Sunbird Hotels coughs K20mil in teacher training: Sponsors 7 student teachers

As Sunbird Hotels and Resorts continues to support its communities as a responsible corporate citizen, it must not come as a surprise when one learns that since 2014, Sunbird has spent MK20 million training 7 student teachers to become fully skilled and competent educators.

Following an MOU signed between Sunbird Hotels and Resorts and Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi, Sunbird has been sponsoring a total of seven students to train in DAPP’s Teachers’ Training Colleges under the DAPP Teacher Training Program that aims to support the Ministry of Education to improve quality education in rural primary schools through the training of primary school teachers that will be based on in rural areas.

The agreement stems out of the two organizations’ shared commitment to improve quality in rural education whilst also contributing to the achievements of the Malawi Government Development goals.

The seven students namely Fareeda Eid and Louis Salima were at DAPP Amalika TTC located in Thyolo District successfully completed their training and graduated in December 2015.

The five students from September 2013 Team; Chisomo Staubi—DAPP Chilangoma TTC, located in Blantyre Rural District; Chisomo Kwalira and Matilda Malwe—DAPP Dowa TTC and; Mwabi Ngwira and Josephine Ngwira—DAPP Mzimba TTC have successfully completed their 3 year training and graduated recently.

“DAPP’s teacher training program under which the 7 Sunbird Hotels and Resorts sponsored students completed is uniquely geared towards training students to be skilled, competent educators, who see their role as agents of change and are motivated, able and willing to work in rural settings.”

“The importance of improving gender equality through the program is a key element; hence 6 out of the 7 students sponsored were female,” said Enock Jumah DAPP’s Partnership Manager.

DAPP is currently operating four teachers training colleges namely: Amalika Teachers’ Training College (TTC) in Thyolo, Chilangoma TTC in Blantyre, Dowa TTC and MzimbaTTC running a three year teacher training program since 2002.

The first two graduated teachers namely; Fareeda and Louis are now independent and teach in schools in their communities. The five who graduated recently are also establishing themselves in their communities as part time volunteer teachers while waiting for full time employment.

Mwai Ngwira, a Mzimba TCC female graduate said the 3 year training has equipped her with skills to enable make a difference in the community she is going to serve in addition to normal classroom work.

According to Sunbird Group Sales and Marketing Manager, Levie Nkunika, ‘Sunbird Hotels and Resorts aim to be relevant and make a lasting positive difference in society.

“We believe good ethics make good business. All of us are where we are today because of a teacher. Teachers have a huge influence on communities, hence our choice to promote teacher education in rural areas. The benefits to society may accrue in the immediate, medium and long term,” said Nkunika.

Sunbird, is engaged in a number of corporate social responsibility are activities including afforestation, city beautification and also has been providing lunch to 60 cancer patients every Wednesday since January 2017 at Queens Central Hospital in Blantyre soon after their chemotherapy, among other things.

Sunbird Hotels & Resorts is the leading national hotel chain with eight properties located across Malawi: Sunbird Capital; Sunbird Mount Soche; Sunbird Lilongwe; Sunbird Mzuzu; Sunbird Livingstonia; Sunbird Nkopola; Sunbird Ku Chawe and now, Sunbird Thawale.

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