02/04/2018
ANGLICAN DIOCESE, AWARDS UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP TO OUTSTANDING PERFORMER- LIKOMA ISLAND GIRL.
Date: 1st April 2018.
Written by: Shamuda Drake
As one-way of encouraging and imparting, the spirit to strive for education among students at St. Peter’s Anglican Secondary School (SPASS), in Likoma Island, Anglican Diocese of Northern Malawi had pledged to offer incentives to deserving students scoring a margin of less than 20 points.
The Anglican diocese has finally lived to their promise following award of a university scholarship to the only outstanding student and a girl selected to study nursing at Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN), in the 2018/19 academic year of university study.
The diocese has officially announced to provide a four-year scholarship to Mercy Saidi, 21, a student who had unlocked the exit door of SPASS by scoring 15 points during her 2017 MSCE candidacy.
Speaking at a the presentation of the best performer awards held at Resource center hall, Sunday, Lord Bishop of the Diocese, who was also guest of honor, Fannuel Magangani, said the scholarship is a call for her services to help Likoma communities after finishing her studies in the next four years.
“We made a pledge to support her education from first year to fourth year until when she finishes her studies. We hope by supporting her she will also come back on the Island to support other people,” said Bishop Magangani.
He added; “But we have seen it today that we can give an award to a student from our own school, so we are very blessed today and grateful, that we have at least a product that is going to be a registered nurse from Kamuzu College of Nursing.”
Magangani further disclosed that the fees would come from offerings of the Anglican gathering that did not have enough for themselves, but they gave for the work of mission.
“And when they give, those of us who receive from church we need to work hard, knowing that the people who contribute do not have enough money…but they try to contribute for our well-being.”
Bishop Magangani then said he expected a lot from her that she worked hard in her studies because the pledge came with the diocesan encouragement and prayers.
In her gratitude, Mercy said studying nursing at the public university had always been her dream and with the coming of scholarship was her dream came true and she was so grateful to the Anglican diocese.
“I am so excited because it is like a dream come true, I always wanted to become a professional and spirited nurse that would be trusted by her clients. The trust only comes when a well-educated medical practitioner work to help people,” she said.
She further encouraged girls to work hard on Sciences at school saying success comes with hard working.
“The Science subjects are for everyone regardless of s*x as long as you work hard and stay focused when you put your determination on what you want. I know my parents would not manage to pay for my tertiary studies, I want to thank the diocese for helping me,” she added.
In his remarks, his father, Mr. Emmanuel Saidi, shared his excitement and attributed the fortune to God working wonders.
He said he did not expect that his daughter would receive a scholarship, instead of celebrating his daughter’s success he was full of worries of where he would access school fees for Mercy.
“I have unlimited excitement that my daughter has finally secured scholarship for her university studies, I am happy because she has made us proud. I almost gave up sending her to university, because I do not have money, God is the only way,’ he said.
He rekindled his childhood reminiscences; “I always had wanted to continue my studies up to the university but I failed due to other unpredicted state of affairs. This is God’s plan, He has solved my dreams in other way round…my dreams have been fulfilled with my daughter.”
Mr. Saidi then assured the gathering that he would prepare his daughter psychosocially to avoid nerve-racking the sponsor.
He also urged all parents to believe in God and observe His heavenly plans, saying, “This is an all-inclusive excitement because she carried a burner of all the girls in the Island district.”
Mercy Saidi received several other largesse from well-wishers ranging from cash and pledges in kind alongside Steven Mabviko who scored 16 points and his hopes reposed on Mzuzu university entrance exams.
The Diocese, St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral management and some parents protracted their gifts to SPASS teachers whose candidates passed with distinctions.
Speaking on behalf of the staff of SPASS, head teacher, Fr. Jolly Chadzuka, said under his watch he would make sure that teachers did not exploit future of their students and that girls were not s*xually battered.
Nevertheless, Fr.Chadzuka, noted with a concern that it was a nationwide scrutiny that many girls did not like sciences.
He then counselled parents and other stakeholders to form unity of education purpose if Likoma Island was to reclaim its history of astronomical performers selected to public universities.
Mercy Saidi, is the only girl who studied her primary and secondary education on Likoma Island, she is the only girl from Island district who made it to public university after decades.
Bishop Magangani poised to offer university scholarship to star-performer-Mercy Saidi, at Resource center hall-Likoma
