By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, January 14, Mana: Founder of Lilongwe based non-profit organisation, Zoe Foundation, Temwa Chilenga has urged well-wishers, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), companies and individuals to support her organisation in order to enhance its works of assisting vulnerable children.

She made the appeal on Saturday when women under Water Employees Trade Union of Malawi (WETUM) visited her foundation’s premises in Area 25, Lilongwe here they cheered children and donated various items worth K7.5 million.

The donated items include soap, bags of maize, sugar, flour, soya pieces and cooking oil among others.

Chilenga said the foundation faces different challenges to help vulnerable children hence the call for support.

“The problems that we face include shortage of food, lack of school fees as well as learning materials for our children. Our plea to the well-wishers is food, school fees, learning materials and other things that children may need,” Chilenga said.

She appreciated WETUM for the support saying the donation received would assist address some of the challenges which they face at the foundation.

WETUM Women's Chairperson, Elizabeth Chirambo said they decided to visit Zoe Foundation to encourage the foundation's work.

“After reading Temwa's story on Facebook about what she is doing as a young lady, we decided to visit her foundation with support in order to encourage her,” she said.

She, therefore, called upon other organisations and well-wishers to also visit Zoe Foundation with support to the foundation’s work.

Zoe Foundation was established in 2018 and currently it is looking after 74 vulnerable children.

By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, January 12, Mana: Some farmers based in Mzimba have cried foul at the lack of readily available markets for their produce and lack of access to loans.

Speaking on Thursday in Mzimba during an agribusiness forum organised by the Mzimba district agriculture office for farmers, agro-dealers and loan providers, Thokozile Jere, of Chitafika Cooperative from Champhira Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzikubola, said they produce a lot of sunflower, soya, maize and beans but they end up selling to vendors who offer low prices.

‘‘As a cooperative, our major challenge lies in finding readily available markets where we can sell our produce at better prices. And due to the lack of markets we end up being milked off by vendors who buy our produce at lower prices,’’ she said.

Jere said some unscrupulous vendors go into the village and buy their maize produce at K5,000 per pail of 20 litres which they in turn sell at over K12,000.

Another farmer, Luka Kaweche Manda of Sekelerani Cooperative from Unyolo Section in Khosolo EPA in T/A Khosolo, lamented lack of capital for growth of their cooperative.

‘‘We produce a lot of Irish potatoes but we don’t make a lot of profits because we don’t have markets so we just sell at local markets in the village, and in the end incurring hefty losses.

“The sad part of it all is that we incur a lot in buying farm inputs, such as fertilizer and chemicals yet we can’t make any gains from it. We appeal to government to help us on how we can gain access to loans and also help identify markets for our produce,’’ said Manda.

Speaking during the forum, FDH Bank’s Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprise (Farmse) Project officer Eloshadieh Fologonya appealed to the farmers to apply for loans under Farmse programme.

‘‘Under Farmse we provide loans to associations, cooperatives and clubs at no loan interests at all. So those of you farmers grappling with lack of finances to grow your various businesses, apply for these loans and you will be given,’’ said Fologonya who also works as Direct Sales Agent for FDH Bank.

In his remarks, acting Chief Agriculture Officer for Mzimba, Raphael Msyali, said his office organised the meeting so that farmers’ concerns about access to loans, markets and other things could be dealt with by stakeholders in agribusiness.

By: Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, January 16, Mana: All Africa Conference Sister to Sister (AAC:SS) a network within the Catholic Church has called for collaborated efforts in providing support to the Cyclone Freddy survivors so that they start living their normal life.

Network’s Senior Programme Officer Sister Eneless Chimbali from the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary (SBVM) made the call Monday, in Lilongwe during a four-day advocacy training whose aim was to equip participants with advocacy skills in engaging government and other stakeholders towards reducing the plight of the survivors.

Chimbali said it is sad to see many people who were affected by Cyclone Freddy are still having challenges to find basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing for their families.

She also noted that many houses, roads, classroom blocks and bridges that were destroyed by Cyclone Freddy are still not maintained in some parts of Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Phalombe and Chikwawa making movements of people from one place to the other difficult.

“We want to appeal to the government, NGOs and well-wishers to continue assisting these survivors. As sisters, we feel bad when we see these people coming to our houses, schools and hospitals asking for help and it becomes difficult to assist all of them,” she said

On her part, Chairperson for Association of Women in the Religious Institution of Malawi (AWRIM) Sister Agness Jonas said the association has been assisting the survivors with food stuff, clothing, kitchen utensils, building materials and psychological.

Said Jonas: “Human dignity is a very important aspect of our lives. We are all created by God and in His own image. Therefore, we are born with dignity, we should live and die with dignity.

“This can only happen if we truly love and care for each other, the way we love and care for ourselves (Matt: 22 vs 37-39),”

All Africa Conference Sister to Sister (AAC:SS) is a network within the Catholic Church and  consists of six countries in Africa, namely: Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Recently, Government through the Tigwiranemanja Initiative which was initiated by President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera handed over 45 houses to the survivors of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Phalombe district which were constructed to the tune of K500 million.

By Austine Patrice Kachilika

Mzimba, January 12, Mana: Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) says persistent blackouts that Mzimba District has been facing have been mainly caused by understaffing and vandalism of its power supply structures in the district.

Speaking on Thursday during an engagement meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders in the district, public relations manager for ESCOM, Kitty Chingota, said inadequate staff has been a challenge in addressing faults that affect the district frequently due to vandalism. 

“Vandalism poses a greater threat to improved electricity power supply in the district. It is worrisome to hear and see that up to date some retrogressive individuals continue to steal ESCOM’s earth wires, stay wires, damage transformers and break insulation disks for unsound reasons,” said Chingota.

She said ESCOM is equally affected and concerned with persistent blackouts in the district since it affects the corporation’s revenue generation capacity.

“We understand the impact blackouts have on businesses, health and other interrelated sectors. On our part, we have lost approximately K19,700,000.00 in three months, starting from November 2023 to January 2024,” said Chingota.

Officer in-Charge for Mzimba Police Station, Sydon Mpina, called ESCOM officials to report to his office on issues about vandalism of the corporation’s property.

Chairperson for Mzimba CSOs, Christopher Milele, lauded ESCOM for engaging stakeholders on such an issue that affects the livelihoods of many in the district.

He said ESCOM has been given two weeks from January 11 to January 29, 2024 to rectify all the existing faults in the district for a smooth and uninterrupted power supply.

By Winfrida Kamwana

Mchinji, January 13, Mana: Girls Activist Youth Organisation (GAYO) has engaged youths on psychosocial counselling as one way of fighting the rise of suicide cases in the country.

GAYO organised an interaction meeting with Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) champions in Mchinji on Saturday to enlighten them on the importance of psycho-social counselling and how they can help youths in their communities to overcome depression.

Program Manager for GAYO, Gilbert M’bwana stated that as SRHR champions are being recognised in their communities, it is important that they also learn and understand counselling for them to be able to counsel youths in distress.

“These SRHR champions are posing as helpers in the communities. There are a lot of youths in those communities who are fighting mental battles and are at the verge of emotional breakdown. Therefore, it is the duty of youths to help one another in the fight against depression and suicidal thoughts,” said M’bwana.

M’bwana also explained that, apart from psych-social counselling, the youths are encouraged to work with different stakeholders in the society such as chiefs and health practitioners to make their work more effective and easy.

Senior Health Surveillance Assistant, Chimwemwe Somanje highlighted the importance of involving youths in psycho-social counselling saying it will make their work easier and will help youths overcome their fears.

“Some of the youths find it hard to express themselves to health practitioners especially on issues of sexual reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases thereby suffer in silence but since it will be their fellow youths offering counselling sessions, I believe they will be able to open up and will be assisted accordingly," explained Somanje.

He appreciated GAYO for the initiative and for linking them with the youth in different areas to work together in making their communities for a better environment.

Vice Secretary for Mikundi Youth Network, Chimwemwe Josiah, expressed gratitude towards GAYO for the training saying it will help the youth network to reach out to many youths on the importance of communicating and expressing oneself to mitigate suicidal thoughts.

Apart from psycho-social counselling training, the youths were also encouraged to use community dialogue as a way of addressing issues that arise in their communities.

GAYO is working with SRHR champions who are youths that work within their communities in addressing challenges they are facing including health issues.

By Memory Khutuliwa

Blantyre, January 14, Mana: Glee Grace Hospitality Academy founded by Blantyre Malabada Parliamentarian, Ismail Rizziq Mkumba is providing free hospitality management and driving courses to youth in his constituency to ensure they become productive citizens in the society.

Principal of Glee Grace Hospitality Academy, Wiza Mpande said in an interview with Malawi News Agency (MAN) over the weekend that the institution offers certificate course in hospitality management that runs for six months and three months free driving courses through Mkumba Driving School.

“Within the hospitality course, we offer hotel management, food production, tourism, front office administration and entrepreneurship, among others.

“Youths benefit with jobs after they have done well in attachments and internship. We send them to various hotels nationwide and they become employable with the skills they are imparted with and a certificate as evidence of their qualification,” Mphande said.

He, therefore, appealed to the youths to enroll with the academy to acquire technical and vocation skills to transform them into self-reliant citizens.

One of the youths that graduated from the academy, Madalo Pakula, was grateful to be enrolled and given the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the hospitality industry.   

“I have learnt skills and I am very happy because I will be able to start my own business to support my family. I was hopeless after passing Form Four with good grades but the problem was school fees to pursue further studies,” she said.

She, therefore, encouraged fellow youths in the constituency to enroll with the academy and acquire technical and vocational skills.

1,588 youths have enrolled with the academy since its establishment in 2019.

By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, January 15, Mana: Three peple in Dowa have died while 139 have been left destitute following flash floods that happened on Saturday due to prolonged heavy rains which washed away houses, property, crops and other infrastructure.

The floods occurred in parts of Traditional Authorities (TA) Dzoole, Msakambewa and Mponela especially in villages along Kasangazi River which overflowed due to heavy rains over a four hour downpour.

TA Mponela has confirmed the deaths within his area.

“I can confirm that we have lost two people who were swept by the overflooding waters and due to the nature of the deaths, burial has already taken place. However, three children who went missing have been found but other two are yet to be located,” he said.

The death toll has currently reached three. Police are however yet to confirm of the deaths.

TA Mponela has since called for immediate help to affected families which he said has brought a nightmare in his area and across the district, describing the floods as something that he never anticipated in the area.

“A lot of houses have been washed away and these families, as we speak, do not have anywhere to stay. They also have nothing to eat as all the foodstuff and properties has been washed away.

“As such we need urgent help like shelter, food and basic domestic materials like pails and blankets for them,” he said.

He, therefore, said there for long term assistance because a lot of crops have been lost, and most of the crops in the fields that have been washed away were already at an advanced stage.

“People had invested a lot on these fields and if they are to replant, they will need help like seed and fertilizer. However, this will still affect the overall harvest and the affected people are at risk of facing hunger in the coming months,” he said.

Across the district, 37 houses have been destroyed with 20 totally washed away. Over 139 people have been affected.

In TA Msakambewa alone, over 700 households have been affected as their fields have been washed away.

The statistics are however expected to change as evaluations are still ongoing.

Councilor for Msakambewa East Ward Martin Luka said apart from these, the floods have also damaged some infrastructure including five bridges.

“These include Lingadzi Bridge at Kadiwa, Uzami Bridge at Kalwembe - Mzukwa Road and Uzami Bridge on Mkanga – Kalikwembe Road.

“We anticipate that this would result in communication challenges within the affected communities,” he said.

Dowa District Commissioner, Stallichi Mwambiwa, said teams from the council are already deployed on the ground determining the extent of the damage and coordinating responses.

Currently, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs has donated various relief items to some of the affected people which include maize floor, beans, tents, buckets, and blankets.

By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, January 15, Mana: They did not wait until they were fully established, with sound financial base and wide profit margins, to carry out what in the corporate world is called social responsibility.

When the youth from Luso Langa Club in Traditional Authority Masula in Lilongwe got start-up packages, early December, to venture into vocational skills of their individual choice after a four-month training, they turned to their public health facility and offered free maintenance services.

To the youth, it was just the right thing to do after Community Savings and Investment Promotion (COMSIP) Cooperative Union Limited had given them the training, and the start-up tools, all for free, through the Youth Skills Challenge Support (YSCS) initiative.

“We live in the community and we know the challenges our community faces. So when we got the start-up tools after the training, we mobilised little resources to rehabilitate Dickson Health Centre, here in TA Masula,” explained chairperson of the cooperative, Violet Finiasi, in an interview.

“The condition of the beds, chairs, and the curtains had always been an eyesore, and that’s why we were compelled to carry out this noble task; besides, it’s only proper considering that some of our newly acquired vocational skills have hazards and, in cases of occupational injuries, this would be the first place to go to for treatment,” she added.

According to Finiasi, her club comprises 12 members who underwent COMSIP’s training in various fields, such as welding, carpentry, tailoring, cosmetology, phone repairing, and bricklaying, according to their individual preference.

However, the services that the Luso Langa Youth Club offered in repairing the broken equipment at Dickson Health Centre mainly included welding broken windows, beds and steel chairs; tailoring torn curtains and bedsheets; and mending other broken wooden materials, such as office desks and chairs.

The rest of the youth club members helped with cleaning the surrounding and clearing sewer blockages, among other tasks, according to the chairperson.

“It’s all about commitment to doing service to the community,” explained Finiasi, and she added: “We used MK60,000 only from our club’s purse to do all this.”

The club also repaired a few broken desks at Dickson Primary School and, according to Finiasi, the members are ready to offer more services to public facilities in their community and beyond, whenever need arises.

Luso Langa Youth Club’s gesture left the management of Dickson Health Centre speechless, as the undertaken social responsibility was least expected.

“We are very impressed with what the youth club has done: most of our furniture – especially beds – were broken and women seeking medical attention used to sleep on the floor, but that is all history now.” explained Lameck Simkoko, medical assistant at the facility.

According to Simkoko, the repairs and maintenance works of the broken materials is a relief as it’ll reduce the list of items reported to the District Health Office (DHO) for redress.

The charity services that Luso Langa Youth Club offered to their health centre in December appear to have put the skilled members in the path of Lady Luck as more and more contracts have popped up for them to take up, according to a recent follow-up interview with Finiasi.

YSCS is a sub-programme that COMSIP is implementing under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP), a Malawi government project funded by the World Bank, and Social Protection Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF), through the National Local Government Financing Committee (NLGFC).

Under the YSCS, a total of 721 youths from various clusters in 14 districts across the country underwent vocational training from March to June in 2023 before they were given start-up packages early December in the year.

The second cohort starts in February, targeting 1,789 youths drawn from the 14 districts, namely: Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Phalombe, Balaka, Dedza, Lilongwe, Dowa, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Nkhotakota, Nkhatabay, Karonga, Rumphi and Chitipa, where COMSIP is implementing the SSRLP.

According to Development Communication Officer for COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited, Mercy Kayuni, besides the start-up tools, the youths are also getting loans, averaging K300,000 from COMSIV Limited, a finance subsidiary of COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited, to establish themselves in business.

“The youths that are targeted in the YSCS programme are those who are either on Social Cash Transfer (SCTP) or Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) and they are in COMSIP groups, or those youths whose guardians are in COMSIP groups under the SSRLP,” explained Kayuni in an interview.

“The aim of the programme is to help the youth start businesses, or get employment that will help them get out of extreme poverty,” she added, and further clarified that the trainings are conducted by TEVETA certified craftsmen from the communities the youths come from.

Elsewhere in TA Kabudula in Lilongwe, youths who underwent the YSCS training are also celebrated within their communities for their distinguished works.

One such youth, Exton Chimbalu, who trained as a carpenter, went straight into the trade immediately after the training, using borrowed tools just to keep the knowledge fresh, and he had a lot of furniture to his credit by the time the start-up package came.

Now, with his own tools to work with, Chimbalu, a member of Mwaiwathu Club under Kachere Cluster, sees himself becoming the most-sought-after carpenter in TA Kabudula, and beyond.

Like most youth club members under the YSCS that this reporter randomly interviewed in Lilongwe, Dowa, Kasungu and Ntchisi, Chimbalu envisages the most touted MW2063 Agenda already in the bag,

“If government and partners continue to pump resources into such youth projects, MW2063 will be a walkover: think of the development that the 721 youths from cohort 1 can bring to the country if put together?” he wondered.

The picture of the youth’s contribution towards the country’s development as we think, talk and walk MW2063 gets broader and more impressive when one takes into account that the YSCS project will have trained 4,300 youths by 2027, when the project expires.

The custodian of the funding purse, NLGFC, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, are both optimistic that with such a good start, the YSCS sub-project is set for a meaningful impact to the country’s economic development.

NLGFC Enterprise Development Specialist, Miriam Saiwa, described the YSCS sub-project as “a great initiative” and that “as more youths get trained in various skills in the communities, the youths will be able to bid for bigger projects within and beyond their communities through skills consolidation, which will allow them to earn more income.”

Director for Youth and Sports, Judie Msusa, concurred with Saiwa, describing YSCS as an ideal model for youth economic empowerment through the skill development approach.

According to Msusa, the training packages for the YSCS sub-project respond to major bottlenecks to youth entrepreneurship, such as lack of technical and entrepreneurial skills, access to working tools and working capital.

On social responsibility as demonstrated by the youth of TA Masula in Lilongwe, Msusa said it is a highly appreciated noble obligation, and in line with a pillar in the national youth service programme.

“I’d like to appeal to all stakeholders working with youth in skills training to adopt the model that is being implemented by COMSIP so that youth are meaningfully being involved [in the development of the country],” she said through a brief questionnaire.

What the youth involved in the YSCS initiative have already demonstrated seems to vindicate the Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire’s appeal to councils on 4 December, 2023, during the official handover of the starter-up packages in Kasungu.

The minister had said: “To the district councils, let’s promote these young people. They can ably carry out projects that are supported through different funding mechanism at council level.

“They (youth) are available in the communities, as such, there is no need to bring contractors from outside their communities.”