Keeping Hope in School

How the Kula Bursary Is Powering Dreams in Malawi 

Some of our Kula Bursary beneficiaries from Luvwere CDSS

At 17 years old, Zebron Jere carries a dream shaped by both ambition and adversity. From his home in Zolozolo, Mzuzu, Zebron has long aspired to become a doctor, not simply as a profession, but to give back to communities like his own, where access to healthcare and opportunity remains limited.

Yet, like many high-potential learners in Malawi, Zebron’s journey through secondary school has not been easy.

“ If the scholarship was not there for me, I think I would see only darkness in my future.” -Zebron Jere

Living with his uncle, a small-scale farmer supporting several children, Zebron’s education was repeatedly threatened by unpaid school fees. Even while performing well academically, he often found himself starting terms late or being excluded from class, a painful reality that places many bright students at risk of dropping out altogether.

“I was worried,” Zebron recalls. 

“I was doing well in class, but I could not attend school because of fees. If the scholarship was not there for me, I think I would see only darkness in my future.”

That turning point came when Zebron was enrolled into Ulalo’s Kula Secondary School Bursary while he was in Form 3, at a moment when his continuation in school was genuinely uncertain.

From Uncertainty to Confidence

Today, Zebron is in Form 4, confidently on the path toward his dream of studying medicine. In the past term, he emerged in top position academically at his school, with an aggregate of 7 points, a testament to his resilience, discipline, and focus once financial barriers were removed.

With stable support, Zebron now attends school consistently, studies without fear of exclusion, and is firmly focused on achieving single-digit results in his MSCE examinations. His long-term goal is to pursue a Bachelor of Surgery at the College of Medicine.

“Now that I received the support, I am happy that I will accomplish my goals of being a doctor.” He said.

What Is Kula?

The Kula Secondary School Bursary is Ulalo’s flagship education support initiative for academically promising but economically vulnerable learners.

The word “Kula” comes from Chichewa, meaning “to grow” or “to be nurtured.” The name reflects the program’s core purpose: to nurture potential and allow young people to grow into their full capabilities, regardless of background.

Kula focuses on:

·       Covering secondary school boarding fees

·       Reducing interruptions to learning caused by poverty

·       Supporting retention, dignity, and academic performance

·       Enabling learners to complete secondary education and transition to tertiary opportunities

By addressing financial exclusion at a critical stage of education, Kula ensures that talent, not circumstance, determines a learner’s future.

Impact Beyond One Student

Zebron’s story reflects a broader reality.

In the current academic year, Ulalo is supporting 31 secondary school students through the Kula Bursary, 16 females and 15 males, across different schools and communities. Each of these learners shares a similar story: strong academic promise, high motivation, and a real risk of dropping out without targeted support.

Through Kula, students are:

·       Remaining in school consistently

·       Performing better academically

·       Learning with confidence and dignity

·       Building pathways to higher education and skilled careers

For families, the bursary reduces overwhelming financial pressure. For schools, it improves retention and performance. For communities, it plants seeds for future teachers, health workers, leaders, and professionals.

The Kula Bursary is a core pillar of Ulalo’s Strategy 2030, which commits to improving education outcomes by reducing barriers to access, strengthening learner retention, and enabling progression to higher education and skilled livelihoods.

Kula is a commitment to equity, hope, and long-term impact.

By keeping students like Zebron in school today, Ulalo and its partners are helping to shape Malawi’s tomorrow, one learner, one dream, one future at a time.

Zebron’s journey is a reminder that potential exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.

With sustained support, the Kula Bursary can reach more students on the brink of dropping out and help them remain in school, excel academically, and pursue meaningful careers.

We invite partners, donors, and supporters to join Ulalo in growing futures through education. Together, we can ensure that no child with ability and ambition is forced out of school simply because of poverty.

When we invest in learners today, we invest in Malawi’s tomorrow.