Reminisces of School Days

National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONM) members have gifted a family from a village close to Nkhoma Synod Nursing college MWK65000 as a token of appreciation for what the family did for them when they were students at the college.

Speaking in an interview at the handover ceremony of the gift, the representative for the NONM members, Blessings expressed his gratitude towards Mr. and Mrs. Tsoka for providing them with shelter at a time when they had disagreements with the school’s administration. He was also thankful to NONM for the support they rendered during that time.

He said: “NONM showed us great love, helping us, spending their resources until we were enrolled again into the school after being expelled.”

“And our fellow students at Nkhoma college also gave us a lot of support. they did not leave us alone. We moved together in line with our motto “an injury to one, an injury to all. We survived through such collective efforts,” he added.

He also gave a word of encouragement to students that they should register as NONM members and that the student level is the best time for them to do so.

Central west zone NONM chairperson, Mr. Chimwemwe Ziyaya, who was the chairperson of Nkhoma hospital NONM branch at the time the incident occurred said the attention given to the gift presentation ceremony is a strong message that NONM wants to have many students on board.

He said “If you look at our activities as NONM, over 90 percent are targeting the qualified nurses. But now this is an issue to do with students’ chapter. So, we are also giving a strong message this time around under the presidency of Mr. Shouts Simeza that we are also considering students because they are nurses and midwives in making who are going to join this industry.” 

Paul Mekani, principal nursing officer for Nkhoma Synod Mission Hospital expressed appreciation to the former students for displaying such a loving heart.

He said: “I am very happy on behalf of NONM because that time I was a national treasurer and I was serving here at this campus as PNO, lecturer and board member of Nkhoma college of nursing. So, I’m very happy today to see our students who had a problem with the administration coming back to appreciate to the family that gave them support when they were in dire need.” 

Acting executive director for NONM, Harriet Chiomba, shares similar sentiments with Mekani.

She said: “I’m so happy because in the history of NONM this is the first time for qualified nurses to remember to go back to somebody who helped them when they were in trouble to say thank you. This is very important because I remember even in the Bible when Jesus had healed a person and he told him go to your priest and say thank you.”

“It was a poor family that actually assisted the 13 students, accommodating them, giving them food. It is something very rare. If you look at the family, they are not well to do but they are rich in the heart.