Education stakeholders have described a growing number of students who are failing to pursue with their studies in the country’s colleges due to poverty, as a worrisome development.

The development, has forced a charitable organisation called Edufund to intervene by organizing an activity aimed at raising funds to reach out to 75 needy students who dropped out of school at Malawi University of Business and Applied Science (MUBAS), on financial grounds.

The fundraising activity, which Edufand will hold in collaboration with Blantyre Cycling club, will see the participants cycling bicycles from Blantyre to Zomba with the aim of raising funds amounting to K35 million.

Speaking to Yoneco online, Edufund communications officer, Bester Kayaye, said the situation at MUBAS keeps on worsening as the number of less privileged students is pathetically increasing.

Kayaye said: “The challenge has been there for a long time now as students are failing to access money for their school fees, food and accommodation and because of this they are failing to pursue with their education despite securing places at the university.

“Some are trying to fend for themselves by doing piece works a development which distracts them from their studies,” Kayaye said.

In his remarks, education expert Steve Shara, has pleaded with government to intervene on the matter by reaching out to more students with the loan initiative.

Shara further warned that the country’s 2063 vision cannot be a success if education is side-lined.