By Tikondane Vega

Blantyre, December 17, Mana: HS Wine House Beverages and Hospitality, who are makers of the Cape Stars alcoholic spirits has said the company together with other stakeholders would intensify community awareness targeting people surrounding Michiru Forest in Blantyre as one way of ensuring that trees are protected in the hilly area.

This has been disclosed by Board Director of the Company, Rachel Mijiga on Saturday when the company together with other stakeholders conducted Saving Michiru Initiative at the forest with an aim to raise awareness on the devastation taking place in the reserve.

She said it was pathetic that people continues to cut down trees in the hill despite several interventions being done by both government and other partners to restore the lost glory of Michiru Forest.

“What is important now is for us to conduct massive awareness targeting communities surrounding this place. We will involve communities so that they know responsibility to protect the forest lies in their hands.

“We decided to come here so that can see ourselves the state of the damage. The situation is very bad and deserve serious awareness among communities,” Mijiga said.

Director of Panthunzi Eco Solution, Christ Walker said the increasingly deforestation in Michiru Forest was a symbol that there are governance problems when it comes forest protection.

He said people who are destroying the forest are desperate part of community with nothing to do hence empowerment is also needed on their part.

“It is sad that we have witnessed huge destructive at Michiru. All parties should come together and see how best the problem can be addressed, otherwise I believe those who are behind cutting down trees take this as their only option to survive,” Walker said.

Founder of Dzuka Chilomoni, Maliko Chikaonga said he would continue to work with surrounding communities including schools to sensitize them on the important of Michiru Forest.

He promised to work with all enforcement agencies until the forest in restored saying more security personnel is needed to guard the place.

Chikaonga said that, “One best way is to employ same surrounding communities as guards to protect the forest. Doing so could reduce cases of deforestation since they know each other.

Musician Piksy participated in the Saving Michiru Forest initiative

By Tikondane Vega

Blantyre, December 15, Mana: People who are using One Stop Border Post in Mchinji district says they are satisfied on how the facility is discharging its duties, observing the establishment of the place has brought efficiency and speed when it comes to goods clearance.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency on Thursday, Steven Donnex who is one of the business people said the commissioning of the facility has improved the way he is conducting his business in Lilongwe.

“I am coming from Zambia to order beverages but you can imagine my goods have been cleared already. Unlike in the past we were spending days right here but now it is history, within two hours, its done.

“We hope that Malawi will have these posts on all borders of entry so that people do not take days to have their goods cleared. There is more efficiency in such facilities,” said 31-year-old Donnex adding he usually go every week to Zambia unlike in the past where he could go twice due to clearance issues.

AP logistics driver, Raphael Phiri concurred with Donnex and hoped the trend will continue for the betterment of those who are doing cross border business, adding as a driver time is of most important.

Phiri said he has seen the importance of One Border Posts saying previously he could spend days at the border before being cleared and that the new facility has brought sanity and order on how things are being done.

“In my truck I have carried cement from Lusaka and soon I arrived here the process of clearing started and within hours everything will be done. The facility has eliminated the need for travelers like us and goods to stop twice just to undertake border crossing formalities,” said Phiri.

Another driver for Tiflometian Company, Ephraim Makandanje said it is encouraging to see that the tone border post has reduced time he usually spends at the border.

Makandanje said such establishments have expedited the movement of goods and people saying it is no longer business as usual.

Head of Corporate Affairs at the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Steven Kapoloma has since assured all border users that MRA will continue to maintain efficiency at Mchinji one border post by among others increasing collaboration, keeping members updated as well as providing modern facilities and training to its officials.

The facility, done in collaboration between Zambia and Malawi, became operational last year and signified the importance the two governments attaches to development projects that improve people’s livelihoods.

Twimepoki Mangani

Lilongwe, December 14, MANA: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo has reiterated Malawi’s commitment as an active member of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5, to  help improve sports in the country.

Tembo made the remarks on Thursday in Lilongwe when she presided over the opening ceremony of the Ministers meetings which runs until Friday 15 December.  

“As Government we are determined to harness the demographic dividend through investment in sports and providing recreation for our citizens. We would like to find sustainable solutions to our problems therefore sports plays a crucial role in the transformation of our economy,” she said.

She further expressed gratitude to AUSC for enabling Malawi to  host the 2022 Region 5 youth games in Lilongwe, with lasting sports experience and friendships gained.  

Chief Executive Officer for AUSC, Stanley Mutoya said the meeting will unpack how they intend to ensure inclusivity in the next games while also highlighting that Malawi’s Minister of Sports remains part of the Council since they were the previous hosts.

“This is a constitutional meeting that defines the strategic direction of the Region, it covers policy shifts and receives constitutional recommendations. With our theme “Scaling up Inclusion” we intend to include Special Olympics and refugees in the games so that no one is left behind “he said.

The outgoing Chairman of the games who is also Malawi Minister of Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire highlighted that the meeting will establish which country will host the games next since the intended 2024 hosts in alphabetical order, Mozambique asked to be excused.

“Mozambique cited matters such as the recent disasters and ongoing unrest in the country as reasons for their exemption and therefore requested Namibia to host and so far Namibia seems ready to host the games in 2025 but that the final decision will come after this meeting,” Mkandawire said.

He also urged the Ministers present to continue supporting the games by ensuring, among other things, that athletes actively participate in the different disciplines.

Mkandawire further hailed the Malawi Women’s football team for winning the 2023 COSAFA cup and outlined that 6 of the girls participated in the 2022 region 5 youth games which is a testament of the potential of the AUSC.

The Minister’s meeting takes place after every two years and the members countries attending the ongoing session are from Angola, Botswana, the Kingdom of Eswatin, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, December 15, Mana: Community members in the area of Sub Traditional Authority (Sub T/A) Mwase in Likoma have hailed Invest in Early Years Project (IEYP) for promoting good nutrition practices in the area.

Cluster leader for Ntaya, Chimwemwe Chithumba said the project has promoted growing of a wide variety of crops and rearing of animals to ensure community members are consuming six food groups.

Chinthumba was speaking on Thursday when IEYP officials distributed 3000 wrappers to project promoters, cluster leaders and care groups.

He thanked IEYP for the wrappers, bearing various behavioral change messages, saying they will not only use them for identification when discharging their duties in the community but also as information, education and communication (I.E.C) materials.   

“People will be learning something through the messages displayed on the wrappers. We appreciate for everything IEYP has been doing for us in the district. Through the project, we have been imparted with knowledge and skills on how best we can improve our nutrition status,” said Chithumba.

Project Community Facilitator for IEYP, Vision Mkumbwa said the project has also been distributing bicycles, laptop bags, weighing scales and livestock such as ducks, chickens and goats to improve nutrition status of the beneficiary households.

Mkumbwa said the World Bank funded project is expected to phase out next year.   

By Doreen Chiwalo

Mwanza, December 13, Mana: Mwanza District Council commemorated World AIDS Day and Candle Light Memorial as the council and partners in HIV and AIDS response reflected on ways and means of reducing HIV transmission down to a zero transmission.

Speaking at Kalanga Primary School on Tuesday, Mwanza Council Chairperson, Councilor, Bellon Kasambwe called on partners to ensure further reduction of HIV transmission.

“Reduction of HIV transmission from eight to four out of every 100 in the district is a great achievement. There is need for collaboration to stop the transmission completely,” said Kasambwe and commended a local organization, Our Bodies Our Lives (OBOL) Movement, for empowering women living with HIV by providing them with startup capital for small scale businesses.

OBOL’s district coordinator, Loreta Simbeye said: “We have over K8 million in our group account which we have raised through Village Savings and Loans.” 

In an interview Mwanza District AIDS Coordinating Committee, Chairperson, Madalitso Chochongwe bemoaned low participation of men in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the district.

"We will not relax. We intensify HIV and AIDS awareness and mobilise men so that together we can succeed in the fight against HIV and AIDS,” said Chochongwe".

In his remarks Senior Chief Govati warned faith leaders against discouraging people living with HIV from Anti-Retroviral Therapy, saying they should allow people living with HIV to only receive healing prayers.

He observed that discouraging people living with HIV from consistently taking ARVs was a setback in district HIV and AIDS response, saying; "You should report to police any religious leader who stops people from taking the ARVs in my area,” 

One of the people living with HIV, Phaless Stanford testified on the benefits of taking ARVs and encouraged people to go for HIV test to receive proper medical attention and support.

During the commemoration, 22 people got tested.

This year’s Worlds AIDS Day was commemorated under the theme; “Let Communities Lead by Spreading Love and Showing Solidarity in Ending AIDS”.

The commemoration received support from Malawi Red Cross Society, Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM), Mwaso, Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) Concern Worldwide, OBOL Movement, Elizabeth Glasser Pediatric Foundation (EGPAF) and World Vision Malawi

By George Bulombola

Mzuzu, December 13, Mana: World Vision Malawi Director of Programmes, Charles Chimombo, Tuesday said stakeholder partnerships are critical in spearheading the organization’s interventions in promoting children’s well-being.

Chimombo was speaking in Mzuzu when he opened a stakeholder engagement meeting between the organization and World Vision clusters.

He said that about 40 years the organization has been operating in Malawi, its been working in partnership with other organizations and government sectors because they believe that the work of supporting children cannot be accomplished by the organization alone.

“There are expertise and experiences that are required from other stakeholders so that we achieve the objectives better,” said Chimombo.

Commenting on child marriages, Chimombo said ending child marriages is a very complicated device especially in Malawi because there a lot of reasons behind the vice in the country

“We have made some strides in collaboration with government and other players and managed to get children out of child marriages and supported those who would have risked into getting into early marriage, linked them and a lot of adolescents with Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Authority for vocation skills for their economic empowerment.

However, to say that we won the war, might be an over estimation. The problem is still there” he said.

He added that the organization has also embarked on a new campaign ‘Enough Campaign’ which aims at ensuring that children have enough food, that the Ending Child Marriages Campaign will not be abandoned as all the interventions will run concurrently.

On water and sanitation, Chimombo said the organization has provided access to potable water to over 1 million people within the organization’s   impact areas.

“We have a major water project in Chiradzulu that aims at providing access to potable water in the whole district in the next five years. We have also graduated from drilling boreholes to provision of piped water,” said Chimombo.

Director of Administration for Salima District Council, Yohane Bilesi said the council works with World Vision Malawi as a friend in need and a friend indeed.

“There are many times that we face calamities and World Vision Malawi comes in first. They work in the areas of water and sanitation and they also have a project that target the youth and vulnerable children besides promoting education, vocation training and nutrition,”

Bilesi commended the organization for indoor spreading to fight Malaria a disease which he said remain a major killer in the country.