CDF Bursaries Keep 115 Learners in School at Hillcrest

One hundred and fifteen learners at Hillcrest Boys Technical STEM School are currently funded through Constituency Development Fund bursaries, according to Head Teacher Rex Nalubamba - covering costs that would otherwise have pushed many out of education.

Mr Nalubamba said the bursaries have removed financial barriers and allowed students to remain in school and focus on their studies, with the fund playing an increasingly important role in keeping secondary school places accessible to learners from low-income households.

Among those who have benefited is Nicholas Chilala from Kalomo District, whose mother Janet - a single parent - had long struggled to keep her two sons in school. When the government scrapped school fees, the pressure eased, and Nicholas was able to concentrate on his studies. He scored 519 marks in his Grade Nine exams and secured a place at Hillcrest.

The CDF bursary has since taken over where the free education policy left off, covering the secondary school costs his mother could not meet alone.

Ms Chilala said that the combination of free education and CDF support had transformed her family's situation, describing it as a significant relief for households like hers.