UNIMA SAVE Team Leader encourages students at Utale CDSS

On 20th June 2025, Utale Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Balaka held a vibrant send-off Ceremony with Dr. Jonas Mwatseteza, Team Leader for the University of Malawi’s Skills for a Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Project, who is also Chairperson of the CDSS’s Board of Governors, as the Guest of Honour.

The day was a colourful celebration of talent and achievement. The outgoing class captivated the audience with performances in poetry, traditional dances, and drama, making it a truly memorable event.

Top-performing students were recognized for their excellence in academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. The school also received generous donations from well-wishers. These included books from the African Library Project (USA), sports equipment (footballs, chessboards, referee kit, branded T-shirts, golf shirts, caps, hoodies, pens, and diaries.

A special moment came with the crowning of Village Headwoman Chiwaya II as “School Champion” - an ambassadorial role created to inspire students and symbolize strong community support for education. To honour her role, Dr. Mwatseteza sourced branded zitenje (cloth wraps)  the Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board (HESGLB), the National Council for Higher Education (NCH,Eand all) six public universities in Malawi: UNIMA, MUBAS, LUANAR, MZUNI, KUHES, and MUST.

These cloths will serve to the students as a visible reminder that higher education institutions such as UNIMA are within reach. Feeder village chiefs and Mother Group Leaders were also given public institution university regalia as part of the support team to the School Champion.

Group Village Kantwanje, in his speech, applauded the school for a well-organised event and sent his best wishes to the outgoing class as they prepare for the MSCE exams.

Headteacher Mr. Emmanuel Pagone thanked the Guest of Honour and attendees, highlighting the importance of community engagement in uplifting education.

In his address, Dr. Mwatseteza expressed gratitude to the Board, teachers, traditional leaders, and parents for their unwavering support. He impressed upon the community that each day that students brave muddy paths and the scorching sun, they are on a journey to university via Utale CDSS. He urged everyone to support the students and the school in every way possible to create locally generated role models. He concluded by wishing the Form 4s the best in their examinations.

Last year, Utale CDSS sent 7 students to public universities (5 girls, 2 boys) and one of the girls scored 14 points, the best performer among all CDSS students in Balaka, Mangochi, and Machinga.