More than 500 students at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas) need laptops to support their academic work, the institution’s director of student affairs Gertrude Sitolo has said.
Sitolo said access to laptops had become essential for students pursuing courses in fields such as engineering, entrepreneurship, business and technology, where digital tools play an important role in learning.
She made the remarks when education support organisation Kwera Fund donated laptops to 68 students and 10 desktop computers to the institution.
“Having a laptop is no longer a luxury but a basic necessity. This is a timely donation because we have brilliant students who cannot actively participate in academic activities because they do not have such devices,” Sitolo said.
She also appealed to other well-wishers to support students who cannot afford the devices.
Kwera Fund Head of Learning and Development Emmanuel Banda said equipping students with digital tools is important for developing a digitally competent workforce.
“We understand the era we are in, which is becoming increasingly digital. Through this intervention, we want our students to keep up with technological developments,” Banda said.
He added that Kwera Fund had set aside 405 laptops for distribution to students at public universities across the country.