Safety First: UNIMA, Police and Local Communities Unite for Student Wellbeing

The University of Malawi (UNIMA) recognizes that it does not operate in isolation and therefore continuously engages with its stakeholders to foster collaboration in promoting teaching, learning, and community development. Beyond academic excellence, the University also strives to ensure that students live and learn in a safe and secure environment that supports their wellbeing.

In line with this commitment, UNIMA, through its Security section, held a community engagement session with the Chikanda and Sogoja communities on 8th November, 2025. The exercise, conducted in collaboration with the Malawi Police Service, focused on issues of security, mental health, and environmental protection, particularly the safeguarding of the Chirunga Forest.

Chikanda and Sogoja are among the communities in Zomba that accommodate a large number of UNIMA students residing off campus. Recognizing the close interaction between students and local residents, the engagement sought to strengthen relationships, promote mutual understanding, and enhance safety and wellbeing for both students and the surrounding communities.

During the session, Mr. Givinor Kundaje, the University Security Officer, emphasized the importance of building and maintaining a strong partnership between the University and local communities. He noted that such collaboration is mutually beneficial and essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment.

“It is important for the University and the community to work together, as both parties benefit from this relationship,” Mr. Kundaje said. “We are also encouraging landlords to take note of the students renting in their hostels and act as guardians. Some students go through difficult situations that affect them mentally or emotionally, as seen in the unfortunate cases of suicide earlier this year.”

He further underscored the community’s role in promoting student wellbeing.

“Some of the students experiencing mental health challenges live among us, and we probably interact with them daily. As such, we are encouraging landlords and members of the community to be observant of any unusual behaviour from students that may indicate mental distress, and to report such cases to the University. We have relevant offices and professionals who can reach out and provide support. These are our children, we need to pay attention to them to help prevent tragedies,” he added.

Also speaking during the engagement, Mr. Naison Chibondo, Assistant Superintendent and Coordinator for Zomba Community Policing, urged community members to remain vigilant and take collective responsibility for ensuring the safety of their neighbourhoods. He emphasized that security begins with each individual.

Mr. Chibondo also informed landlords that the Malawi Police Service, in collaboration with the University, will soon conduct inspections to assess the conditions and security standards of student hostels.

“We want to ensure that the hostels meet safety requirements and that students are living in secure and habitable environments,” he said.

In his remarks, Group Village Headman Chikanda commended the initiative by UNIMA and the Malawi Police Service, describing it as a timely and commendable effort aimed at strengthening ties between the University and the surrounding communities.

He urged the people of Chikanda Village to refrain from encroaching on University land and cutting down trees. However, he also appealed to the University to continue involving him and members of the Chikanda community in matters concerning forest security.

“Our involvement should not end with tree planting; it should also include issues of protecting the forest,” he said.