their education. Mara was the last born. Her education needs came at a point when we were too old to do piece work or cultivate our fields.”
Mara was on the verge of dropping out. However, a day before leaving the school campus, her luck turned. Orant Charities Africa’s Education Program came through for her.
Orant’s Education Program works closely with schools to sponsor students who wouldn’t otherwise afford an education.
Mara seized the sponsorship opportunity wholeheartedly. At the end of secondary school, she sat for her college entrance exams. She got 21 points on her MSCE. She has since been selected to the University of Malawi Chancellor College. She plans to study for a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities.
“Thanks to the donors, I will be able to realize my ambition,” Mara says. “In the future, I would like to help other needy students.”
Congratulations to Mara. We are so proud of you!
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The Orant Journal
Meet Mara Kamutu: Orant Sponsored Student Mara Kamutu – Orant Sponsored Student Cases of school dropouts and early marriages are not a peculiar phenomenon in the Northern Part of Dowa,
Esther Maupa is a 2022 recipient of the Orant Ulemu Scholarship. This scholarship covers university tuition for Orant Sponsored Students.
Mary Chipala applied for the Orant Charities Ulemu Scholarship. She is one of 7 students who won the scholarship to attend university.
For a long time, inclusive education has been a challenge in Malawi. Children with special needs have less access to education.
In Malawi, primary education is free. But for secondary education, families must pay tuition fees. For families with more than one child, school costs can become a burden.