MANAonline
Mzuni ETIC construction project to offer employment opportunities
By Stella Mwalwanda and Anna Mkandawire
Mzuzu, December 19, Mana: Following official launch of construction of Entrepreneurship Training and Incubation Centre (ETIC) at Mzuzu University (Mzuni) by President Lazarus Chakwera last week, it is anticipated that the project will create employment opportunities to people around and away from the institution.
The project which is being constructed by DEC Construction Company and funded by World Bank through SAVE project will employ over 150 people, both skilled and unskilled laborers for 14 months.
In an interview on Thursday, Project Consultant for DEC Construction Company, Ellard Malonda said that the company’s priority is to employ people from around Mzuni.
“We want everyone to feel that they own the project by employing them to do various construction works and we will be proud to work with them,” said Malonda.
He added that at the moment recruitment of employees is in progress on daily basis though the project is in its initial phase and that currently the company has nonskilled laborers.
“We have recruited 42 people so far, 15 of them are females so that we achieve the 40 to 60 percent gender balance,” said Malonda.
One of the workers at the construction site Blessings Chavala said he was happy that the project is taking place around his area.
“I am assured that I will easily fend for my family since I am now employed,” said Chavala.
One of the job seekers, Daniel Muliya, who is a builder and happen to be at the site expecting to be employed said that he is hopeful that he will be employed as recruitment is an ongoing process.
USAID Challenges Young Entrepreneurs with K3.8 Billion Bicycle Innovation Challenge
By Paul Madise
Lilongwe, December 19, Mana: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of a 2.2 million US Dollars (approximately MK3.8 billion) Tchova Njinga Innovation Challenge to support innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs in the country.
Organized under USAID’s Innovation Design, Execution, and Acceleration Support (IDEAS) mechanism, the challenge which has been launched in Zambia and Malawi, targets creative minds that can contribute impactful solutions to improve transportation, health, economic growth, and access to services in the two countries.
Speaking at the roundtable, Ben M’bwana, Director of Administration at the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare hailed the challenge, underscoring the transformative potential bicycles have when it comes to economic empowerment, improved health outcomes and education access in Malawi.
“Bicycles are not just a means of transport; they are a transformative tool for development and empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 78% of the population relies on walking to access work and essential services as well as significantly enhance mobility and economic opportunities,” he said.
The initiative comes in as good news for innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs to come up with bicycle-related solutions to address key social and economic needs from healthcare access to economic mobility.
The challenge which is promoting open innovation, offering financial and non-financial support to develop and scale creative solutions consists of two streams which includes Developing Innovations for early-stage ideas ready for field testing and selected applicants will receive funding between $25,000 and $100,000, with support from June 2025 to May 2026.
Furthermore, through the second stream called Transition to Scale, will allow young innovators that have shown small-scale success and need further validation and partnerships to scale up will receive funding ranges from $200,000 to $400,000, with support from June 2025 to November 2026.
In addition to financial support, successful applicants will receive non-financial support, both virtually and in person, the support includes group training sessions on key themes related to the Tchoova Njinga innovation challenge, mentoring sessions with tailored support with mentors to guide project development and engagement events to foster networking and peer-learning opportunities with key stakeholders.
The Tchoova Njinga Innovation Challenge is open for submissions from 09th December, 2024 and closes on 20th January, 2025 at 11:59 PM.
NBM donates K10 million medical supplies to Dedza council
By Timothy Peter
Dedza, December 19, Mana: National Bank of Malawi (NBM), Thursday donated assorted items to Dedza district council as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The assorted items included; one delivery bed, private screens, oxygen concentrator, defibrillator and other items that will help patients in the maternity ward as well as the emergency ward at the district hospital.
Receiving the donation, the Director of Health and Social Services for the district, Isaac Mbingwani, commended NBM for the assistance describing it as a very good development.
Mbingwani said the equipment received will help medical officers at the district hospital to urgently respond to different cases.
“As a district hospital that is close to the M1 road, we receive a lot of casualties from road traffic accidents. So, the items received today will help us respond to that quickly,” he said.
He added that the items will also ease the burden in the maternity ward as the district helps about 600 expectant mothers, on average, to deliver within a month hence a need for several medical supplies.
“We need a lot of supplies such as patient monitors, beds and BP machines so that patients should receive quality health care services.
“We usually have a lot of deliveries per month ranging from 400 to 600 on average and being a border district, we receive a lot of patients from Mozambique and therefore, we need more delivery beds,” he explained.
In her remarks, NBM Service Centre Manager for Lilongwe, Moreen Gwembere, said their main aim was to help the district hospital with the assorted items so that the facility could deal with emergencies in the emergency ward.
“In this festive season, there are several emergencies received in the ward but the facility did not have enough equipment to respond finding it very hard for them to help the affected,” she said.
Gwembere said NBM has already reached out to 9 hospitals including Bwaila, Dowa and Dedza adding they are expected to reach out to three more hospitals.
National Planning Commission courts faith leaders on Malawi2063
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, December 19, Mana: National Planning Commission (NPC) has said faith leaders are vital in promoting mindset change, which is one of the drivers towards attaining Malawi 2063.
The remarks were made Thursday by NPC Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Manager, Jennifer Mjuweni during the commission’s engagement meeting with religious leaders drawn from the northern region on Malawi2063, which is the country’s development blueprint.
She said mindset change is the first enabler amongst seven enablers towards achieving Malawi 2063, which envisages Malawi as an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation.
“So, there is a need for concerted efforts to achieve this enabler and we believe that the faith community is very critical in influencing mindset change, hence engaging religious leaders on Malawi2063,” said Mjuweni.
Mjuweni added that mindset change is very complex and is usually based on individual feelings and that the commission trusts that religious leaders have a great influence on people’s mindset change as they are believed to be of high morals and trustworthiness.
“Therefore, religious leaders have a great role in influencing behaviours of individual members of their congregations and their society as a whole,” she said.
Commenting on reliance on handouts and corruption, Mjuweni said people should refrain from such vices; instead, people should create worth using available resources and believe in their own abilities so that Malawi becomes a self-reliant nation.
“We believe that faith community is the least corrupt sector in any society, hence we place a lot of trust in them in shaping the future and mentality of communities.
“And with their help, we can instil integrity, ethical behaviours and morality which are some of the values necessary for combatting such vices,” added Mjuweni.
General Secretary for CCAP Synod of Livingstonia, Rev. William Tembo said that NPC engaged and took the message to the right people whom he added are in most cases forgotten in planning for national development.
“We are the right people because we spend most of our time with people and preach to people time and again and the message which we have taken here will down to the grassroots in popularizing Malawi2063 and what people can do to contribute towards its attainment,” said Tembo.
Earlier, Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs, Rev. Brian Kamwendo commended NPC for engaging the faith leaders in Malawi 2063.
He said the meeting was very crucial considering that the faith community in Malawi covers 98 percent of the country's citizenry and that with such an understanding, there is no way NPC can ignore the contributions of faith leaders to national development.
“The preachers of the gospel are transformative through the message which they give out to the populace and I therefore challenge them to encourage their congregants to be innovative and hardworking as Malawi2063 cannot be achieved if people are not proactive.
“Faith leaders should ensure that their congregants are empowered to deal with issues of reliance on handouts and corruption. We need to be proactive for the country’s development,” said Kamwendo.
Titukulane project orients Mangochi farmers on market links
By Lyte Ali
Mangochi, December 19, Mana: A total of 122 farmers from six traditional authorities in Mangochi have graduated as private service providers (PSP) after undergoing three years of training on farm inputs proper management and market links courtesy of the USAID-funded Titukulane project.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, on Wednesday, Mangochi District Council, Chairperson, Councilor, Abudul Yusuf, urged the farmers to utilize the acquired skills to improve farmers' livelihoods.
"Limited markets for farmers is one the challenges our district faces. I am therefore delighted to note that this project focused on the establishment of market linkages to ensure that our farmers have access to good markets.
‘‘These skilled individuals will help to bridge the gap between farmers and markets, a challenge the district has faced for a long time. By connecting farmers to markets, we expect that there should be enough market, benefiting both farmers and the local economy," he added.
He, therefore, commended Titukulane Project and its partners for supporting Mangochi District Council in empowering farmers to be self-reliant for sustainable agriculture.
In his remarks, Project Manager for Titukulane in Mangochi, Gerald Meke, said the project goal was to help bring a positive impact on agriculture to farmers in Mangochi, by assisting them to access better markets for their produce as well as by reducing hunger in the district.
He added that many small-scale farmers in Mangochi realize good harvests but are often exploited on the market due to limited formal markets.
"We equipped them with skills of cooperatives so that they should sell their produce as groups," he said.
Titukulane was a five-year project implemented by a consortium of organizations, including Emmanuel International, Care Malawi, and Save the Children, with funding from USAID, and it phased out its activities in December 2024.
Council urges vendors to utilize newly constructed market
By Milcah Mathias
Blantyre, December 19, Mana: Blantyre District Council has urged vendors plying their trade along the road at Mpemba Trading Centre to relocate and occupy the space in the newly constructed Mpemba Market from Monday, December 23, 2024.
Speaking during the sensitization awareness meeting at Mpemba Trading Centre, Blantyre District Council Trade Officer, Pilirani Nyangulu Mbwana said the decision to relocate would help prevent accidents that occur when vendors conduct business along the road.
“This market shed will therefore facilitate safe and easy trading among buyers and sellers,” Mbwana said.
Meanwhile, the council has issued a warning that it will engage the police if vendors do not abide by the order.
Chairperson for Mpemba Market Committee, Frano Chimenya commended the council for constructing the market shed to ensure vendors sell their merchandise at designated places.
Chimenya also pledged to take ownership by mobilizing the business community to utilize the structure.
“Let us cooperate and go to the market shed as this is for the benefit of us all. We asked the council to construct the market for us, now that it is here, let us not resist using the new place,” said Chimenya.
One of the vendors, Alinafe Somanje said she had already relocated, as she wanted to conduct her business in a safe and conducive environment during the rainy season.
Somanje, therefore, urged fellow vendors to patronize the new market saying the market will show its full importance when the vendors relocate as customers go to where the products are.
The market shed has been constructed using the council's locally generated revenue to the tune of K43 million.
It is expected to accommodate at least 60 business people from Mpemba Trading Centre and surrounding areas.
NEEF gives Zomba farmers fertilizer on loans
By Emily M'mangisa
Zomba, December 19, Mana: National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) on Wednesday distributed bags of fertilizer to 148 farmers from farmers clubs in Zomba on loan as a way of supporting those who could not afford to buy fertilizer.
Speaking during fertilizer distribution at NEEF office in Zomba, NEEF Supervisor responsible for Zomba North, Hastings Thondolo, disclosed that his office had 236 applicants in total, saying all will get the farm inputs.
Thodolo said NEEF decided to give farmers farm inputs other than the actual cash to ensure the purpose and goal is achieved.
"We didn’t want our farmers to spend money meant for fertilizer. Experience is that most farmers failed to buy fertilizer despite getting the loans.” he added.
He however said NEEF had not wholesomely abandoned giving out loans in the form of cash despite the experience.
Zione Jakison, a farmer from Jawuma Village, Traditional Authority Malemia thanked government for providing the fertilizer through NEEF loan.
The fertilizer loan recipient said the farm inputs came at the right time as some parts of the district had just received enough rain for planting.
“I am running out of words, this initiative is a big salvation to me. Honestly, government has solved my worries,” she said,
Emmanuel Kalimao from Chilema Men's farm club was delighted after collecting his four bags of NPK fertilizer.
“I am waiting to get the other four for UREA next week; I am getting eight bags all together. I thank government for this initiative. Honestly, I was hopeless," he said.
Farmer clubs are eligible to get fertilizer loans up to K30 million for NPK and UREA, according to NEEF.
Kingstons are Go Fresh’s Brand Ambassadors
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, December 19, Mana: Go Fresh Limited has unveiled Dorothy and Zeze Kingston as their ambassadors saying this has potential to promote their brand and services in the country.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday evening in Lilongwe, one of Go Fresh’s representatives Mathews Kamaliza said they thought of having the two as ambassadors so that they can help to promote their products.
He said Go Fresh is committed to provide high-quality products with good prices in all regions.
“As Go Fresh, a company that provides quality meat and chicken products in Malawi we thought of having influential people who will help us to market the products,” he said.
Commenting on the deal, Kingston said it is exciting to see that local firms are seeing the value that individuals in the social and creative space are bringing in the formal sector and business places.
“We are happy with this partnership because it will help us to create new opportunities for the business to thrive as we will also be encouraging people to buy their products like Chicken and Beef in different shops,” said Kingston.
The company has given the brand ambassadors K5 million and a brand-new car for easy mobility.
In addition to that the company has also given out gifts to Social Media influencers as one way of creating relations with them.
Go Fresh Limited is a company that deals with Beef and Chicken production in the country and it was established in 2020.
From crop fields to the classroom: community battles child labour
By Wanangwa Tembo
Kasungu, December 19, Mana: It is a class time at Chankhandwe Primary School, some 30 kilometres west of Kasungu Boma in the area of Senior Chief Kawamba.
The schoolmaster, Lovemore Chisema notices that 12-year-old Robert (not real name) is again not in class for a good five days in a row and develops some curiosity to follow up on the Standard 7 boy known to be intelligent and ambitious.
What follows now is a search for the little genius, led by members of Chankhandwe Social Dialogue Committee, a community structure that fights child labour and promotes decent labour practices in the area.
“We were suspicious of the boy’s absence and knew that it wasn’t a case of illness. During the farming season, he was assisting parents with farm work.
“It was a straightforward issue that the boy had to be brought back to school and the parents were cautioned and mentored against such acts,” Chisema explains.
He says Robert’s issue is not an uncommon phenomenon in the area where many households are poor subsistence farmers who depend on family labour in both piece works and their own farms.
“Children from poor families are easily enticed to go into farms because they are already discouraged from attending classes as they lack school uniforms, notebooks and other necessities like food.
“This is why when we pluck them from farms, we support them with such materials so that they stay in school,” he adds.
Chisema says with the intervention of the social dialogue committee, there is a significant reduction in child labour cases and an increasing opportunity for children to stay in school.
Dialogue committees like Chankhandwe are specifically grassroots mechanisms for promoting decent labour practices under the Malawi Congress for Trade Union and Tobacco Allied Workers Union as supported by the International Labour Organization.
Florence Manda who is the chairperson for the committee at Chankhandwe says community initiatives to promote decent work practices have borne fruits in that many children have been removed from hazardous work environments and supported so that they remain in school.
The United Nation’s ILO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and support from the Norwegian Government, is implementing a four-year ‘Addressing decent work deficits and improving access to rights in Malawi’s tobacco sector’ (Address) project in Traditional Authorities Wimbe and Kawamba in Kasungu.
The project aims to identify and address labour issues in the tobacco sector and ensure access to fundamental principles and rights at work as a means to improve livelihoods, income and food security.
Specifically, the Address Project aims to address child labour and abuse in tobacco estates and farms, ensuring the occupational health and safety of workers, abolishing the tenancy system, and improving the social welfare of the workers.
It supports the implementation of the country’s National Action Plan on Child Labour (2020-2025) which guides the elimination of child labour in the country’s sectors of the economy by 2025.
Additionally, the project echoes Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 which calls for immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced and child labour.
Manda says the issue of child labour goes beyond working in tobacco farms hence their committee targets other areas where there could be child exploitation.
“The ILO trained us on how we can contribute to ending child labour, especially in the agriculture sector targeting tobacco farms so that children are protected.
“However, child labour is not limited to that. Some people employ children to herd their cattle, and sell merchandise and still some use children to beg in the streets. We aim to end all such malpractices,” Manda says.
She says in most cases, children are not the employees themselves but parents who are contracted to work on the farms and use their children as supplementary labour, which results in the children missing out on classes.
“We are also aware that these children are found in the farms because of the poverty in the households they come from. With that understanding, we raise resources to support their education with uniforms, notebooks, and pens and award those who do well at the end of a particular school term.
“For parents, we engage them in a serious dialogue so that they understand the consequences of using child labour. It is pleasing that many parents easily understand this and if there could be anyone refusing to take the advice we give, we let the law take its course,” she says.
Manda also appeals to authorities to help construct classroom blocks at the school to attract learners.
She argues that dilapidated and makeshift structures being used as classrooms discourage learners from being in school.
On his part, Village Headman Changaluwa of the area expresses hope that soon his community will be without child labour cases.
“We have started on a good note. Just to ensure that these efforts are sustained, we have a village savings and loans group through which we raise money to support the children.
“Additionally, we cultivate various crops such as soybean and vegetables which we sell to raise money to support the learners,” Changulawa says, adding that 37 children have already benefitted from the efforts.
ILO’s National Project Officer, Ndamyo Kabuye notes that there are many challenges in the tobacco sector and agriculture in general regarding decent work practices.
“These groups are assisting to reduce these challenges which include child employment, the practice of not paying workers, tenancy labour arrangements and lack of occupation and safety health.
“We trained them to promote decent labour practices but they have gone beyond the project support. They are doing more. These are clear indications of community ownership of the project which signals that the activities will be sustained beyond the programme timeframe,” Kabuye said.
Decent labour practices also demand that the workers in the farms should have a clear contract agreed and signed by both the worker and the employer to guide the work process and avoid misunderstandings and exploitation.
Where only one member of the family is contracted, it is against the law to force the other non-contracted members of the family to work on the farms.
Kabuye says ILO’s role is to assist employers, workers and government to champion good work practices in the labour industry.
“In the tobacco industry, particularly, we must ensure that the interests of both workers and employers are protected. We want to encourage dialogue between the two parties and avoid exploitative practices.
“International labour standards demand that people of all genders have equal rights, responsibility and opportunities. In this regard, we also want to see that there are no abuses based on gender lines in the workplaces,” he says.
A 2023 report by the US Bureau of International Labour Affairs on the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Malawi notes that the country has made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.
This follows efforts by the government to enact the laws abolishing the tenancy labour system and mandating growers of tobacco to annually report on their efforts to prevent child labour in order to maintain their licenses to sell tobacco.
The report also says by substantially increasing resources in the cash transfer programme and roping in additional beneficiaries in urban councils, children from households vulnerable to child labour could be safe.
However, the report notes that although the government legally abolished the tenancy system in 2021, research indicates that children continue to be subjected to forced labour conditions.
“In addition, orphaned children may need to assume responsibility as heads of their households, including working to support their families. These children, especially those who become orphaned, are at increased risk of leaving school early and entering into the worst forms of child labour,” the report adds.
With this indication, efforts such as those by Chankhandwe Social Dialogue Committee will need replication to other communities so that learners like Robert stay away from farms.
Thyolo District authorities call for collaborative efforts to keep children in school
By Beni Bamusi
Thyolo, December 19, Mana: Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) held community awareness on child education in Thyolo where district authorities called on chiefs, religious leaders, parents, and guardians to ensure children stay in school as the district records high school dropout rate.
Thyolo District Council, Chairperson, Petro Bowman said on Wednesday at Kozalendo Primary School in Traditional Authority Mbawera that the dropout rate of children from schools continues to swell each passing day.
He commended CAMFED for supporting girl child education through the provision of school fees, exercise books, uniforms and other educational materials to needy students in secondary schools as one way of supporting children to stay in school uninterrupted by poverty.
The Council Chairperson however expressed concern over the high school dropout rate in the district, which he said needs collaborative efforts to address.
“Education is the foundation of development. CAMFED is doing commendable work, it is, therefore, everyone's responsibility to ensure children stay in school and we need to address the problem,” said Bowman.
Thyolo District, Chief Education Officer, Rabbeca Misiri, disclosed that in the 2022/2023 academic year, Thyolo registered 277 dropouts, with 187 boys and 190 girls.
“This 5.4 percent dropout rate is higher than the national average of 4.3 percent. This is mainly attributed to poverty, long distances to schools, sexual harassment, and lack of basic needs," she added.
She urged the community to implement bylaws to ensure that children return to school and remain in school, emphasizing that education is a right for every child, including those with disabilities.
“Education is a long-term investment. Children must be resilient to hardships, and communities must support them to complete their education,” she said.
Traditional Authority Mbawera hailed CAMFED for supporting needy children’s education, observing that CAMFED’s support enabled children in Thyolo to progress from secondary to tertiary education.
He urged parents and guardians to make use of the messages shared during the campaign and to priorities children’s education as the most important thing above all.
CAMFED campaign was held under them; School Dropout is Real; It is Our Responsibility to Make Children Stay in School and was aimed at drumming collective support to keep children in school.
