Mufulira College of Education (MUCE) on the Copperbelt province has embarked on a program meant for vulnerable youths to access tertiary education.
ZANIS reports that MUCE Principal Grace Chilekwa says her college board has introduced the program to enable intelligent but vulnerable youths in the area to access tertiary education.
The institution was giving the vulnerable students a choice to pay in kind as they cannot afford tuition fees, she said.
Ms.Chilekwa stated that the selected vulnerable students engage in manual work at the college such as running the college poultry during vacation.
She noted that this was an important program, that had enabled youths whose future was bleak to achieve their dreams.
Vulnerable students who did not have money but had other things such as maize grain were allowed at the college as a substitute for tuition fees, said Ms.Chilekwa.
She said the measures were meant to reduce the large numbers of vulnerable youths who could not access tertiary education owing to financial constraints.
However , Ms.Chilekwa stated that the students were screened to assess their vulnerability before they could be admitted to this program.
She revealed that the learning institution had accommodated many students through this program, who otherwise could have been on the streets.
Ms.Chilekwa said the college was committed to playing its part to address the problem of vulnerable youths in the district.
May God richly bless you for opening doors to the poor Ms.Chilekwa! This is a good offering but should be very well managed so that the college does not suffer any loses and everybody benefits, well to do or poor.
And then some of them work at your house projects Ms. Chilekwa. I am sure that not all the maize is used ta the college.
You need to be supported for your initiative. You are really a blessing. God will reward you for whatever you are doing. May the Almighty God bless you.
This is a good initiative but in addition to this, please show transparency and accountability by publishing the board minutes when this decision was made and also the students you have allowed to be part of this scheme. We need to be transparent so others can emulate us. Let us know where the grain is going and the fact the MUCE is benefiting from this collectively. Otherwise, I applaud you.
Belive me If you investigate about those students who work during the holidays you will discover that most of them are Ms Chilekwa’s relatives. She just wants to seek attention otherwise the woman is a terribly corrupt. I have been a student under the leadership of Ms chilekwa and almost everyone knows what I am talking about
Its a pity to have people like Ms Chilekwa to run public offices. A very corrupt and selfish individual. Attention seeker she has destroyed the institution because of greedy for power and money