Hard work. Colorful Performance. Selected to University. Jubilation. Low Class Performance. Tears. This is a story of MUBAS Student, Witness Shapu who worked hard in secondary school and passed with 14 points at his Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Examinations.
As his celebration for being selected to university was still at a tender age, tears are now characterizing his days as his academic life is suffering a heavy blow.
As reports continue to emerge that some students at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) formerly known as Polytechnic are in need of financial and physical help to sustain their academic career, Witness Shapu has also broken his silence and called for an urgent ‘reach out and touch’ probably a ‘good Samaritan.
The story of a 21-year-old boy, Witness Shapu who is in the second year of his Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Studies at the institution says he is spending much of his time on piece works at Limbe Market with an aim of earning some funds for accommodation, clothing and food among others since both of his father and ‘sick’ mother are unable to source and provide the required money to him.
Witness has in an interview however said he is struggling as the piece works he does do not meet the required resources hence his physical and academic life is still in miserable.
“It has been so hard to make it to the second year with a lot of problems I have been facing since I started my academic career at the institution,” Shapu said adding that if some well-wishers will not come in for help, then he will probably lose his place at MUBAS due to low performance which comes as a result of stress and anxiety.
Witness says he pays a rent fee amounting to K16,000 each and every month at a house he stays in Blantyre, Soche area, the distance that takes him over hour when traveling to school.
According to the MUBAS Student, he loses concentration in class due to fatigue emanating from long distance he covers each and every day when going to school.
“I always feel tired when I’m in class. I sleep late and wake up so early with little or no concentration on my studies,” he added.
The student has meanwhile asked well-wishers to at least be helping him with some basic necessities like food, shelter and clothes and at least money for transport or else, there should be means of reducing the distance between his residential area and the school.
Witness Shapu who did his secondary school education at Thyolo Secondary School scored 14 points with 2’s in Physical Science, Biology, Geography and Agriculture among other subjects. Wow! What an impressive performance which is being degraded by poverty.
In an interview with Member of Parliament for Thyolo Thava Constituency, Mary Thom Navicha, where Witness Shapu is a constituent, said was very disheartening that students like Witness are struggling to make ends meet in tertiary level institutions despite being covered by Loans Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board.
“I know Witness as a very intelligent student and I’m even worried with his current academic life now,” Navicha said.
The MP has meanwhile pledged to do all what she can in a bid to ensure that Witness’ situation improves.
“Since the issue has been raised and I also know it already, I will try my best to help the boy,” she added.
Nevertheless, the legislature has called for more support towards the education sector more especially welfare of students saying their surrounding determines their academic life and academic results determines the country’s future.
Malawi adopted the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and go number 4 talks about quality education and for quality education to be achieved by 2030, there are ways that were put in place of which some of them are a different case with Witness Shapu and other students in all education levels which are primary, secondary and tertiary level here in Malawi.
