A Future Reclaimed – Tapiwa’s Hope with the Ulalo Bursary

Hope restored, dreams alive , Tapiwa’s smile says it all

6-year-old Tapiwa Anyamwale from Ekwendeni has faced more than his fair share of hardship.

Raised by a single mother who sells bananas to make ends meet, Tapiwa has grown up watching her work tirelessly to support their family. Despite her efforts, income was often unpredictable and rarely enough to meet even their most basic needs.

“I saw how hard my mother worked,”

Tapiwa says. “It made me realise I had to push even harder. I want to change our story.”

Earning a place at Euthini Secondary School, was a proud milestone, yet the victory was short lived. With tuition and boarding fees far beyond what his mother could afford, Tapiwa was sent home multiple times and struggled to keep up with his studies.

May 2025 brought a turning point. Tapiwa was selected for the Kula Secondary School Bursary, which covered his school fees and essential supplies.

“I felt light,” he says. “Like a huge burden was lifted.”

His mother wept with gratitude, saying for the first time she felt her son’s potential was being recognised.

“When I heard that my child would be supported, I cried. Not because I was sad, but because for the first time, I felt like my son was being seen. I have done what I could, but this bursary gives him the future I could not afford.” She said.

Tapiwa’s mother, the family’s pillar, selling bananas at Ekwendeni trading centre.

Inspired by his role model, engineer and Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba, Tapiwa now studies with renewed focus and a clear goal to become an engineer and lift his family out of poverty.

“I want my mother to rest,” he says. “I want us to stop struggling.”

Tapiwa is one of 21 secondary school students awarded bursaries, enabling them to remain in school. The initiative is made possible through funding support from the Bjørgaas Social Welfare Foundation (BSWF).

Ulalo’s Kula Secondary School Bursary under the PATH project is currently assisting 21 vulnerable secondary school students in Mzimba North and Mzuzu with tuition fees and scholastic materials, thereby preventing dropouts and promoting academic progression.