Ezekiel Phiri is a very ambitious, yet thoughtful man with an appetite for fine things in life. A teacher by profession, he has preferred to refuse his meagre salary choke his dream of living an above average life.

“I value class and I am a man who strongly believes in eminence”, he says to stress his choice for fineness.

Clad in a black designer suit, a white shirt with a matching blue stripped neck tie, one can easily mistake him for a company chief executive. This kind of dressing substantiates his claim for an above average life. However adding to this, unlike any other ordinary teacher, he swims in the comfort of driving a Toyota Mark 2. 

“Everyone says I am a very exceptional teacher. Not only do I dress decently, I also drive”, he jokingly says.

Asked how he is able to live beyond his salary and sustain such luxuries, he quickly attributes his comfortable life to his affiliation with SACCO.

“I have been a SACCO member since 1998. My list of achievements, owing to my SACCO membership, is very long”, he points out.

He first heard of SACCOs from a friend who was also a teacher at .... primary school in the district.

“he used to say a lot about how other teachers were transforming their lives through the financial assistance they were getting at the SACCO”.

Not wanting to be left out, he joined Mzimba Teachers SACCO.

“My aim was to save for retirement”, he says before adding that his objective changed three years down the line when he heard of material loans from the SACCO.

“When I heard of material loans, an idea of building a house struck my mind. I saw this as an opportunity and decided to take advantage”.

In 2008 he got his first loan and topped up with his personal savings to build a four bed roomed house in Mabuchi Area at Mzimba boma.

“It is a very modern house, self contained and master ensuite. It also has a two bed roomed boys quarter”.

Since then, he has been through several loan cycles. He has used the loans to educate his children, buy household items and also support his farming initiatives.

“I grow a lot of maize, ground nuts and tobacco”.

He credits the SACCO for a fertiliser loan that it offers to members, allowing them to achieve bumper yield.

Of all the accomplishments, Ezekiel is most proud that he has earned the status of car owners and it even delights his mind knowing that he is one of the exceptional teachers who has achieved such a rare feat in the country.

“A lot of teachers envy me. They always ask how a primary teacher like me can afford such a status”.

Expecting to retire in 4 years, he is already thinking of setting up a family business that will support the family after his retirement.