ICON Properties, a Malawi Stock Exchange listed company visited Mbayani Primary School in Blantyre to engage with students, teachers, and community leaders in a celebration of education and empowerment and as part of the Christmas festivities.

The event highlighted the achievements of the school, where ICON Properties through The NICO Group, which includes NBS Bank and ERIS Properties, built the first ever double storey classroom block in a public primary school in the country in 2024. The school currently has over 5,000 students and this year, witnessed 273 learners passing and 174 progressing to secondary school.

The school’s leadership expressed their dream of seeing 300 students reach secondary education, underscoring the importance of sustained community and corporate support.

Washington Chimuzu, Chief Executive Officer of ICON Properties and its management company ERIS Properties, delivered an inspiring address and interacted with the learners. He urged them to work hard and respect their teachers, asking them to, “Write down your own dream careers and aspirations today and pursue them until you succeed”.

Chimuzu further commended the teachers for their dedication in shaping future leaders, managers, and CEOs, emphasizing that such commitment is the backbone of Malawi’s socio-economic progress. The teachers and community leaders were also enlightened about the NICO Group’s companies, products and services tailored to create wealth.

Mbayani Primary School Head Teacher, George Kaombe, expressed heartfelt appreciation to ICON Properties and the NICO Group for their continued engagement. He also acknowledged the group’s role in fostering motivation among learners through initiatives such as the Mayor’s Trophy League, while highlighting the school’s need for additional desks to improve the learning environment.

As part of the interaction, ICON Properties and ERIS Properties distributed assorted stationery to support teaching and learning as well as sports equipment to the learners.