Bankers Association and FDH Bank’s visit to Lunzu Secondary School exposes the school’s serious perimeter security challenges

* The boarding school does not have a perimeter fence

* Thus evil and barbaric minds of their sorrounding communities take advantage to come and steal including students’ belongings

By Duncan Mlanjira

Bankers Association of Malawi partnered FDH Bank to visit to Lunzu Secondary School for a mentorship session on Thursday, June 8 and the shocking part was the students had to stand in the hall because their chairs keep been stolen since the school does not have a security perimeter fence.

In his closing remarks after FDH Bank Managing Director, Noel Mkulichi had concluded his ‘60 Minutes with a Banker’ mentorship session — aimed at inculcating young minds on the culture of financial saving — headteacher, Collins Champiti apologized for the embarrassment caused that the students had stood throughout the event because they do not have chairs.

He explained that the boarding school does not have a perimeter fence and thus evil and barbaric minds of their sorrounding communities take advantage to come and steal the chairs and other equipment as well as students’ belongings.

An observation of the whole facility shows that the hall and all the classes’ windows and doors are broken; its access road from the M1 Road is in very bad condition as well as the school’s access streets.

The headteacher Champiti impressed on FDH Bank that though not as individuals, the whole school is by default customers of the bank since through the institution.

“All the students’ school fees payments are banked with FDH but through this motivational session, you have impressed on them on the need to save for their own future use,” he said.

As soon as Champiti concluded his vote of thanks, Mkulichi rose from his chair and engaged him at the microphone, where he said as a homegrown financial institution, FDH Group has a sustainability program named FDH Cares — which has four main pillars; ‘Our Community, Our People, Our Economy and Our Environment’ — that aims at giving back to the community it thrives.

Thus Mkulichi dared Champiti to engage the school’s committee and discuss the best means to address the security challenges they are facing and boosted that engagement by making an impromptu donation of K3 million.

In his motivational session, Mkulichi impressed on the students the fruits of hard work by sharing with them his life’s experiences, saying the journey was not all rosy but he persevered because he had high ambitions.

“It also goes with you — work hard and never be distracted but at the same time learn to save from the pocket money you receive by opening a bank account,” he said, adding that they would be amazed at how much the little they would regularly save would grow to be used for a rainy day or as a starter back once they finish their academic studies from the university level.

Amongst the guests were three ladies of professional repute that included Bankers Association’s Chief Executive Officer, Vyness Mkungula; FDH Bank’s branch manager for Lunzu Service Centre, Winnie Gondwe; head of operations, Mwiza Madanitsa; head of digital financial services, Victoria Mbewe and PR manager, Lorraine Chikhula.

Mkulichi turned to the girl students that it was not by design that they brought with them more ladies than men, but each one of them deserves their rightful attendance at such high level meeting, saying they all have achieved greatness on their own right.

“If these ladies have achieved greatness, you too can do it. Strive to be like these ladies, push yourselves to the limit and say I want to be like any one of them,” he said.

Victoria Mbewe then was called over to explain the services offered by FDH Bank, saying it is easier to open an account through Banki Pakhomo agents spread throughout the country, which has easy access to withdraw money, send or monitor its balances.

She was also very innovative when she asked two questions and when two students — that included a girl answered — answered correctly, she gave each a cash incentive of K2,000 from her personal pocket.

The awkward set up that they had to stand did not seem to deter the young minds from having fun as aimed by the whole programme since FDH Bank engaged some music equipment, whose DJ made sure they were well entertained before the guests arrived.

They merrily danced and sang along and even made requests for their favourite songs and as soon as the session ended with an enlightening group photograph, the DJ immediately blasted the hall with one of the students’ favourite — to which they all rolled in happiness and danced along.

Mkulichi explained that these Bankers Association ‘60 Minutes with a Banker’ mentorship program will continue throughout the country in partnership with other banks as part of financial inclusion and to inculcate a saving culture in the young minds.

FDH Bank also has its own school mentorship program named ‘FDH Mentor a Child’, that was rolled out in 2021 at Chichiri Secondary School by FDH Group Chief Executive Officer, William Mpinganjira as part of the celebration of the International Day of the African Child.

At the launch, the Bank donated 62 desks and 105 chairs worth K3 million to solve one of the challenges the school faced and in its second edition at Chiradzulu Secondary — presided over by FDH Bank’s deputy CEO, George Chitera — it donated 80 mattresses worth K2 million for the school’s hostels.

Chitera went further by also pledging to award students if they attain single digit Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination points.

Its the 3rd edition at Bangwe Day Secondary, which was presided over by FDH Money Bureau Managing Director, Daniel Khamula, the Group invested K2 million towards re-equipping the school’s science laboratories, which were in bad state.

Interestingly, all these three FDH Group executives have fond attachments to the schools visited — as Mpinganjira went through his early education at Chichiri Primary, which is the secondary’s neighbouring feeder school.

Khamula is an alumnus of Bangwe Secondary School while Chitera comes from Chitera Village, T/A Chitera in Chiradzulu District, which is the neighbouring community to the school.

The Career Guidance initiative was mooted at the company that every member of staff should play a role in this mentorship in order to own any CSR initiative that they shall be carrying out.