There is hope that education standards will improve at Mtakataka Community Day Secondary in Dedza thanks to Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) for donating 100 desks valued at K20 million.

PIL is a consortium of four oil marketing companies namely Total Energies, Petroda, Puma, and Vivo Energy.

Speaking during the official handover ceremony a few days ago, PIL’s Operations Manager, Edmond Pingani emphasized the importance of a private sector involvement in supporting the education sector through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

"As a company, we believe that access to quality education is fundamental to the development of any nation; most public schools in Malawi face serious shortages of basic learning resources, and it is clear that the government cannot address these challenges alone.

“Through this donation, we are complementing government efforts and reaffirming our commitment to social responsibility,” said Pingani.

He further encouraged students to work hard in their academic pursuits, and urged the school community to take good care of the desks to ensure their longevity and benefit to future learners.

Mtakataka CDSS headteacher, Madalitso Chidathi, expressed deep gratitude for the timely support, saying the school has for years grappled with inadequate infrastructure and teaching resources.

“In our Form one and Form three classes, we had a critical shortage of desks. Some students, especially girls, were struggling to attend classes due to the lack of proper facilities. In some cases, newly selected students opted to drop out or transfer to other schools. This support from PIL will significantly improve the classroom experience and help us retain more students,” said Chidathi.

Taking his turn, Central and Western Education Division representative, Osbin Misatchi also commended PIL for the gesture.

“The hundred desks will cater for 200 students which is a great relief to the school and the Government requires such type of support from the private sector,” he said.

Mtakataka CDSS has an enrolment of 266 students from surrounding villages of Chitule, Malili, Kudzawe.