By Kondwani Kandiyado
Luchenza Secondary School (LUSS) Alumini has donated 100 mattresses worth over K4.2 Million to Luchenza Secondary School to help address acute shortage of mattresses at the school.
The donation follows a request from the school’s management to intervene on the challenge of inadquate mattresses at the institution.
The donation has been made possible through the ‘Buy a matress’ campaign the Alumni launched recently where it also reached out to other stakeholders.
Speaking during the handover ceremony held on Saturday at the school, LUSS Alumni president Davie Zolowere, said they decided to make the donation to complement government efforts in improving education service delivery.
He said: “We are glad that we are giving back to our school and our community. We feel this will help open up opportunities for more donations to help solve the mattress challenges.”
Meanwhile, Zolowere said since so far 120 mattresses have now been donated, the school remains with a gap of 210 mattresses out of the initial 330.
“We are reaching out to different stakeholders including banks, individuals, among others. Our hope is that all the 330 mattresses are bought so that every student has a mattress,” he said.
He also said the Alumni has resumed administering bursaries to needy students at the school.
“We have started with four students and will sponsor them for a year with K1.4 million.
“Our wish is that no student should fail to continue with school because of the problem of lack of school fees,” said Zolowere.
The District Commissioner for Thyolo, Hudson Kuphanga applauded LUSS Alumini for the donation, saying it will go a long way in improving education service delivery at the school.
He asked the students to take care of the mattresses so that they serve the intended purpose.
Kuphanga has also pledged to assist two needy students with fees and three mattress at the school.
One of the students at the school, Lalet Johnson thanked LUSS Alumini for the donation, observing that mattress challenge was affecting their education at the school.
“Some students have been sleeping on beds without mattresses (panjanji) while some have been sharing, due to insufficient mattresses. With the donation of the mattresses, the challenge has been eased” she said.
Since its inception in 2014, LUSS Alumini has been engaged in various projects at the school such as fixing doors, installing water tanks and piping system and replaced broken windows besides offering bursary to over 30 needy students.
