MDF rescues Bunda students
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) Vice-Chancellor Professor George Kanyama Phiri has commended the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for coming to the rescue of the institution when it experienced water shortage for a week.
Speaking in an interview, Kanyama Phiri said they did not close the institution because MDF deployed water bowsers to deliver water at Luanar’s Bunda campus for five days until the situation improved early this week.
“We were in a terrible mess. Imagine, there are over 2 000 students and to go without water for over five days was not on. We tried our best to use the water from boreholes, but the situation was not good until MDF came to our rescue,” said Kanyama Phiri.
He said some students had to attend lessons without bathing and others had to use their own money to buy bottled water.
A senior lecturer who did not want to be named said many students were using the nearby bushes as toilets during the period.
“We have had problems with water, but the situation has never reached last week’s proportions. Even though water has started flowing from the taps it is very dirty and not fit for human beings,” said the lecturer.
Mitundu Secondary School deputy head teacher Madalitso Mkwezalamba, whose institution was also affected by the water shortage, said classes were disturbed the whole of last week because there is only one borehole catering for 882 students.
