Steve Bedi Tips Malawi Pupils to Nurture Their Talents

Steve Bedi (Left) and Bright Malopa (Right)

The UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador on HIV/AIDS, Steve Bedi a Ghanaian Jazz Saxophonist encouraged Malawi primary school pupils to use their school break time for recreational activities as a way of developing their talents and skills.

Bedi was speaking over the weekend at a Mlumbwira full primary school where he donated 40 classroom desks on behalf of Telecom Networks Malawi (TNM).

At welcoming the donation Steve Bedi watched pupils performing Mganda and other traditional dances. 

Bedi said was reminded of his musical career beginnings after watching the performance and that he was impressed with the pupils dancing skills. He therefore appealed to parents and teachers to encourage them to utilise the break time for recreation activities so that their skills are cultivated.

"They (pupils) don't have to be restricted to only class staffs but they have also to do recreational activities to entertain themselves" he appealed "because may be tomorrow they will be future Michael Jackson or Jenifer Lopez” 

Bedi also encouraged the pupils to work hard in class as well advance skills they feel are good at, like singing and dancing.

Bedi who narrated of how he rose from playing a pipe at school to a world class skilled Saxophonist said Malawi pupils can do the same and become future famous celebrities.

“It is really important because recreation is not just entertainment, but is something that recreates the mind and body, and it heals also.” he said,  "So recreation is very important for the students in schools because they get refreshed during their break time"

A 1926 Primary School Gets First Classroom Desks

A Lilongwe City North primary school considered the very old, located approximately 14 kilometres from the Capital city,  gets classroom desks for the very first time, a donation from Telecom Networks Malawi (TNM)

On Friday afternoon, pupils and teachers from  a 1926, Mlumbwira primary school looked happy at receiving 40 desks valued at K1.2 millionon from Malawi's Premier mobile TNM.

The UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS, a Ghanaian Jazz Saxophonist, Steve Bedi handed over the donation  on behalf of TNM and said "It is disheartening to note that the school with an enrollment of 949 students does not have a single desk." 

Bedi said an education institution with basic facility like desks gives a great motivation to students to do better and expressed the need for government and every person to take responsibility in provisio of the good learning enviromnet to pupils, the "future leaders." 

The UNAIDS Ambassador, who gave a motivationals speech to pupils also urged pupils, parents and guardians to refrain from undulging themselves in immoral behavior which may put them at risk of contracting HIV virus.

TNM Head of Marketing Sobhuza Ngwenya said the donation was part of TNM's corporate social responsibility and affirmative commitment in supporting government efforts in the provision of quality education.

Head Teacher for the school, Matthews Magwaza who thanked TNM for the donation said the school has a lot of problems.

He said, before the donation the school had only 10 plastic chairs for teachers and that students sit on the floor. He said the development has fueled school dropout among girls who mostly feel unconfortable sitting on the floor.

"This donation is a great thing to us" said the head teacher who promised to make sure that their first desks are taken care of.

"Pupils from this school sits on the desk for the first time when they got selected to secondary school" added the head teacher

On other challenges Mlumbwira primary school is experiencing, Mr. Magwaza said there is no staffroom office and that  all meetings are held under the tree. He further said the school has only six classrooms yet the it requires 15 classrooms.

Steve Bedi To Perfom At Cape Maclear Investment Forum

The Ghanaian Jazz Saxophonist and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, Steve Bedi promise to give his best performance on Saturday night in Lilongwe as he arrives in Malawi for the Cape Maclear Tourism Investors Forum.

Malawi's premier mobile network operator TNM has sponsored Ghanaian-born but US-based jazz to perform at the Forum starting on June 20 in Lilongwe's Bingu International Conference Centre, Peermont Hotel.

"I feel so great and it's always been a great feeling being in Malawi" said the artist adding that to be part of the Cape Maclear Tourism Investors project it's a great honor for him.

This is not first time for Bedi coming to Malawi but said his performance this Saturday will be "unique" more than performance that Malawians had watched him previously "This (performance) is for the whole of Malawi" he said "If you are giving something to Malawi, should you give something little? It should be a big one" he said

Bedi also said he is excited to partner TNM in promoting investment and tourism development at Cape Maclear, where a landmark world-class hospitality resort is expected to be built. 

As part of the partnership with TNM, Bedi will on Friday participate in a corporate social responsibility undertaking at Mlumbwira Primary School in the city.

"TNM was approached by UNAIDs to support the main artist for the project and when we looked at it we had several angles that impressed us as TNM to support."  Said TNM Head of Marketing Sobhuza Ngwenya  when justifying choice to sponsor Bedi to add lighter moments of the investors by facilitating such a top quality entertainment to be provided by the acclaimed international jazz man. 

Ngwenya also expressed hope that Steve Bedi coming will also help to support local artists through collaborations.

Ngwenya Addressing the Conference

Speaking about TNM interests to be part of Cape Maclear Tourism project, Ngwenya said this is in line with TNM's commitment to support tourism development in the country.

He said TNM will continue partner with the investors in the project by offering its communication solutions.

The Cape Maclear Investors Forum has attracted over 50 international companies, including Africa's richest businessman, Nigeria's Aliko Dangote.

Promoter for the Cape Mclear Project, Bright Malopa, who said could not talk much of the project pending to unbundle it on the Saturday's launch, said it is a multimillion Kwacha investment to be "a meeting point between Africa and the world" 

 

Malopa said the "high impact project" looks at potentially sums of about US$300 million and all that put in a land expansive of about 250 hectares in Mangochi and biggest tourism integrated project in the region.

He added that the project will boost economy through its activities and that over 1000 Malawians will be employed and transform the dynamics of Mangochi through number of investments. And Malopa says the project eyes to attract over 3 million visitors.