M’mbelwa District Council is developing a harmonised tool for bursary provision, which will be used by various partners to support needy students in the district.
This came out during a meeting between legislators for Mzimba District, including the Speaker of Parliament, Catherine Gotani Hara, who represents Mzimba North East and the M’mbelwa District Council Bursary Committee.
The committee highlighted several challenges, including duplicated activities, inconsistencies in identifying beneficiaries, the lack of a harmonised district-level information management system to track beneficiaries and inadequate collaboration between non-state actors and duty-bearers.
Participants at the meeting also reported that more girls are being supported through bursary interventions, with 1,112 girls receiving support in 2022 compared to 541 boys, and 1,083 girls supported in 2023 compared to 495 boys.
The committee stated that the tool will establish standardized criteria for identifying beneficiaries and ensure an inclusive selection process so that all needy and deserving students in the district can receive support.
