MANAonline
11-year-old girl dies in road accident
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, October 25, Mana: A 11-year-old girl has died in Nkhata Bay after being hit by motor vehicle at Strabag camp site Wednesday night.
Nkhata Bay Police Public Relations Officer, Kondwani James, identified the deceased as Margret Chanza, from Galimoto Village, Traditional Authority Timbiri in Nkhata Bay District.
He said Chanza was hit by a Toyota Sienta registration number LL 1147 which was being driven by Gift Phiri who was coming from Nkhata Bay heading to Mzuzu with three passengers on board.
"Upon arrival at the mentioned camp site which is just after Mpamba Trading Centre, the driver lost control due to over speeding.
"As a result, the vehicle swerved off the road and hit the deceased who was walking to the left side of the road going to the same direction," James said.
According to James, the girl sustained severe head injuries and died while being treated at Nkhata Bay District Hospital due to loss of blood as per autopsy conducted.
He said police are hunting for the driver who fled after the accident.
First Lady hail China support to Malawi
By Rosalia Kapiri
Lilongwe, October 25, Mana: First Lady Madame Monica Chakwera, through Shaping Our Future Foundation received support from the Chinese Embassy at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Friday at an event where a cheque worth MK47.535 million and relief items were presented aimed at supporting vulnerable communities in Malawi.
The event highlights the ongoing collaboration between the Chinese government and the Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF), which focuses on the holistic development of village girls and street children through education.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady said she was excited about the delegation's visit and the positive impact of their support.
“The help makes a lot of difference to the girls, as many more things are accomplished through this initiative," she said.
The support from China includes assistance for 75 students who will receive tuition fees for the academic year, a gesture that aligns with Malawi's aspirations outlined in the 2063 agenda.
“This gesture means that China is helping Malawi to attain some of the goals stipulated in the 2063 agenda by keeping girls in school. These interventions go a long way in improving the development of the country at large," Chakwera emphasized.
she expressed gratitude for the relief items which she said will help families affected by disasters.
“This will go a long way in assisting the families affected by these challenges. As a Foundation, we are always delighted to have a helping hand, and this gives us a good landing for our operations," she added.
Wang Hao, a representative from the Chinese Embassy, praised the First Lady for her commitment to charitable causes in Malawi.
“The First Lady has always been committed to the development of Malawian charitable causes and safeguarding the rights and interests of Malawian children,” he noted.
He also thanked her for fostering a strong relationship between Malawi and the Chinese Embassy.
Since 2021, the Chinese embassy has been a significant supporter of education initiatives in Malawi through SOFF. This year, the embassy has increased funding to SOFF from K32.78 million to K47.535 million to help more girls continue wi their studies.
“China and Africa share the same dreams of advancing education for girls and women in the world,” Hao stated.
He said China provides government scholarships to Malawian university students annually to support further their studies in China.
The embassy also announced plans to donate maize flour and beans worth K70.7 million to Nkhotakota District through SOFF to alleviate food insecurity among local communities.
Dr. Michael Mkandawire, Chief Executive Officer for SOFF and advisor to the First Lady, expressed gratitude for the continuous support from China.
“We are thankful to China for the help they have been providing over the years, ensuring that girls in need in Malawi are kept in school.
“In 2023 alone, SOFF provided scholarships to 1,108 students, with 64 percent being girls. China has been instrumental in making sure that these girls remain in school,” he added.
The collaboration between Malawi and China continues to demonstrate the significant impact of international partnerships in promoting education and supporting vulnerable populations.
Nkhata Bay SCTP beneficiaries lobby for E-payment system
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, October 24, Mana: Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) beneficiaries in Nkhata Bay eye transition of manual to electronic payment system of their stipends just like its done in other districts.
In an interview with the Malawi News Agency (Mana), Thursday, during a pay parade at Chihami in the area of Senior Chief Malanda, an elderly lady, Jane Mkandawire, 73, said electronic payment will bring to her comfort and convenience in accessing her monthly stipends.
"At my age, it is challenging to travel long distances to collect my monthly stipends, therefore, I would like to ask authorities to introduce E-payment system so that we get our payment with ease," said Mkandawire.
She added that E-payment system is more preferable over the current cash-based system which she said among others exposes the beneficiaries to robbery.
Another beneficiary, Symon Mphande, 42, who has disability, said E- payment will make it easier for people with disabilities to manage access and manage their finances. It is secure and we can save and invest the money efficiently,” Mphande said.
Chief Social Welfare Officer responsible for Social Cash Transfer Programme in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Chifundo Namchukwa, said plans to introduce E- payment system across all social protection programs are under way.
'We are currently rolling out e-payments in 16 more districts on top of 10 which are already utilizing the facility.
However, Nkhata Bay and Ntchisi districts will early next year pioneer ‘Choice Model’ E-payment approach that allows beneficiaries to select their preferred service provider, “said Namchukwa.
SCTP is a Malawi Government programme which is being implemented across the country through National Local Government Finance Committee with financial support from Multi-Donor Trust Fund and World Bank to cushion the elderly and ultra- poor from economic shocks.
Deputy Minister calls for teacher - parent collaboration
By Doreen Chiwalo
Mwanza, October 25, Mana: Deputy Minister of Education, Nancy Chaola Mdooko has called for joint effort between teachers and parents to address challenges faced by learners.
She made the call in Mwanza on Thursday when she toured Chiwale Primary School on top of Thambani Hills to appreciate challenges the school is facing.
Mdooko said there was need for joint efforts between teachers and parents to address the school’s challenges for the good of learners’ quest for quality education and a brighter future.
She said her visit was a surprise one to appreciate how the school was faring in the provision of child education, staff welfare and housing.
“I am impressed to see the commitment of teachers who climb this hill every day to teach here," said Mdooko.
She pledged that government will construct teachers' houses so that they should stay within the school premises and upgrade the school to a full primary by building additional classroom blocks.
Chiwale Primary School has 4 teachers against 173 leaners in standards 1 to 5.
Head teacher for the school, Eliot Mlera asked the Ministry of Education to send more teachers to the school to address teacher- learner ratio for effective class management,
Councilor for Thambani Ward, Frazer Bandiele asked partners in the district to come forward with various support to improve child education.
“Learner drop out is high due to poor road condition which makes the school inaccessible during rainy season. There is also need to construct additional class room blocks to accommodate learners in senior classes," said Bandiele.
Chiwale Primary School is at Kunkhoma Village, Senior Chief Nthache.
Next Level USA Brings Hip Hop Masterclass to Malawi
By Priscilla Phiri
October 25, Lilongwe, Mana: Malawian Creatives are in for a treat as Next Level USA announces the launch of its Next Level Academy Malawi, a 10-days masterclass and workshop series in Lilongwe.
According to a Press Statement released on Thursday by Next Level USA, the masterclasses aim to provide intensive training in various artistic disciplines including dance, beat-making, MCing, and street art, alongside entrepreneurship and conflict transformation workshops.
The program, which is open to individuals aged between 18 to 35, will be facilitated by renowned artist-educators from the United States. The line-up includes Queen Gabby (Dance), Polaryss (MC), DJ Hoppa (Beatmaker), Nosey42 (Aerosol/Street Art), and Masta Minch (Videographer), under the leadership of Site Manager MeccaGodZilla as per the statement.
Excited by the event, MeccaGodZilla, expressed his enthusiasm to lead a team for Next Level's cultural exchange in Malawi in collaboration with Kweza in Lilongwe.
“We are not just sharing our expertise in Hip Hop, we are here to connect, learn, and grow together with the incredible artists of Malawi. This program is all about building bridges through the universal language of Hip Hop, and I can’t wait to see what we create together,” he said.
The masterclasses are scheduled to take place at Kweza Arts’ Hub in Area 3, Lilongwe, from November 4th to November 15th.
Meanwhile, applications for the program are open and participation is free with provision of transport to and from a central point within Lilongwe.
Next Level is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Centre, with a mission to use Hip Hop music, dance, and art to foster cross-cultural creative exchange in diverse communities.
The Next Level Academy Malawi is implemented by Kweza Arts with support from the U.S. Embassy in Malawi.
TRADE Introduces nutrition programme for Farmers in Thyolo
By Catherine Chikopa
Thyolo, October 25, Mana: Nutrition and Gender Coordinator for Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development (FISD), Emey Tchongwe says Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) interventions in Thyolo were meant to address nutrition challenges and will use participatory methods to identify eligible households into the programme.
Tchongwe told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Thursday that TRADE programme targets farming households in four Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Thyolo namely; Thyolo Central, Matapwata, Khonjeni, and Dwale.
“To ensure transparency and accountability in the selection of TRADE beneficiaries, we will use participatory methods such as wealth ranking to identify eligible households,” Tchongwe added.
She said that after beneficiaries are identified in the four EPAs, the programme will initially distribute small livestock, including chickens and rabbits, to 14 households, adding that each household will receive 10 chickens (nine hens and one cock) which the household will pass on over time.
Main goal of TRADE programme is to transform agriculture in Malawi by promoting diversification, entrepreneurship, and sustainable farming practices, ultimately improving livelihood of small holder farmers for rural economic development.
Tchongwe noted that by supporting households with chickens, the programme can help families access an important source of protein through both meat and eggs. Additionally, farmers will be able to sell excess chickens and eggs, improving their household income and benefiting both nutritionally and economically.
TRADE Programme’s Gender, Social Inclusion, and Nutrition Officer, Ekari Jimusole said the program focuses on the commercialization of the dairy sector while addressing nutrition needs.
“Our goal is to build the capacity of vulnerable farmers to ensure food and nutrition security, while giving them opportunity to participate in dairy value chains,” Jimusole said.
He added that FISD will implement several activities to improve nutrition outcomes in the district, including promoting backyard gardens, integrated homestead farming, and cooking demonstrations.
“These are expected to enhance nutrition and overall livelihoods of both farmers and children in the communities. We are confident that FISD’s work will significantly improve nutrition outcomes among farmers in Thyolo,” he said.
The program, which started in September 2024, will run for two years and will end in September 2026.
MWASIP disburses K45 million to communities in Neno
By Salome Gangire
Neno, October 25, Mana: Neno District Council through the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) has provided K45, 207, 855 to community members in Neno District for their environmental conservation efforts to uplift their livelihood.
Speaking during the cheque handover ceremony to Wamkulumazi Catchment Management Committee (CMC) held at Chawe Clinic Ground, Principal Agriculture Training Officer in the Department of Agriculture Extension Services, Bonface Kautale said the money is part of Community Environment Conservation Fund (CECF) given to communities upon successful implementation of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices in their catchment areas.
He said the funds are provided under the Land restoration component, as incentives to project participants that have done well in sustainable land management practices to uplift their livelihood through small-scale business whilst they are implementing the project activities so that they do not harm the environment.
“CECF is one of the funds deliberately set aside as an encouragement to be awarded to communities participating in MWASIP activities. It operates on Performance Based Grant basis. The more is achieved, the more is rewarded,” Kautale said.
He added that physical verification is done by Independent Verification Agent (IVA) through measurements of pieces of land area under different landscape restoration interventions by Village Natural Resources Management Committee (VNRMCs), as a basis for calculating their achievement levels on the area under SLM activities, which is the basis for calculating CECF.
Kautale said the money is used in form of revolving fund to be providing micro-credit to community members involved in the VLAP activities under MWASIP, and is accessible to members within the catchment area that are involved in the landscape restoration programs.
Mkulumadzi CMC Chairperson Jackson Yona thanked MWASIP for transforming the landscape in their area, saying now communities have adopted landscape management practices, which apart from transforming the environment, have led to communities harvesting more.
He said with CECF funds, communities are now engaging in businesses that do not harm the environment.
Councillor for Chilimbondo Ward, who is also Vice Council Chairperson for Neno District Council, Montfort Bwanali thanked MWASIP for CECF funds which he said has economically empowered the communities working in the project as they are engaged in various small scale business to uplift their lives.
He said the project has reduced incidences of people cutting down trees, as they did not have capital to venture into meaningful businesses.
Bwanali asked the beneficiaries to jealously guard against misuse of the facility by making sure that when a member gets the loan they should follow up so that all members should benefit too.
MWASIP has this far disbursed K292, 401, 537.60 CECF fund to 2,501 project participants in Neno District.
Salima District moves to strengthen VSL groups
By: Golden Kang'oma
Salima, October 25, Mana: Salima District Community Development Office, has geared up efforts to revamp and reorganize Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups, in order address the social and economic challenges faced by local communities.
Speaking during a stakeholder orientation on Thursday, Salima District Community Development Officer (DCDO), Samuel Chimwaza expressed excitement about the potential of reorganizing the Savings and Loans technical working groups, which he said would uplift community livelihoods.
He said: "In Salima, we have more than 2,200 Village Savings Loan (VSL) groups registered with the Community Development Office, however, there are still more than 60 percent of the groups that are not registered.
"This means that over 2,500 groups are not yet accounted for, representing about 40 percent of the total, so this will help to enhance our working relationship and make sure that every group is accounted for,” he said.
Chimwaza pointed out that VSL's have made significant contributions in addressing social and economic issues in Salima, particularly in providing a buffer against climate-related catastrophes and ensuring food security.
“The VSLs have become a form of social support, helping communities address income security and purchasing power, especially in the face of food shortages and other economic challenges," he said.
He said funds from VSLs have been instrumental in supporting community initiatives, such as assisting school-going children with fees and improving overall household welfare hence revamping the structures.
However, Chimwaza emphasized the need for improved data collection on the contributions of VSLs.
“We need to quantify the impact of these groups both in terms of numbers and their qualitative impact on people’s lives and how they affect mental health, family cohesion, and economic stability,” he said.
Field Facilitator for Action Aid under the Tipindule project, Pamela Likoswe, said the initiative is very crucial, noting the importance of linking VSLs with formal financial institutions.
“So far, we’ve reached 293 groups, with a total membership of 7,302 people in Traditional Authority Kuluunda, and this engagement aimed at revamping the technical working groups will help strengthen collaboration with stakeholders and formalize more village savings groups,” she said.
Likoswe said most VSL'S groups have been losing a lot of money because they had no proper training and people were defaulting loans, observing the revamping of the groups will help seal the gaps that were there before.
Ministry engages Blantyre Council on discrimination issues
By Vida Msiyo
Blantyre, October 25, Mana: The Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture through the Department of Peace and National Unity, on Thursday met officials from the Blantyre District to discuss the need for the criminalization of discrimination in Malawi, with focus on racism, regionalism and tribalism.
Lwitiko Rodney Munkhondia, an Economist in the ministry, said it was important to hold such a meeting to find possible solutions to the widespread discrimination in the country.
“We want to ensure that we develop an inclusive legal instrument that will eliminate discrimination and ensure no one is left behind,” he said.
Among the participants was Apostle Lindiwe Matanya, a member of Women for Fair Development (WOFAD), who noted that discrimination has become too common in Malawi.
“We discriminate against each other based on language; just hearing someone speak, we already judge them and this makes us reluctant to offer any assistance,” she said.
Apostle Matanya further observed that political and religious leaders are often responsible for promoting divisions, giving an example of leaders appointing individuals into positions based on cultural ties rather than merit.
“If we continue like this, our children will struggle to get jobs and there will be no development in the country. Development will remain concentrated within one tribe and when people are employed based on connections, the quality of work suffers. This will hinder the realization of Vision 2063,” she said.
Council Chairperson for Blantyre, Elsen Dumuka said discrimination in Malawi is not a new issue having been present since the 1980s.
“I encourage everyone to participate in ending this practice and I urge the Ministry to take this issue seriously because capable and experienced individuals are being denied opportunities due to racism, tribalism and regionalism,” said Dumuka.
The meeting which brought together stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders highlighted the need for urgent action to address discrimination in order to promote fairness and development across all sectors in Malawi.
Government introduces e-payment for social protection programmes in Neno
By Wellington Sibale
Neno, October 25, Mana: Government has announced a shift from manual cash transfers to electronic payments in Neno District for all the social protection programmes, aligning with its agenda to digitize all government payments.
Speaking during a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting on Thursday, Shock Sensitive Specialist at the National Local Governance Finance Committee (NLGFC), Muda Mkutumula said electronic payments have more benefits than manual.
Mkutumula said payment for cash-based project benefits will now be disbursed electronically and advantages of E-payment, include enhanced safety, lower transaction costs and faster payment processing.
“This aims to prepare the country's economy for the adoption of digital financial services,” Mkutumula said.
Currently, the government relies on a manual payment system to deliver funds to beneficiaries of the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and the Climate Smart Public Works Programme (CSPWP).
However, Mkutumula noted that this method has proved inefficient requiring district staff to spend up to two weeks distributing cash and using nearly all available vehicles and personnel, adding that the manual system is also vulnerable to security risks such as theft and is difficult to adapt during times of crisis.
“To address these challenges and as part of the commitment to digitize payments, the government is promoting electronic payments (E-payments) for cash disbursement to beneficiaries,” Mkutumula said, adding that this will reduce travel and waiting times making payments faster and safer.
Mkutumula explained that E-payments mitigate risks related to handling large sums of cash including transportation and security expenses and also support financial inclusion, offering beneficiaries access to financial services and contributing to the strengthening of the financial sector.
Wealthnet Finance Plc has been selected as the service provider for Neno District following an open and competitive bidding process. The company will use its KakuPay Smart Money platform to disburse payments.
A representative from Wealthnet, Dingiswayo Zulu assured beneficiaries of smooth service delivery.
“For those without phones, we will offer an affordable instalment plan for purchasing a phone enabling them to receive government payments,” Zulu said.
He however urged beneficiaries to safeguard their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to avoid falling victim to scammers and fraudsters.
According to Zulu, participants will receive their funds through mobile wallets after an SMS notification.
He said the participant will withdraw cash from a Payment Service Provider (PSP) agent, with the government covering transaction fees for an agreed period with the (PSPs).
The government has already implemented E-payment systems in 21 districts. In Neno, however, the process will begin once Wealthnet Finance and the Neno District Council complete sensitization and training sessions for beneficiaries.
