Standard Bank Plc has donated K20 million to CARE Malawi to support girls' education and women's empowerment initiatives. According to AfricaBrief, the funds were presented during a Women Leadership Breakfast in Lilongwe on Wednesday and will back CARE's Strengthening Opportunities for Adolescent Resilience project. The initiative provides catch-up education opportunities for girls who have dropped out of school or never attended. Standard Bank's Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, Tamanda N'gombe, stated that the investment aims to keep children in school and drive local economic growth.
In related corporate support for the education sector, Ecobank Malawi has provided K10 million to the Independent Schools Association of Malawi (ISAMA) for its upcoming development conference. Maravi Express reports that the conference is scheduled for May 27 to 29 in Mzuzu. ISAMA president Bishop Wycliffe Chimwendo commended the contribution, noting that it will help strengthen private education delivery across the country. The sponsorship comes ahead of Ecobank's launch of a specialised financial solutions package tailored for educational institutions.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare has successfully reintegrated 385 street-connected children back into their families to ensure they have access to parental care and schooling. Minister Mary Navitcha announced the milestone in Blantyre, explaining that the government is working to place children in stable environments. According to AfricaBrief, the ministry has also trained 30 regional trainers to implement community-level family education programmes that address the root causes of child neglect and school absenteeism.
At the tertiary education level, researchers from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences are deploying low-cost air quality sensors across the country. With backing from the EPIC Air Quality Fund, the team is installing AirGradient monitors, including a unit at Mzuzu University, to provide critical public data that will help universities and policymakers formulate environmental and public health policies.