MALAWI: Company Puts Smile on Catholic University

Luke Bisani

Smile Life Company has donated to the Catholic University of Malawi towards purchasing of new books and library resources in support to review of the curriculum which is currently underway.

Speaking during the handover ceremony of a cheque worth approximately $5,000 United States Dollars on Tuesday this week at the university’s main-campus in Nguludi Chiradzulu district, Smile Life Company Chief Operating Officer Beatrice Mangwana said the company is committed to improving the quality of education in the country.

Mangwana added that Smile Life Company values the efforts made by the University in providing quality education to the people of Malawi hence the gesture.

“This is a very good academic institution, it is an excellent institution, it has been producing excellent students, so we want to partner with them as they continue to grow,” said Mangwana

She further added that quality education remains the driving force for any country to develop hence the need to invest more in the education sector for the better Malawi.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Rev. Fr. Dr. George Buleya has applauded Smile Life for the donation describing it as a “timely” and “generous” contribution towards purchasing new books for the new curriculum.

“Five million is Kwacha is from a Malawian Company not a joke, we are very pleased that they have warmed up to our request very quickly, and this will go a long way in answering the needs of the students,” said Fr. Buleya.

“In their academic endeavors, students and lecturers need to interact with gurus that have written about similar matters from all over the world. You cannot be educated if you are just parochial, if you are just thinking about yourselves and reproducing yourselves, you need to go and source resources elsewhere” He Added.

The Vice-Chancellor added further that the university is striving to meet the demands of the growing numbers of enrolled students without compromising on standards.

Fr. Buleya then urged other Companies, Institutions and Organizations that the university has contacted on the same to emulate a well-set example by Smile Life Company.

Every five years, the Catholic University of Malawi conducts a curriculum review exercise as a way of ensuring quality education in the country.

Established in 2004, the Catholic University of Malawi offers accredited programmes by the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) in Malawi. The university offers Generic/Full-time and Weekend/Part-time rogrammes to those who meet the entry requirements and this far has a student population in excess of 6000.