By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, February 25, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has challenged Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in Salima to be vigilant in providing checks and balances to the district council as one way of enhancing transparency and accountability.

The call was made Friday during the Salima District CSOs monthly meeting organized by NICE Trust through Boma Lathu, a European Union funded programme.

NICE Trust District Civic Education Officer, Queen Mataya, underscored the need to have an active CSO network that will speak for the marginalized saying the majority of the community are not involved in decision making processes.

She appealed to CSOs to take extra steps to ensure that they follow and are up to date with council decisions and processes such as budget consultations, procurement and contract awarding.

"There are some decisions that district councils make that directly affect citizens; it is such decisions that have to be keenly followed and where they observe an error they should voice out their concerns," she said.

She, therefore, said for efficient service delivery, there has to be a good working relationship between the council and CSO network at all times.

Salima CSO Network Chairperson, Paul Duncan, said it is their duty and responsibility to ensure that the district council is held accountable.

"Monitoring that resources are channeled towards development and for the betterment of people's livelihoods should be prioritized. If we fail in our duty of serving people of Salima then we need to re-strategies our plans," he said.

He complained that CSOs are not involved in procurement issues, bid opening and contract awarding hence called for their involvement in such important processes.

Salima District Council Chief Planning Officer, Lonia Mwiyeriwa, said for the council to achieve maximum efficiency CSOs have to be involved in most decisions made by the council.

"As advocates, on behalf of the government, they assist us in various areas such as policy change and raising awareness. They are also our source of information and communication with the community.

To complement government’s plans outlined in the Malawi 2063, NICE Trust is implementing Boma Lathu with funding from European Union to address democratic and governance issues.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, February 25, Mana:  Contractor for Nyika Water Project, which will tap water from Runyina River in Nyika National Park and distribute to communities around Nyika/Vyaza conservation area, says the project will be ready by June, 2024.

Regional Manager for the contractor, HE Jackson Engineering, Timothy Bertrand, said this during a joint monitoring visit by Department of Parks and Wildlife and Rumphi District Council officials on Friday.

Bertrand said there has been some delays in the project due to importation challenges which has seen some pipes for the project stuck at Dar es Saalam Port for a month because the port was too busy to clear them.

He said, once completed, the project will be able to provide water to at least 18,000 people in 2024 and up to 33,000 by 2044.

District Commissioner for Rumphi, Emmanuel Bulukutu, said the project is one of the major water projects being implemented in the district by Malawi Government and its development partners.

He was optimistic that access to water will significantly improve in the targeted areas.

"We cannot talk of achieving the Malawi 2063 aspirations of becoming a self-reliant wealthy nation without water provision. These are the projects that will take us there. This will provide portable water for our people.

"We also had many Cholera cases around Kamphenda, Lusani, Mwazisi and Kazuni due to lack of access to clean and portable water. That will soon be a thing of the past," he said.

Principal Parks and Wildlife Officer in the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Catherine Chunga, was impressed with the quality of works and was optimistic the project will be completed within the revised timeframe.

Senior Chief Mpherembe of Mzimba, whose area will also benefit from the project, said people in the targeted areas were struggling to access clean and portable water, with some using untreated water from Rukuru River, increasing health risks such as Cholera outbreaks.

The US$4.5 million (approximately K7.6 billion) project, which is funded by the Republic of Germany through KFW and is managed by Peace Parks Foundation, was launched by Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule in April 2023, was initially expected to be completed by March, 2024.

By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, February 25, Mana: Government, through the Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA) on Saturday started distribution of maize flour assistance to 132,000 people in Dowa with a call for the country to do away with dependence on rain fed agriculture.

Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, made the remarks in Traditional Authority (TA) Msakambewa when he launched the exercise which aims to cushion persons facing food shortages from hunger during this year’s lean season.

The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) 2023 annual report projected over 4.4 million people to be food insecure during the 2023/2024 consumption year and recommended provision of food assistance to the affected population in 28 districts and four cities of the country.

Kawale said in response, government, through DoDMA and in collaboration with humanitarian partners, facilitated the development of the 2023/2024 LS-FIRP to mobilize resources and effectively coordinate the humanitarian programme to address needs of the people facing food insecurity.

“As the state president said, he will not let anyone die of hunger. As such we are commencing this exercise here in Dowa to reach out to the affected,” he said.

He said it is high time the country started relying hugely on irrigation agriculture.

Kawale said government is, for this reason, allocating a lot of resources towards the development of irrigation farming to, amongst other things, resuscitate irrigation schemes and create new ones.

“We also want you to start irrigation farming in areas where there is water and moisture all year round so that you may also be able to harvest two or three times a year. As government, we are evaluating on how best to help you on this,” he said.

DoDMA Director of Preparedness and Response, Reverend Moses Chimphepo, said around 29,333 households translating to around 132,000 people have been affected in Dowa.

“Beneficiaries are receiving a 50 kilogramme bag of maize flour. As a department, will make sure we reach out to everyone who is at risk of food shortage,” he said.

Chairperson for Dowa District Council, Mayamiko Kambewa, thanked government and all implementing partners for the timely intervention for those facing hunger in the district.

Group Village Head Thotho said, as traditional leaders in the district, they are ready to dedicate land to irrigation-based initiatives.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 25, Mana: Chitipa Lions Club on Saturday planted 1200 trees at Chitipa Secondary and Namuyemba Full Primary Schools in Senior Chief Mwabulambya’s area in the district.

Vice President for Chitipa Lions Club, Fidelis Kambalame said the club decided to plant trees at the two schools in view of the national forestry season which is underway.

“We are in the national forestry season and as one way of taking part in the tree planting exercise we decided to plant trees with the learners at Chitipa Secondary School and Namuyemba primary,” Kambalame said.

He then asked school management, learners and communities to take a leading role in conserving the environment by planting trees and managing them.

“We want to make sure that all the trees we have planted today survive. We have planted fruit trees for nutrition, the trees that restore fertility in the soil and natural trees,” Kambalame said.

Head teacher for Chitipa Secondary School, Mapopa Shaba noted the need to plant more trees and conserve them, saying trees produce oxygen which human beings need and trees need carbon dioxide which human beings produce.

In his remarks, Senior Chief Mwabulambya said he wanted 99 percent survival rate of the trees hence he would be making regular visits to the schools to monitor how they are being managed.

The country is expected to plant 34 million trees in the 2023/24 National Forestry Season under the theme ‘Forest innovation in action: Reforestation for sustainable tomorrow’.

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, February 25, Mana: At least 24,760 families in Kasungu district have received relief maize from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) under the Lean Season Response Plan for the 2023/2024 period.

The programme has planned to meet the January and February food deficits for a total of 31,778 families with each household receiving a 50 kilogramme bag of maize each month.

Disaster and Relief Management Officer for Kasungu, Tiwonge Msowoya, said in an interview on Saturday after the maize distribution exercise in Traditional Authority (TA) Simlemba in the district that the response team has so far reached out to 24,760 of the targeted households.

She said: “The programme has a combination of beneficiaries under the Social Cash Transfer Programme and those that are targeted using the Joint Emergency Food Assistance Programme guidelines and, currently, we are responding to the January deficit.

“The activity is ongoing until we reach our target. We just want to advise the recipients that the maize must be used to alleviate their food needs. It is not for sale.”

One of the beneficiaries, Mercy Jere, thanked government for the relief saying it has come at a time when most households had run out of food stocks.

“We don’t have food here. No one has maize. We were relying on piece work in farms to buy food but you can see that the farming season has almost ended and there is no where we can find piecework,” Banda said.

Senior Chief Simlemba commended government for the maize saying people in his area were starving with hunger.

“The community is excited that finally the maize has reached us. Some people had doubts that the maize would come because the famine had reached bad levels. Our expectations are high that the second lot of the maize will find us soon,” Simlemba said.

According to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report, at least 4.4 million people countrywide are food insecure with food deficits ranging from two to six months. 

In Kasungu district alone, hunger has affected at least 143,000 people.

By Margret Praise Kalua

NKhata Bay, February 25, Mana: Education stakeholders in Nkhatabay have commended World Vision for improving learner’s literacy levels through the Spelling Bee initiative which they are, currently, implementing in the district.

This was said at Sanga Community Day Secondary School ground in the district on Saturday where 74 learners from 15 schools were engaged in a Spelling Bee competition.

Primary Education Advisor (PEA) for St Maria Gorreti Zone, Adrian Kalengo, said there is improved performance of learners in schools that are participating in the competition.

"When we compare schools that are participating in the competition such as Chikale, Bwerero, Kachenga and Lisale, they are performing much better than those that are not part of the area program in Nkhata Bay," Kalengo said.

He has since asked World Vision to train teachers in the initiative for its sustainability and incorporate more schools in the programme.

Secretary for Sanga Area Program Education Taskforce, Alick Manda, said Spelling Bee has boosted focus and activeness of leaners on education as most of the times they put effort in mastering spellings and pronunciation.

In a separate interview, World Vision Education Project Officer for Nkhata Bay and Mzimba, Faith Nyirenda, said the programme is achieving its intended purpose as there is an improvement in vocabulary, reading and communication skills.

"Considering the positive impact of the programme, we are already working on its sustainability through imparting skills and knowledge to taskforce teachers so that they can continue drilling learners even when the programme phases out," Nyirenda said.