MANAonline
UNICEF hailed for improving hygiene in schools
By Martha Simchimba
Lilongwe, December 13: Mana. United Nations International Children Funds (UNICEF) has been commended for improving hygiene, sanitation and nutrition in primary school under Malembo Zone in Lilongwe which has assisted in reducing airborne diseases among learners.
Lilongwe District Director of Education, Youth and Sports Sofia Mtiko made the remarks Tuesday at Kataya primary school in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chiwawula during an open day of Living School Project.
Mtiko said the project has assisted many schools in Malembo Zone by among other things providing hand washing amenities and introducing back yard gardens where schools have planted different fruit trees which will in due course assist them in improving the nutrition of the learners.
"Good environment helps learners to concentrate on their studies since they are not disturbed with any unclean surrounding. As learners are practicing hygiene and sanitation at school, I am optimistic that they will also practice that at home," she said.
Mtiko then urged school management to maintain the standard that UNICEF through the project has brought in schools by among other things taking care of the back yard gardens and hand washing facilities.
Lilongwe District Director of Planning and Development, Willard Chirwa said apart from addressing nutrition issues among the learners, the project will also address climate change effects in schools by providing protective cover to the schools’ infrastructure during rainy season.
Chirwa said in recent years many schools have been experiencing disasters such as hailstorms that blew-off roofs of many classroom blocks simply because they do not have natural protective cover.
One of the learners at Kataya primary school Shira Malembo whose school got a trophy because of keeping the school surrounding tidy said they will keep on working tirelessly by sweeping the surroundings and maintain the standards that the project has imparted in them.
Among other things, Living School project is empowering community, stakeholders and learners to conserve the environment.
The project was implemented in Malembo Zone at Chilima, Kawalika, Kataya, Malembo and Mpondamwala schools with financial support from UNICEF to the tune of $300 (Approximately K500,000)
MRA welcomes smart gates technology at Mchinji border post
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, December 12, Mana: The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has welcomed the successful installation of a state-of-the-art smart gates truck parking system at the Mchinji One Stop Border Post (OSBP) facility.
The installation has been made possible through collaborative efforts with the European Union (EU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The smart gates truck parking system aims to address one of the major challenges faced by border posts – congestion resulting from prolonged stays of trucks in parking yards.
Agnes Katsonga Phiri, MRA’s Executive Director of Corporate Services, highlighted the adverse impact of truck overstays on trade facilitation.
She said: "Transporters sometimes overstay at the border, limiting spaces for officers to execute their work properly. With the smart gates, we can control the period trucks can stay, ensuring that only those that have not been cleared remain at the parking yard."
MRA officials anticipate that the implementation of the system will enhance border efficiency and minimise illicit activities associated with overstays, including theft, smuggling, and damage to goods.
The equipment was procured with support from the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), through the COMESA, as part of the Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) which covers various member states in the region.
COMESA TFP supports the upgrading of various targeted border posts in the region, and in Malawi the target is Mchinji OSBP.
Other items handed over include equipment for mini laboratories and rapid testing kits for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) to the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mshuka Kamwela, Programme Manager for EDF, said COMESA signed a sub-delegation agreement with the Government of Malawi in January 2020, worth over €3 million.
The agreement is aimed at upgrading the Mchinji border post, which includes the procurement of equipment to enhance effectiveness as well as transforming traditional border crossings into an efficient and modern OSBP where multiple agencies collaborate to facilitate travellers crossing the border.
“By leveraging advanced technologies and coordinated processes, this equipment will contribute to the optimisation of cross-border operations,” Kamwela said.
Christina Zakeyo, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, expressed gratitude to the COMESA Secretariat for its continuous support in ensuring timely procurement and funding disbursement.
She also thanked EDF for its financial backing.
"All these developments and structures would not have been possible if it were not for the EDF's assistance. Malawi does not take this for granted, and the government is highly grateful for the support,” said Zakeyo.
Bartek Studiniarski, EU's Team Leader (Economy, Trade, and Public Sector), emphasised the EU's commitment to trade facilitation and economic growth.
"The equipment we are officially handing over to the Government of Malawi entails the smooth flow of goods across borders, minimising delays and administrative burdens, fostering economic growth and job creation in the country,” he said.
The smart gates truck parking system at the Mchinji border post will enable real-time monitoring and automated check-in and check-out processes for trucks, leading to a substantial improvement in traffic flow and operational efficiencies.
Additionally, laboratory testing equipment for SPS will facilitate rigorous testing, ensuring compliance with international standards and preventing the introduction of harmful substances.
The smart gates parking system and the laboratory equipment are valued at a combined total value of €519,457.
Dedza partners hailed for nutrition interventions
By Steve Chirombo
Dedza, December 12, Mana: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working towards nutrition interventions under Dedza District Council have been commended for their support for the year ending, saying their usual coordination with government departments has been a landmark in ensuring nutrition levels in the district are enhanced.
The council’s Nutrition HIV/AIDS Officer Juliet Jinazali made the remarks on the sidelines for the year end presentation for the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee (DNCC) meeting on care group evaluation study by GIZ, which Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources conducted from five sampled districts of Salima, Dowa, Zomba, Ntchisi and Karonga.
Jinazali said apart from government, which also supports nutrition interventions, at times there could be more Traditional Authorities that require such interventions and that funding may not be adequate.
“As DNCC, we work with partners to financially support where there are gaps in order to cover up all the nutrition indicators in the district.
“Let me also emphasise that the year 2023 has been good in terms of implementing nutrition activities in the district because as DNCC, we have been having DNCC review meetings throughout the months and sometimes we have had these meetings right in communities,” she said.
Reacting to the revelations from the study by GIZ, the district’s Nutrition HIV/AIDS Officer said the study reflected issues in Dedza surrounding the care group model structures while adding that other cluster leaders or volunteers were dropping out or worked reluctantly because they were not being motivated in one way or another.
She was quick to say that the district’s DNCC is working towards ensuring that people are motivated through inviting them to review meetings and that her office is talking to partners to work towards provision of incentives to the community volunteers, such as t-shirts, wrappers and many other materials.
“The study will also be shared to other players in nutrition sector in the district so that they can as well adopt some of the recommendations like implementation plan and proper phasing out strategies which will help us as DNCC not to disturb the care group model structures,” she stated.
However, Jinazali further said partners had challenges on livestock pass-on programmes where most of the animals were not sustained, making them to suspect unkind weather conditions or poor management.
Mzimba embarks on K40 million fish ponds rehabilitation
By Joel Phiri
Mzimba, December 12, Mana: At least 30 fish farmers in Mzimba District have heaved a sigh of relief following M’mbelwa District Council’s start of rehabilitation works of their fishponds.
The rehabilitation of the fish ponds in Mzimba south is being funded to the tune of K40 million grant from Catholic Relief Services (CRS), as part of Afikepo’s Performance Based Incentive (PBI) Programme which is aimed at promoting nutrition among communities.
One of the farmers, Rose Ndawandawa from Champhinga area in Traditional Authority (T/A) M’mbelwa, said the rehabilitation of her fish ponds will make her harvest a lot of fish and hence fetch a lot of money from her fish business.
‘‘As an individual, I have been rehabilitating my pond but with this project I expect to benefit more as it will be maintained to the expected standards using technical skills from the fisheries department,’’ she said.
Another farmer, Dan Mhone from Chikangawa in T/A Kampingo Sibande, also said he has embraced the project and that he hopes to raise more fish and supply to the markets around the area.
‘‘I may have been a farmer but I have never raised over 3,000 fingerlings but because of this initiative I am expected to raise over 3,000 fingerlings on this fish pond. I hope to make a lot of profits from the sales,’’ Mhone said.
Mzimba District was awarded the grant for emerging second best in scaling up nutrition interventions.
According to M’mbelwa District Council’s nutrition officer Gift Simkonda, by using part of the K40 miilion funding, the council has started rehabilitating the 30 fish ponds at Manyamula, Kazomba, Champhira, Chikangawa, Vibangalala and Khosolo, all in Mzimba South.
‘‘The rehabilitation of these 30 fish ponds will ensure their functionality and this will translate in a lot of fish being raised and produced by the farmers which we hope will over-supply the markets in these areas and there won’t be scarcity of fish for people to buy,’’ said Simkonda.
According to Mzimba District Fisheries Officer Andrew Saukani, the fishponds rehabilitation works involve expansion of finds ponds, improving draining systems, strengthening pond structures and infrastructures, as well as provision of fingerlings.
Farmers urged to adopt climate-smart agriculture
By Wanangwa Tembo
Kasungu, December 12, Mana: Food for Life Assistant Coordinator Gloria Chirwa has urged farmers in Kasungu to adopt climate-smart agriculture in order to remain resilient amidst climate change shocks.
Chirwa was speaking on Monday during an engagement between the charity organisation and its beneficiary farmers at Bango Village in Traditional Authority Kaluluma in the district.
She said there is plenty of evidence about climate change affecting agricultural productivity hence the need for farmers to turn to modern agriculture methods to make their homes food secure.
She said: “It’s two-fold; firstly, we are looking at the rainfall pattern nowadays. We need to adopt farming techniques that help to retain moisture in the soil to avoid the wilting of crops. Secondly, we are concerned that fertiliser is expensive.
“So we are teaching farmers on how to make compost manure which is not only cheap but also helps to restore fertility in the soil which in turn helps to retain moisture. At the same time we want them to plant in beds and not in ridges for the same reason of retaining moisture.”
According to Chirwa, since the organisation started working with farmers in the area in 2012, many households have reduced their dependency on non-organic fertilisers opting to make their own manure.
Apart from seeds, Food for Life also procures and distributes animal manure to farmers which they mix with tree leaves to make large volumes of compost manure.
“We encourage them to work on small plots which they can ably manage. From that, they are able to harvest no less than 14 bags of maize. And from that, they only remit one bag to the organisation.
“It is encouraging that many households have joined this initiative such that we are currently working with about 2,000 farmers and we expect more to join,” Chirwa said.
Group Village Head Bango said the initiative has helped the community to harvest more produce on small plots and make their families food secure.
“With our traditional farming, we used to have big plots which we could not properly attend to in terms of both fertiliser application and labour requirements.
“This time, our story is different because most families now have food. We concentrate our efforts on small plots but harvest more because we plant in beds and use compost manure,” he said.
Bango said many families have shown interest to join the initiative which he described as cheap yet beneficial.
Communities warned against denying certain foods to type-1 sugar patients
By Steve Chirombo
Dedza, December 12, Mana: The Non Communicable Disease (NCD) Coordinator for Dedza District Health Office has warned parents and guardians against the tendency of denying certain foods to type-1 sugar patients, saying the trend is contributing to stunted growth thereby resulting into more malnutrition levels in the district.
The NCD Coordinator, James Manda, told Malawi News Agency on Monday in an interview that unlike the type-2 sugar patients whose cells in pancreas become dormant and are advised to always be on oral drugs, the type-1 sugar patients are allowed to eat anything as long as they inject themselves 30 minutes before taking a particular food.
Said Manda: “This is so because type-1 sugar patients lack insulin and if they have injected themselves the insulin 30 minutes before the meal, they can eat anything they want because if we forbid them taking some foods, they can experience stunted growth that can end in malnutrition.”
According to Manda, the type-1 sugar disease is common in people of age ranges from five to 30 while type-2 sugar disease is common in those above 30 years.
He further said their main worry lies on some wrong messages, especially on health diet for type-1 sugar patients who are not allowed to eat some foods that are important like meat and other sugary drinks.
“We believe this results from myths within the communities and there could be some health workers disseminating this information in a wrong way. Injection in type-1 sugar patients depends on how many times one takes food. If it’s three times a day, then the patients should inject themselves 30 minutes before taking any food,” emphasized Manda.
He cited frequent urination, increased thirst and frequent hunger as common signs calling on communities to visit the hospital for screening or tests once they experience these.
Slamming the door in the face of malnutrition
By Chilungamo Missi
Blantyre, December 12, Mana: Fanny Burton from Mwaluza Village in Traditional Authority Ndanga in Mulanje nearly lost her second pregnancy which was almost due. Malnutrition could have been a contributing factor and would have been regrettable.
“I had severe nausea and vomiting, visual disturbance, and swelling on top of having a low body mass index compared to pregnant women of my age,” explains 32-year-old Burton.
Due to this, everyone, including Burton’s relatives, in the village had lost hope that she would deliver a healthy child.
The community’s fear was justified as malnutrition, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), could have dangerous and irreversible consequences on children’s survival, growth, learning, and future earning capacity.
Globally, 51 million children under the age of 2 are stunted and UNICEF estimates that half of them become stunted during pregnancy and the first six months of life when a child is fully dependent on the mother for nutrition.
Thanks to the Afikepo Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture which was introduced in her area. The project being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and UNICEF, in collaboration with Malawi Government, is a multi-sectoral effort that integrates agriculture, health, and nutrition actions to address the problem of food and nutrition insecurity.
The implementation of interventions that increase availability, access, and utilization of diversified foods at the household level, in turn, leads to improved dietary intake of diversified, safe, and nutritious foods among women of childbearing age, adolescent girls, infants, and young children.
Burton, therefore, enrolled in the Community Complementary Feeding and Learning Sessions (CCFLS) under the Afikepo project in 2017 after being identified by the Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) in the area.
“The HSA advised me to prepare nutritious foods,” she says, adding: “With no time, my weight and health status improved amicably, and I delivered a strong baby.”
However, taking a close look at her daughter, today, now six years old, playing with her friends, Burton is elated.
Currently, Burton is also expecting another child and she strives to eat nutritious diet adequately as she doesn’t want a repeat of what she experienced earlier.
The case of Burton is not isolated as several other expectant women and under-five children were wallowing in similar predicaments.
Rhoda Namboya, 37, from Group Village Head Kukada, recalls how her six-month child was saved from the pangs of malnutrition, locally blamed on poor food preparation.
“This is my sixth child, the way she looked at that time was different from her friends as she was not growing properly. She was found with severe malnutrition during the mass screening exercise under the Afikepo Project.
“When I heard that she was suffering from malnutrition, I lost hope, but I was encouraged by an Afikepo Project promoter from our area who facilitated the enrolment of my child in the CCFLS, and her health improved tremendously within 12 days,” testifies Namboya.
Edah Chikwindi, a nutrition promoter for Afikepo in the area, says she is happy that cases of malnutrition in the area are declining after introducing the project.
“We conduct mass screening exercises and children who are underweight are enrolled in feeding sessions. We prepare porridge, which is made from a mixture of m’gaiwa, groundnuts, vegetables, eggs, and cooking oil.
“When we screen the children again after 12 days, we find that they are no longer malnourished. This was the case with Namboya’s child,” she says.
Chikwindi adds that parents are also urged to practice such cooking practices in their respective homes to ensure that their children continue to live healthily.
The project also brought vegetable seeds and orange maize for the communities under the project’s catchment area to plant in their gardens and ensure that they are food secure.
She says: “Through the project, we were also given tree seedlings which we planted in our gardens to promote the restoration of the environment and combat land degradation.
“We understand there is looming hunger but, in this area, we are using new farming technologies that Afikepo inculcated in us and we always have a bumper yield from a small piece of land. We do not run out of orange maize, beans, peas, and groundnuts. We also practice poultry farming and other livestock to supplement our diet.”
An HAS from Kambenje Health Centre, Maureen Kausiwa, concurs with Chiwindi, noting that growing crops and practicing animal husbandry go a long way in reducing malnutrition levels in the area.
Kausiwa emphasises that it is the goal of the health sector to fully curb stunting.
“Since the inception of Afikepo in 2017, we have reached out to 760 houses in this village to identify households that have children suffering from malnutrition. We go door-to-door together with care group and cluster leaders who monitor their fellow women to see if they are properly breastfeeding their children and practising desirable water, sanitation, and hygiene.
“Since we identified four girls and three boys with malnutrition last year, this area has not registered another case during our mass screening exercise where we measured Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) which also makes us proud that there is a positive impact in the area in as far as Afikepo project is concerned,” she says.
Kausiwa challenges that even if the Afikepo project comes to an end, people in the area will continue to practise what they were taught, saying knowledge is the best gift that can empower people in the communities than projects that offer monetary support, observing that such projects lack sustainability when they come to an end.
She adds that previously people in the area used to believe in myths and misconceptions regarding malnutrition but the project has brought about a mindset change.
Mulanje District Manager for FAO, Misheck Mwambakulu, says Malawi is one of the countries with the highest percentages of children that are stunted, pointing out that the Afikepo project was primarily introduced to address the problem.
He says Malawi was at 36% in terms of children who were stunted when the project was starting, noting that equally, Mulanje District was at 36 percent, a situation which prompted Afikepo interventions, making the district one of the impact areas to ensure that the levels of stunting were reduced.
Mwambakulu adds that Afikepo interventions are aimed at making sure that under-five children, pregnant and lactating women as well as adolescent girls are consuming food that is adequate with nutrients to nip any form of malnutrition.
Journalists challenged to write more on WASH
By Moses Nyirenda
Lilongwe, December 12, Mana: Water and Environmental Sanitation Network (WESNET) Executive Director Willies Mwandira has challenged journalists in the country to write more stories on issues concerning Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in a quest to assist in addressing challenges affecting the WASH sector in the country.
Speaking on Tuesday at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe during media breakfast meeting for journalists under the banner ‘WASH Media Forum’, which was organized by WESNET, Mwandira said journalists have influence in promoting WASH related issues.
“As we all know that currently we are almost midway as we are approaching the year 2030 when we would like to achieve some Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
“For this reason, we feel media people are very critical when it comes to influencing some of the decisions from key authorities in terms of pushing the agendas on WASH,” Mwandira said.
Asked what prompted the media breakfast meeting, Mwandira said the meeting was organized to enhance the interaction among journalists who are passionate about writing WASH stories.
“The meeting was all about journalists who have got passion in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Malawi and they got a forum called WASH Media Forum and we thought that we should provide them an opportunity to interact as media practitioners on issues of water and sanitation in Malawi,” he said.
He also said that WESNET is eager to motivate journalists to write more on WASH, adding there will be awards for best WASH story writers, among other things.
Commenting on the matter, WASH Media Forum Chairperson Raphael Mweninguwe applauded WESNET for organizing the media breakfast meeting.
“The meeting was important because it brought together a team of journalists from different media organizations that are passionate about writing WASH related stories.
“The breakfast meeting gave us a platform as journalists to interact and express some of the challenges that we are facing when we are doing our work,” Mweninguwe said.
AIP beneficiaries promise to use inputs for intended purpose
By James Kanyenda
Lilongwe, December 11, MANA: Affordable Input Programme (AIP) beneficiaries in the country have vowed not to sell their inputs to vendors but use them to eradicate hunger at household level.
Speaking to Malawi News Agency (Mana) recently, AIP beneficiaries in Salima, Nkhotakota, Kasungu and Ntchisi spoke against the tendency and advised fellow beneficiaries to refrain from malpractice.
Meston Mawunda, a first-time beneficiary from Group Village Head (GVH) Nkhwali, Traditional Authority (TA) Khombedza in Salima district said she is ready to apply fertilizer in her maize field this farming season and is looking forward to a food secured household after a bumper harvest.
“We really have people who upon getting informed that they will benefit from the AIP, they immediately get money from vendors promising to give them fertilizer once the programme starts, this has made households face hunger.
I have advised others before not to venture into this after noting its consequences and I continue to advise every beneficiary in Malawi not to venture into this,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Jali Malola of Mtondo village, TA Khombedza, Salima disclosed that their village headman in collaboration with the Village Development Committee (VDC) would embark on a monitoring exercise this farming season to ensure every AIP beneficiary uses the inputs for the intended purpose.
“They formulated bylaws which call for punishment to anyone who will misuse the inputs,” added Jali, while calling upon other villages in the country to emulate.
Diana Mbale, of Bango Village, TA Mwadzama, Nkhotakota said the current maize price should move the beneficiaries to use AIP fertilizer and seed to produce enough for their households to avoid struggling next year, saying if they ignore the advice, they would face hunger.
Geoffrey Chikaonda, another beneficiary from Damba village, TA Mwadzama, Nkhotakota described those who sell affordable inputs as enemies of progress and they need to change their mindset.
A Kasungu based beneficiary, Loveness Phiri from Vijumo village under TA Mwase advised fellow beneficiaries to endure all challenges that may push them to sell their inputs, saying the endurance, proper utilisation of the inputs will see their households experiencing bumper yields come harvesting season.
Sebinati Moyenda from Bondo village, TA Chilowamatambe said those engaged in selling inputs under AIP defy government as they go against the objective which government established the programme for.
Monica Mwale, from Mbizo village, TA Chikho, in Ntchisi district said households who sell the inputs deny themselves right to have sufficient food which government grants them through AIP.
AIP Desk Officer for Salima Agriculture Development Division (ADD) which covers Salima and Nkhotakota districts Lonzo Chirwa acknowledged that there are farmers who sell inputs to vendors, although the programme wants beneficiaries to utilise the inputs for food production in their households.
“If households are food secure, then the country will also be food secure, and as a result government will no longer channel its resources towards relief maize purchase but will use them in other important sectors of development for the country’s progress,” he said.
Chirwa said as Salima ADD, they will intensify monitoring to ensure farmers use AIP fertilizer for its intended purpose, the same will be done by Kasungu ADD whose districts it covers, include Kasungu and Ntchisi
It has been noted that some beneficiaries used to sell their inputs to vendors and in the end experience poor harvest resulting into endless hunger in their households. which would lead to food security at community as well as national level.
Bishop calls for stiff punishment for GBV perpetrators
By Wanangwa Tembo
Kasungu, December 11, Mana: Presiding Bishop for Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM), Joseph Bvumbwe has appealed to the courts to help the fight against gender violence (GBV) by meting out stiff sentences to perpetrators.
Bvumbwe said it is worrying that there are rampant cases of violence in families as people no longer get scared with the sentences that the courts give out.
He was speaking in Kasungu on Saturday when he led a march of the ELCM faithfuls who later presented a petition to Kasungu District Council asking government to do more on the fight against gender based violence in families.
The march was part of the church’s activities towards the 16 days of activism against GBV which was being observed under the theme ‘Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls. The campaign ended Sunday.
The Bishop said: “It is in families where there must be peace. Unfortunately that is not the case. All we see is violence in the families and the victims are mostly children and women. It’s sad.
That is why as a church, we decided to take to the street to add to the voices that speak against violence. We thought we should do something because we believe our messages have some impact.”
He said the country has witnessed “unfortunate and shameful” acts where fathers sleep with their own daughters, young girls are forced to marry and husbands beat their wives and in some cases injuring or killing them.
“Where do people get the courage to kill others? We must look at the laws and ensure that they respond to the situation in Malawi. In the context of our country, we need laws that prescribe heavy punishments to offenders.
No one has the right to kill another person. So we are also calling on all relevant stakeholders and authorities to intensify teaching our people that they must respect life. We can do better,” Bvumbwe said.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the District Commissioner, Kasungu Director of Planning and Development Annie Zimba said the council is committed to ensuring that cases of violence are reduced.
“We will send the petition to the authorities so that the raised issues are addressed. On our part as a council, we are doing our best to collaborate with relevant partners to reduce these cases,” she said.
At least 35 percent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years have experienced violence in the country, while 42 percent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18, studies show.
