Malawi: Premium Tama Donates Learning Materials Worth K1million to Mangochi Schools

Source from:  Malawi News Agency  11/18/2013

Premium Tobacco Association of Malawi (TAMA) on Wednesday donated assorted learning materials worth K1 million to three primary schools in Mangochi at a function which took place at Katema in the area of Senior Chief Mponda in the district.

Speaking in an interview with the Malawi News Agency after making the donation, Garry Kachifumbu, Senior Manager for Premium TAMA Company said the ten thousand exercise books which have been donated to the three schools were meant to help pupils work extra hard since they have the necessary materials for school.

He said the company strives to give back to the community which keeps it in business by contributing towards the improvement of quality education in support of government efforts, among others.

"It is our corporate social responsibility to give back part of the profits from the gains made in the tobacco industry by ploughing back to the community which we serve. School going children are at the centre of business because it is only an educated society which can continue with the country's development process," Kachifumbu said.

"We are doing all this on the understanding that the children being supported today come from farming families which enable us make business," he said, adding the gesture was one way of expressing the company's appreciation for the just ended season.

Speaking at the same function, Joe Magombo, Deputy District Education Manager for Mangochi thanked the Premium TAMA Company for such a donation, noting that it would go a long way in alleviating some of the challenges facing the education sector which include shortage of teaching and learning materials. Magombo on the other hand said the exercise books will also motivate the beneficiary learners to remain in school thereby reducing the ever increasing dropout rate, especially among girls.

"Most of the learners stay away from classes in search of piece work as an excuse for lacking some basic learning materials which this donation will directly address.

"It is our expectation that the learners will now come straight to class for they will not have any other reason for absconding. It will also increase general school enrolment for children at the three schools," Magombo said.

Magombo further observed that most parents in the villages fail to buy a pen or note book for their children which forces them to stay at home, a development he said leads to high illiteracy levels in the country.

The schools which have benefited from the donation are Namisi which took home 4000 note books, Ntinjitinji collected 2000 exercise books while Milambe received 4000 books.

Premium TAMA Company is one of the leading tobacco companies in Malawi which buys the gold leaf touted as country's major foreign exchange earner from farmers before grinding it for export. Enditem