Mary Thom Navicha, member of parliament for Thyolo Thava Constituency, has paid school fees for all students at her Thyolo Thava Constituency who are writing exams at the Standard 8, Junior Certificate of Education (JCE), and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) levels and are unable to pay due to poverty.

Navicha made this decision considering the difficult economic conditions faced by parents of these students.

“As you may know, time is running out for MANEB to close its collections. I have observed that my parents are struggling, and upon seeing this, I realized that they won’t be able to raise the required fees in time! There is a severe hunger situation, and these circumstances have caused many parents to fail to raise fees for their children’s education! I also understand that some are genuinely willing to help pay for their children who are unable to pay for themselves,” said Navicha.

Currently, she is requesting that they continue to ask the government to consider all Malawians who are struggling due to the high cost of living at a time when the Malawi Kwacha is depreciating and hunger is affecting many households.

“The sad part is that even though schools have opened, many struggling parents do not know where to get the money from. Despite various interventions for needy students, certain policies cannot reach all those in need,” lamented Navicha, who is also the Vice President of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

For a long time, she has been helping students facing various challenges, and today, considering the economic hardships faced by needy students, she is thinking of helping all.

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) recently extended the period for students who have not paid fees to do so.