The Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC) Foundation, a non-partisan and non-political organisation aiming at fulfilling the vision and goals of the late Vice President Saulos Chilima, has paid annual school fees for 15 dependants of the five people who died alongside the Veep in a plane crash in Chikangawa in June last year.
Chairperson of the SKC Foundation and widow of the departed Veep, Mary Chilima said in an interview yesterday that as promised during the launch of the Foundation on 12 February this year, they have paid annual school fees totalling K12, 828,300.
“This gesture is a way of ensuring that the tragic and sudden loss of their parent on 10th June 2024 should not signal the end of their educational prowess. The children range from reception to university. The SKC Foundation intends to continue this support as long as funds permit,” said Chilima.
Chilima died in the plan crash alongside Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, Former First Lady and Adviser in the Office of the Vice President, Abdul Lapkeni, Deputy Chief of Protocol on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lucas Kapheni, Vice President’s Guard Commander, Chisomo Chimaneni, Vice President’s Aide-de-Camp and Daniel Kanyemba, the Vice President’s Medical Officer.
Crew members who were operating the Malawi Defence Force plane and died in the accident are Colonel Owen Lewis Sambalopa, the Pilot-in-Command, Major Florence Selemani, Co-Pilot and Major Wales Aidin, Flight Engineer.
During the launch of the Foundation, Mary Chilima also said in line with its vision of continuing Dr Chilima’s legacy, the Foundation is guided by among other objectives which include supporting education for underprivileged students in Malawi, providing aid to those in need during unforeseen crises, encouraging self-sufficiency among Malawians, promoting youth leadership development and also promoting collective mindset change.
