By Leonard Masauli

Lilongwe, April 4, Mana: Lilongwe Water board has bailed out needy students as well as awarded best performers at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) with tuition fees and book allowances worth K14.2 million.

Speaking during the ceremony on Thursday afternoon, the Board Chairperson, Paramount Chief M’mbelwa, said LWB thought it wise to bring an incentive to support best performing students as well as the needy, with tuition fees as well as book allowance.

“We signed a Memorandum of Understanding where the LWB would like to use Luanar in terms of managing the catchment area.

“We thought to bring an incentive to support the students with tuition fees, but also book allowances. We are not only looking at awarding the best students, but we are also supporting the needy students. This year, support is K14.2 million for students who have performed well, but also those who are needy,” said M’mbelwa.

Inkosi M’mbelwa said the Board feels the support is going to motivate the students, but also bring out a positive energy so that every student should aim high in their education.

Chairperson for LUANAR Council, Professor Zachary Kasomekera, said the awards will bring about competition and encourage students to work hard and, in the end, have students who are more knowledgeable to assist the agriculture sector.

“As you know, the agriculture sector right now is being troubled, or having a lot of problems, because of the way that our environment has changed.

“These are the students who will come up with innovations to do mechanization and improve agricultural output, and indeed, the scarcity of water, or the unreliability of water that we see now. Some of these students are taking irrigation engineering, and this will be vital, especially in our mega farms,” said Kasomekera.

The eight awardees went away with tuition fees of K995,000 as well as a K200,000 book allowance, while the four needy students were given tuition fees of K995,000 and a K180,000 book allowance.

Since 2021, the Board has assisted about 65 students with both tuition and book allowances.