LUANAR awards innovative students with CDH Investment Bank support
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) awarded scores of its first year students pursuing innovative solution-based projects, spending MK10.9 million on the awards supported by CDH Investment Bank (CDHIB).
The annual LUANAR Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Awards, which CDHIB has been sponsoring since 2023, are given to deserving innovative first year students at the university.
Students pursue projects seeking to solve problems in communities, including energy and water provision, agriculture and environmental harm, according to Professor Zachary Kasomekera, LUANAR Council Chairperson.
At the 2024/2025 awards ceremony held at Bunda campus, scores of students received cash prizes, with five of the best 11 carting MK1 million each, to go towards their upkeep and stationery for a year.
Professor Kasomekera hailed the awards for encouraging innovation among young people and hoped CDHIB will continue sponsoring the awards.
“Once their innovations are tried and incubated, could be a source of new ideas and technologies to propel Malawi forward.
“We, therefore, need the support of more partners. Development and enhancement of research and innovation cannot be left with government alone”.
CDHIB Chief Business Development Officer, Jamal kamoto, said the bank will continue sponsoring the awards and get more partners onboard.
“We want to be part of transforming these young innovators into individuals that will significantly help Malawi. We need as many of them as possible”.
One of the best awardees is Mutisunge Chikweta studying for Irrigation Engineering and wants to create electricity using radio waves.
She is seeking financial support to actualize her innovation, saying her project will help address the problem of inconsistent and intermittent electricity supply in Malawi.
“Radio waves are a form of energy found in the atmosphere.
“It is a very simple technology that can be done anywhere as long as there is a device or antenna to convert the waves into electricity throughout the day.
“It is not costly like other sources of energy such as hydroelectric, solar, among others,” Chikweta said.
