SIX months after cheerfully sharing with Kalemba how he found himself at Evelyn Hone College through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), 23 year old Micheal Nyorongo has died after a short illness.
At the immature age of 20, Micheal was forcefully shoved into marriage by his mother after he completed secondary school, a decision driven by financial constraints not readiness.
Born and bred in Chief Magodi’s chiefdom of Chasefu District, Eastern Province, Micheal came to Lusaka to pursue Biomedical Engineering after he got a CDF bursary.
After completing senior secondary school at Chasefu Secondary, Micheal did what many ambitious rural students do and applied to the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University and against all odds, where he was accepted to both.
With no money, no bursary and no backup plan, Micheal was married off, believing that no one was going to fund his education.
But then came a miracle disguised in policy under the UPND government, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which offered real-life bursaries.
Despite already being married and a father to one, Micheal gathered the little hope he had left, approached his local councillor, picked up the CDF bursary forms and submitted his acceptance letter from Evelyn Hone College.
Early 2025, Micheal made the list of selected candidates from Chasefu and started doing Biomedical Engineering.
The school confirmed the death through the dean of students, saying further details about the cause of death and funeral arrangements would be communicated in due course.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, November 12, 2025
