News from FOCHTA’s third University graduate
Hello! This is Amadu Bwanali, 27, from Thyolo District- Malawi. I am the 3rd born in a family of four, two boys and two girls. The girls left school due to poverty and the brother died when he was three. Both parents died before I reached 13. For seven years, I stayed with my late grandmother (82) and did my primary education. Life was hard during primary school and I had to do piece works in other people’s farms to buy notebooks and clothes, as the grandmother was in extreme poverty. We experienced hunger and lived in a leaking grass thatched house.
Still life was hard at secondary school as I was often chased from class due to school fees. Then FOCHTA started paying my school fee in 2003 from Form 2 to Form 4. FOCHTA supported me with clothes, kerosene, examination fee, lunch, uniform, school shoe, and counselling services.
FOCTHA continued paying my school fee at Catholic University. Of late, I have finished my 4-year course at the University and will be graduating in September (2011) with a Bachelor’s Degree of Social Work. While at the University, FOCHTA supported me with Tuition, Accommodation, transport, internet, stationery fees, and upkeep allowance. During school vacations, FOCHTA used to give me, work (youth programmes, research etc) at its office for experience. I have also worked at Zomba Hospital and District Welfare office. My dream is to help other needy students in future and help FOCHTA either in service or in any way.