Suffix pours over half a million kwacha into Chitipa schools

Malawian artist Aubrey Ghambi, popularly known as Suffix, has launched the Aubrey Ghambi Excellence Award at Yamba and Ngoya Community Day Secondary Schools in Chitipa to recognize outstanding students and teachers.

The award is a beacon of hope in the district’s education sector. It celebrates academic excellence and challenges learners and educators to aim higher.

The initiative cost K550,000, covering calculators, school bags, mathematical sets, hard covers, notebooks and pens, as well as cash prizes for the Best Teacher and the Best Community Group.

Speaking to Malawi24, Chief Education Officer James K. Zimba commended the intervention, saying it would help reduce absenteeism and dropout rates caused by lack of learning materials.

“It is a very good intervention. It gives a model to other well-wishers to complement government efforts in improving access to secondary education, and it teaches learners that their education is a concern for many,” he said.

Representing the District Commissioner, Thomas Mwafongo praised the initiative but urged for its sustainability.

“It is indeed a good initiative. Let us engage further to see how the council can sustain it,” he said.

At Yamba Community Day Secondary School, Headmistress Chimwemwe Sibale said the award was based on district examination and 2026 JCE results, with the top five students from Forms 1, 2 and 3 selected on merit.

She, however, disclosed that Suffix’s award did not cover the 2026 MSCE high achievers, saying students who scored 20 points or fewer were awarded by the school itself.

“We merged our ceremony with Suffix’s initiative to celebrate the continuing students together,” she said.

Teacher Cairo Msango said the award focused on learners, with teacher incentives provided by the school, a gap she hopes will be addressed.

“I wish the sponsor could include teachers next time. Still, the ceremony instills a hardworking spirit among us. I was recognized as the best teacher after producing 45 distinctions this year, 31 in day school and 14 in open school, up from 16 last year,” she said.

Msango added that the school rewards teachers K10,000 per distinction, which pushed staff to work even harder.

The initiative also honoured the school’s Mother Group, whose support in providing girls with sanitary pads has been instrumental in reducing menstruation-related absenteeism.

Speaking by phone from the United States, Suffix said the award aims to inspire hard work among young people.

“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We are investing in young minds that can think critically, make informed decisions and shape Chitipa’s future,” he said.

He added that the initiative will expand to more schools across the district as part of his continued investment in education.