By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, February 20, Mana: Rumphi District Council on Wednesday launched a youth resource centre built with financial support from World Bank funded Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) and Constituency Development Fund (CDF) at Rumphi Stadium in the district.

GESD contributed K62 million while CDF provided K29 million towards the construction of the centre.

Speaking during the ceremony Member of Parliament for Rumphi Central Constituency, Chidumba Mkandawire said the centre will give the youth in the district a safe place where they will acquire vocational and other life skills to live responsible lives.

Chidumba also donated sewing machines, a desktop computer and a plasma television to the centre in addition to cheques worth K20 million in loans to various youth groups through CDF to enable them start businesses.

"We have given loans to over ten groups today translating into over 100 people that have benefited from these loans under CDF.

"I am happy that I am the first member of Parliament in the district to do this, utilizing ten percent of CDF that is allocated towards supporting women and the youths," said Mkandawire.

Rumphi District Commissioner has urged the youth to utilize the centre's services such as the library and also vocational skills that will be offered to improve their livelihoods.

He has also asked the youth groups that have received loans to utilize them for the intended purpose so that more youths can benefit from it once they pay back the loans.

Youth representative, Maxon Ngulube said the centre will promote self-employment among the youths through vocational skills such as tailoring and also reduce sluiced cases among the youth as they now have a place to freely share challenges they face with peers.

GESD is a Malawi Government performance based grant funded by World Bank.

By Pempho Kantayeni

Lilongwe, 20 February, Mana: Minister of Homeland Security, Ezekiel Ching’oma says he is impressed with the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) training that immigration officers are conducting which is crucial in bringing efficiency towards immigration processes across the country.

He made these remarks on Thursday in Lilongwe where he visited the training centre for immigration officers to appreciate the ongoing training and encourage officers on their role in safe guarding the country’s borders.

“MIDAS is a comprehensive platform that will house several critical immigration components, such as E visa, E permits and E citizen registration, the system will also help integrate with international systems such as Interpol, thereby enhancing communication with various stakeholders,” he said.

“It is essential to recognize that MIDAS is designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to perform your duties with confidence and efficiency. I am confident that by the end of the training, you will all acquire sufficient knowledge and skills to potentially use the system once it is implemented,” he said.

Ching’oma said that immigration officers at the borders will be able to know all the information about every person who is coming in the country hence improving national security.

MIDAS is a border management information system used to collect, store, and analyse traveller data at border crossings, allowing the government to effectively monitor migration patterns and inform policy decisions based on real-time information.

By George Mponda

Karonga, February 20, Mana: Youths in Karonga District on Wednesday engaged Malawi Congress Party's (MCP) Director of Youths in the North-North, Robert Katawa Msowoya to express their grievances and concerns.

The meeting held in Karonga was attended by young people, some of whom were taxi drivers, mini bus call boys and other unemployed youths.

Chairperson for Karonga Bus Depot, Happy Chirwa said that at the top their list was lack of employment opportunities which has left many of them feeling hopeless and disillusioned.

"Being the youth director for the northern region, we would like you to use your influence to lobby for policies that will create jobs and stimulate economic growth for us here in Karonga,” Chirwa said.

A taxi driver, Desmond Kalinga called for construction of bus shelters at all bus stops within Karonga.

"As you know it is too hot here in Karonga yet all bus stops along the road do not have shelters, so we would like you to engage the district council to construct these for our customers,” Kalinga said.

"We also want to complain about the behavior of some Road Traffic Services officers who are charging Sienta drivers hefty fines amounting K200,000 which we feel is choking our businesses as we knock off with nothing," he added.

In his response, Msowoya acknowledged the concerns of the youths and promised to take them up with the party's leadership, Road Traffic Directorate and Karonga District Council.

"Youths have the power to bring about change and the government of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera listens. This meeting was very important because it will help bring positive change for the youths in Karonga,” said Msowoya.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, February 20, Mana: Chief Corruption Prevention Officer for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Susan Mtuwa Phiri has urged core officers in the implementation of Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) to avoid corruption.

Mtuwa was speaking in Nkhata Bay on Wednesday at the end of a corruption risk assessment training for Nkhata Bay District Council officials. 

She said the training was necessary because councils receive significant funding for SSRLP implementation hence it is crucial that they prevent corruption.

 "The training aimed to equip targeted officers with skills to identify, assess, and mitigate corruption risks to ensure that funds allocated to the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) are used for intended purposes.

"Together with the council, we have identified the weak areas in the programs’ implementation and developed measures to seal the loopholes so that corruption is prevented," Mtuwa said.

Phiri expressed optimism that the exercise, currently being piloted in three districts, namely Nkhata Bay, Ntcheu, and Mulanje, will yield positive results when rolled out to all councils.

She also urged the council to take the training recommendations seriously, bearing in mind that collective efforts are necessary to combat corruption.

"We encourage every Malawian to participate in the fight against corruption by resisting and reporting it," she added.

Commenting on the matter, Integrity Institutional Committee Chairperson, Raphael Mkisi commended National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) for supporting the training, saying it was an eye opener.  

"This capacity building is a plus to us and the knowledge and skills gained will be used in all other projects at the council to leave no room for any corrupt practices,” he said.

CS-EPWP and SCTP are components of SSRLP being implemented by the Malawi Government across the country through the National Local Government Finance Committee with support from the World Bank and Multi Donor Trust Fund.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, February 20, Mana: Communities in Nkhata Bay are commending Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) for keeping children in school.

In an interview on Wednesday at Chinguluwe primary school during cash disbursement covering the month of January and February, Erah Mhone, a 68-year-old beneficiary from Kawalazi catchment in the area of Traditional Authority Kabunduli said she is able to pay school fees for her children from the money she receives.

"Before joining the program in 2022, I struggled to pay school fees for my children. Now, with the K76,000 I receive, I can afford to pay K30,000 for school fees for my child in Form One and reserve some to boost my business," she said.

Another beneficiary from Chinguluwe catchment, Annie Banda, also praised the program, saying the K55,000 she receives has enabled her to buy essential school items, such as uniforms and exercise books, keeping her three children in class consistently.

Similarly, a 59-year-old Misheck Sibale from Senior Chief Timbiri's area commended the program for supporting his family.

"Before being targeted in the program, one of my daughters dropped out of school and got married due to lack of school fees.

“This is not the case now, as I am able to pay school fees for my other two children who are at secondary school and I am optimistic that they will finish their education without problems," he said.

In his remarks, District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, Rodgers Newa, acknowledged the program's positive impact and encouraged beneficiaries to continue investing in small-scale businesses to prepare for life beyond the program.

SCTP is being implemented across the country by the National Local Government Finance Committee with funding from the World Bank and Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

Currently, the program is supporting 6,476 beneficiaries in Nkhata Bay.

By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, February 20, Mana: Umunthu plus Organization, on Wednesday launched the Revatalizing Health led action in climate change project, in the area of Traditional Authority Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota District.

Speaking during the project launch, Umunthu plus Monitoring and Evaluation Manager Rumbani Mgula said, the project aims at strengthening the community's health systems.

He said his organization has embarked on this in order to respond actively when emergencies come, and to build the community's resilience to the impacts of climate change and enhance quality delivery of health services in community health facilities.

"Nkhotakota is one of the districts that was hit by floods last year and there were a number of things that we observed such as problems in accessing food items and clean water. This led to inborn diseases and infections, that's why we have come with this project so that we should strengthen the health system at community level," Mgula said.

He added that it is important for the health service providers in the community to be empowered and ready to respond to the needs of the community effectively should disasters strike like they did last year.

Malengachanzi ADC Chair, Kennedy Njakama, thanked Umunthu plus for the project and highlighted that the project will help people to be alert and prepare themselves when an emergency hits.

"This will be our first line of response and is very helpful in such a way that people will be trained and imparted with knowledge on quality health services, as they will be trained by experienced health workers and will be fully prepared to respond during a crisis," said Njakama.

The project will target three T/As namely, Malengachanzi, Mphonde and Kanyenda in Nkhotakota District which are areas that are prone to flooding disasters.

By Beatrice Bangula

Blantyre February 19, Mana: Blantyre District Council has launched 2024–2025 Forestry Season in Traditional Authority Kunthembwe’s area where the council announced it will plant at least 1.2 million tree seedlings in various places.

Speaking during the launch on Wednesday, under the theme; Restore Forest and Land to Secure Food Production, Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Councilor, Elson Dumuka, said there is need to keep on planting trees to restore the depleted vegetative cover in manty parts of the district.

He therefore called on community members to plant and care for the tree seedlings to ensure good survival rate.

“When the tree survival rate is high, there will be many trees, and this will help to address desertification. Let everyone, including school learners, ward councilors, and Members of Parliament take full responsibility of planting trees and taking care of it,” he added.

Blantyre District Forestry Officer, Noel Moyo, said there is need for collective effort among stakeholders to restore the degraded environment.

According to Moyo, as of Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the council had planted almost 642 tree seedlings in the area of Traditional Authority Kunthembwe.

Senior Chief Kunthembwe hailed Blantyre District Council for the initiative, saying it will help to reduce climate change effects.

“As a traditional leader, using my own initiative, I have managed to plant almost 100 tree seedlings of various species, such as bluegum. Thanks Blantyre District Council for launching this forestry season in my area,” he said.

Malawi’s Vice President, Dr. Michael Usi, launched the 2024/2025 National Forest Season on December 15 in Chitipa.

By Trinity Kamwani

Neno, February 19, Mana: Building Education Foundation Through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) program has transformed education in Neno by improving literacy and numeracy skills among learners.

Deputy Head teacher for Kachere Primary School, Timothy Kachere, highlighted on Wednesday in an interview that BEFIT’s interactive and technology-driven approach has make a significant impact, particularly on learners in Standards 1 to 4.

"We have seen a remarkable improvement in reading and numeracy skills, especially among Standard 3 and 4 learners. This progress is also reflected in standardized examinations, where performance has significantly improved," Kachere said in an interview with Mana.

According to Kachere, the program has not only enhanced academic performance but also encouraged better school attendance.

"The digital learning tools have made lessons more engaging, helping students develop consistent study habits. As a result, learners are more confident in their studies and their overall performance has improved," he said.

He said the interactive nature of BEFIT provides personalized learning pathways, allowing learners to grasp concepts at their own pace and this flexibility has been particularly beneficial in helping struggling learners catch up with their peers.

Neno District BEFIT Coordinator, Saezi Malikebu, shared that recent performance assessments show a dramatic improvement in pass rates for Chichewa and Mathematics, rising from 40-50 percent to between 90-100 percent in some schools.

"Learners are now mastering concepts much faster, and they also have extra time for practice after normal lessons. This has resulted in stronger academic competition at the zone level and an overall boost in school performance," Malikebu said.

A Standard 4 learner at Kapanikiza Primary School, Mphatso Mtsamira said the program has transformed her academic journey.

"When I transferred to this school, I struggled with reading. But with the tablet lessons, I can now read fluently, manipulate numbers, and confidently answer comprehension questions," she said.

Similarly, a standard 3 learner at Kalion Primary School, Emmanuel Joseph, said he had little interest in attending classes as his mother had to escort him daily to school.

However, after being introduced to BEFIT, his attitude toward education changed and now he enjoys learning and attends classes regularly and is excelling academically according to his class teacher.

BEFIT is currently in its first phase and is covering 12 primary out of 88 primary schools in Neno.