Phalombe Secondary School Alumni is set to donate mattresses to its alma mater on Saturday, 1st March. In an exclusive interview with this online publication, Twink Jones Gadama engaged Robert Nazitwere, Publicity Secretary for Phalombe Secondary Alumni, to discuss the motivation behind this donation and how it will impact the school.
Twink: What motivated the Phalombe Secondary School Alumni to initiate this donation of mattresses to your alma mater?
Robert: We carried out a needs assessment at the school
that established the need for mattresses for the students. The Association felt duty-bound to come in and assist the school as it has shaped so many of the great minds we have become today.
Twink: Can you tell us more about the current state of the school’s dormitories and how the lack of mattresses has affected the students?
Robert: Currently, the school does not have adequate and good mattresses for the students, especially boys. Also, most of the beds are said to be in a dilapidated state. We believe that such a state of affairs has the potential to negatively affect the student’s performance.
Twink: How many mattresses will the alumni be donating, and what is the total value of the donation?
Robert: We are donating 200 mattresses worth approximately K11.5m
Twink: How did the alumni manage to raise funds for this donation, and were there any specific fundraising activities or events?
Robert: All this money has been sourced and generated internally by the alumni through various fundraising initiatives. The main one was the Buy-a-Mattress campaign where our members were encouraged to commit to buy at least one mattress.
Twink: What role do you think the alumni can play in supporting the development of their alma mater, and what are some of the plans you have in place?
Robert: We have a responsibility towards our alma mater as it has made a significant contribution in shaping us and making us what we are today. And we will continue to assist the school in every way we can to ensure the students are motivated and inspired. We intend to have a tour of the school during the function to appreciate its current problems, and we shall then decide how best to assist in the future.
Twink: How do you think this donation will impact the students and the school as a whole, and what are your hopes for the future?
Robert: We hope that this donation will motivate the students to excel in their studies but also instill in them a culture of responsibility and ownership. They will then know that they must care for the school’s property because if they don’t, they will have to return in the future to replace the same.
Our future hopes are that we will be able to mobilize more resources that can be challenged directly towards motivating the students and teachers to improve their performance in national exams.
Twink: Were there any challenges or obstacles that the alumni faced in organizing this donation, and how did you overcome them?
Robert: We did face some challenges but nothing insurmountable. Teamwork and unity of purpose have been very critical as well as transparency and accountability. Members were able to trust the Executive in the endeavors and they bought into the initiative which made things a lot easier to manage.
Twink: How can others, including current students, parents, and the wider community, get involved in supporting the school and the alumni’s efforts?
Robert: We welcome anyone with a passion and desire to help to get in touch with us. They can contact our resource mobilisation Chairperson, Mr Stuart Chuka at +265 88 887 5793
Twink: What message would you like to convey to the students, teachers, and staff of Phalombe Secondary School, as well as to the broader community, through this donation?
Robert: To the students: please it is your responsibility to take good care of these mattresses to ensure they remain in good condition. To the teachers: continue the good job you are doing on installing discipline and hard-working spirit in the students.
To the community: feel free to come and participate in this noble cause as it requires all of us to collaborate and complement the government’s efforts in revamping our public schools.
