Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:42:30 +0000
By Simon Mwanza
MTN Zambia has awarded two female University of Zambia (UNZA) engineering students with K20, 000 as a way of encouraging the girl-child to aspire to a profession in engineering.
And UNZA head of department of electrical and electronic engineering, Simon Tembo, who represented the Dean of School of Engineering, thanked MTN for the gesture and hoped that students who received the awards would serve as an inspiration and model to other young female students.
Wilima Khwima, an electrical and electronic engineering student was awarded K15, 000 by MTN for the best second year female student, while Naomi Simumba walked away with K5,000 for the MTNZ price for the best graduating female student in Telecommunications.
Speaking during the award giving ceremony in Lusaka yesterday, MTN Zambia chief executive officer, Charles Molapisi said that the award giving initiative began some two years ago as a way of MTN Zambia responding to social needs in the communities in which they operate.
Mr. Molapisi said that it was his company’s social responsibility to offer prizes to the best graduating students in the School of Engineering.
“Over the past two years, we have given prizes to the best graduating students in the School of Engineering as a way of contributing to the enabling of the girl-child in the fields of expertise traditionally dominated by men.
“It takes a village to raise a child, and MTNZ is playing its part in keeping the girl-child in school,” he said.
He congratulated the two girls for their hard work and encouraged them to continue being role models.
Meanwhile, Mr Tembo thanked MTN, adding that the gesture stood to fire up the imagination of female students to dare enter studies in engineering.
“I hoped these female students will serve as an inspiration and model to other young female pupils in secondary schools,” Mr. Tembo said.
