Former students of Mbapapi Private Secondary School in Kasungu District, Saturday donated foodstuffs and assorted groceries worth K500,000.00 to teachers and support staff at the school to cushion them from economic shocks caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Since government closed schools in March this year, teachers especially from private schools have been going without monthly salaries as the schools mostly rely on school fees for salaries.
Speaking in an interview after the donation, the alumni’s chairperson, Albert Chipeta said teachers at the school have been heavily economically affected by Covid-19.
“Imagine we are talking about someone staying for about seven months without being paid his/her salary.
“How does such a person survive in terms of food and other basic necessities. This is the reason we decided to donate to them a few foodstuffs and groceries,” said Chipeta.
He said that even people who have been on payroll are currently struggling due to negative economic impacts of the Covid-19 hence it was just important for teachers at Mbapapi to be given the start-up foodstuffs.
“On the other hand, this will act as a motivation, as you are aware that these teachers will be resuming their duties on and we hope they will appreciate that some people out there are interested in addressing some of their challenges,” he said.
Headteacher for the school, Sageman Chirwa said teachers at the school have been going through one of the toughest periods in their career and
commended the alumni for the gesture.
“To say the truth, this is the worst period we as teachers here have gone through as we do not have any other reliable means to raise money apart from relying on salaries, so when schools closed, it was like a death sentence to us.
“We therefore take this initiative by the alumni, to remember us in this way, as a salvation to us. We thank them for this,” said Chirwa.
Proprietor of the school, Rodgers Sithole hailed the alumni for remembering teachers at the school saying this demonstrates that the school really raised responsible people.
The donation included sugar, salt, cooking oil, maize flour and soap among others.
