NPL story bears fruits at Lusubilo
Two weeks after The Nation published a story which revealed poor living conditions at Lusubilo Music Centre in Karonga, the situation has improved following procurement of mattresses for students.
Last month, four students quit from the centre because of poor living conditions. They also said they resigned because they were not gaining in monetary terms from the centre’s Lusubilo Band.
Students at the centre receive K2 000 ($3.6) each as pocket money in a month and are given K5 000 ($9) each as a token of appreciation after each performance.
The 10 students live in a rented house at K45 000 ($80) a month which the centre pays.
They are given K60 000 a month for supper and breakfast.
Most of the students could not afford a mattress and were sleeping on mats.
The Nation established that the centre’s founder, Kim Agnes Chungja, conducted random interviews with students to hear their concerns.
During the interviews, said our source, it transpired that some individuals close to Chungja had lied to her that Malawians do not sleep on mattresses.
Lusubilo Band leader Joseph Nyirenda confirmed about the interviews Chungja conducted a few days ago.
“She thought most of us here in Malawi are poor that we don’t sleep on mattresses. But during an interview with me, I told her that we have mattresses at our home. This was the answer by most of us, and immediately she bought us the mattresses,” he said.
Lusubilo Music Centre was established in 2010 by Chungja with resources that mobilises from her home country to uplift arts in the country. n
