While many students are busy preparing for life after graduation, MUST student Banda Chembekezo Kandunji from Dowa district has already taken a bold step into entrepreneurship by designing and building his own popcorn machine.

Kandunji, who is awaiting graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Language, Communication and Culture, has shown that innovation is not limited to science or engineering students.

By combining creativity, determination and practical problem-solving, he has built a fully functional popcorn machine that is already helping him earn an income.

To bring his idea to life, Kandunji worked with Mr Chimimba, a welder based at Mdika trading centre, who fabricated the machine's cabinet based on Kandunji's design.

Kandunji then designed and assembled the popcorn kettle and other key components, producing a machine that delivers consistent, high-quality popcorn suitable for commercial use.

"I have always believed that your programme of study should never limit your potential," said Kandunji. 

"I drew inspiration from existing commercial machines and adapted the ideas using locally available materials. With creativity, determination and knowledge we gain through education, it is possible to build solutions that create opportunities."

The machine has already attracted interest from customers even before its final finishing and painting.

Encouraged by the positive response, Kandunji has started using it as a source of income while planning to manufacture more machines for aspiring entrepreneurs.

For Kandunji, the project is about more than building a machine. 

It is about proving that young people can create opportunities for themselves instead of waiting for employment.

His story is one of the testimonies to MUST's commitment to producing graduates who think creatively, embrace innovation and apply their knowledge to solve real-world challenges. 

His achievement also demonstrates that valuable innovations can emerge from any academic discipline when curiosity, resilience and an entrepreneurial mindset come together.

As he prepares to graduate, Kandunji hopes to grow his popcorn machine business and inspire more young people to transform their ideas into sustainable enterprises, showing that with vision and determination, education can become a 
foundation for creating jobs rather than simply seeking them.