Muscco helps Police to set up Sacco

As one way of trying to help police officers and their spouses generate more income, the Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Muscco) has partnered with the Malawi Police to form a Police Sacco.

This was disclosed by Muscco marketing public relations and corporate affairs executive Thandi Mipando Phulusa during a ceremony of where some Canadian volunteers donated sports equipment to the Malawi Police  at Area 30 in Lilongwe on Friday.

Said Phulusa: “The importance of Saccos cannot be overemphasised because it helps one to save. If a saving culture can be sustained you find people accumulating wealth and in the same vein their lives improve considerably.  For a start, we have trained spouses of Police officers and we are overwhelmed with the response we have received.

She disclosed that with the assistance of the police chaplaincy it was easy to reach out to many wives of police officers.

“We have made great strides and we are very happy that with the assistance of the same Canadian volunteers we have set up a bursary for students whose parents are Policemen or were Policemen once they have been selected to go to secondary school.

“Our counterparts from Canada  have already helped us set up a bursary and  they have also donated computers, books and balls to be used by children of police officers as a way of keeping them busy,” said Phulusa.

Chaplain for Regina Police in Canada, Blair Dixon, who is one of the main players in setting up the bursary said, he was compelled to help to set up a  Police  Sacco   by her wife who is also a  volunteer working with Muscco .

“I have visited several districts where I have met children of retired officers, some of them are orphans and they are finding it hard to go school hence our  decision to set up the bursary known as the Malawi Police Sacco Bursary Fund,” said Dixon.

Dixon who said was saddened with the problems that the Police is facing in discharging its duties said he will try his best to lobby some Canadian well wishers to help.

“I have seen that sometimes Police officers fail to discharge their duties due to lack of fuel and well wishers must assist to make the job of Policing easy,” he said.

Dixon said donations to set up the bursary scheme have been received from well wishers in Canada to help children as they enter secondary school.

“The bursary will be held in trust by Muscco and once the Sacco is formally licensed, the criteria for the selection of the worthy students will be determined and the bursary will make a presentation following the June examinations each year beginning in 2014,” he said.