MANAonline
Likoma’s acting STA Mwase laid to rest
By Ireen Mseteka
Likoma, February 28, Mana: Hundreds of people on Tuesday gathered at Chiponde Village in Likoma to witness the burial ceremony of acting Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Mwase who succumbed to esophageal cancer.
Speaking during the ceremony, a family representative Wycliffe Masoo said the family is saddened by the death of Mwase whom the family depended on.
“As family members, we are saddened by the death of our relative whom we all depended on, and we were expecting government to install him as STA this coming March. It is sad that he has been on acting capacity just for one year and some few months,” said Masoo.
He said the late chief, born John Khunie, died at his home village on Friday at the age of 62, and he is survived by a wife, eight children and five grandchildren.
District Commissioner for Likoma, Abubakar Nkhoma, said the district has lost a developmental conscious man who sacrificed himself by offering land for construction of various projects in his area.
“We have lost someone who was keen on development activities. For instance, he offered land in his area where a jetty is being constructed and another land where a health Centre is also being constructed. He will be missed a lot for his gesture; he was a good man,” said Nkhoma.
He said President Lazarus Chakwera had already approved Khunie’s nomination last year in December to be STA for the district, saying only tentative dates for the installation remained.
Nkhoma then asked family members to avoid conflicts when it comes to choosing someone from the family members who will replace late Khunie in order to maintain peace.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Likoma, Ashems Songwe, said Chakwera is saddened by the demise of Khunie.
“The President and our Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture are all shocked with the death of Khunie because the Minister was expecting to come for the installation of Khunie in March this year after the President approved his name,” said Songwe.
He said the President and the Minister condoled the bereaved family with K500,000 and K100,000 respectively.
The installation ceremony for the late STA was slated for March 2024, following the death of his predecessor in 2022.
Zomba DRMCs heed lessons from Cyclone Freddy
By Kondwani Magombo
Lilongwe, February 28, Mana: As Tropical Cyclone Freddy raged and caused massive loss of lives and property in the southern region in March 2023, fear gripped the people from villages around Likangala River in Zomba.
According to Chairperson for Disaster Risk Management Committee (DRMC) for Likangala Ward, Gasten Mwepesa, it was by grace that no deaths were recorded in the ward during the disaster.
However, there were several injuries and loss of property that were recorded due to collapsing houses as the river broke its banks, causing record floods downstream.
“The Cyclone Freddy destroyed houses and property, affecting over 1,300 families, who were taken to an evacuation Centre for shelter and humanitarian support,” explains the DRMC chair, adding: “We’ve had flash floods before but the 2023 were the worst, in years.”
The statement that Cyclone Freddy left to the people of Likangala Ward was clear and too bold to ignore: dressing the banks of Likangala River with vegetative cover would mitigate further occurrences of flash floods in future.
So, when the DRMC leadership, with guidance from the wards councilor, Munira Abdullah Bakali, thought of taking advantage of the 2023/2024 tree planting season to do the task, mobilizing members of the community was like preaching to church's praise and worship team.
“We saw it with our own eyes: We'd never seen Likangala River that hostile,” explains Catherine M’manga, a resident of Chiluphya Village, Likangala Ward. “So we'll do anything to ensure that in future, such floods no longer pose a threat to our lives.”
Thus, the DRMC and the members of the community in Likangala Ward have risen to the occasion and they are planting indigenous and exotic trees on the banks of Likangala River from Mpondabwino Trading Centre, going all the way downstream.
The Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA), officials from Zomba City Council, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) are among other players partnering the DRMC and members of the community in the task.
One notable thing in this tree planting exercise is the participation of all age groups of the community i.e. the youth, men and women, a spirit the DRMC chair attributes to the leadership of the ward.
“Our councilor, Munira Abdullah Bakali, always encourages us to work together with all stakeholders, including the youth, and we are very grateful that our community always rises to such occasions,” explains Mwepesa.
What is happening in Likangala Ward is just one of the interventions that DRMCs in Zomba City are doing to reduce or avoid the potential losses from hazards.
Elsewhere in Chinamwali Ward, the DRMC there is also working tirelessly, sensitizing people who have built their houses high on the slopes of Chinamwali Mountain, and those who have built in the paths of water bodies to, voluntarily, relocate.
Councilor Bakali, who is also the Vice Mayor of Zomba City, notes how risks associated with disasters affect lives, livelihood, and health in the city, impacting the economic, physical, cultural and environmental well-being of individuals, in the process.
The Vice Mayor applauds the job by the city's DRMCs and she pledges continued efforts to ensure that citizens are protected from further risks of disaster, where possible.
“Communities in Zomba City and the DRMC are trying hard to disseminate the message to the residents with actions on the ground,” explains Bakali.
She adds: “These efforts are remarkable since preparing for disasters saves countless lives, speeds up people's recovery and saves money.”
DoDMA, too, finds the risk reduction efforts a spirit worth emulating, noting that, mostly, disasters that Malawi has been experiencing are aggravated by lack of vegetative cover in prone areas.
“In the case of Freddy, mudslides caused inexplicable devastation due to the fact that there was no vegetative cover to reduce their impact,” observes DoDMA spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula.
He adds: “The planting of trees and reforestation around Likangala River is a ray of hope for better and safer places. We are looking forward to having the efforts replicated across the country under various Village DRMCs.”
NCDA calls for multi sectoral interventions
By Paul Madise
Lilongwe, February 28, Mana: The Non-Communicable Disease Alliance (NCDA) Malawi has called for multi-sectoral interventions in fighting non communication diseases (NCDs) in the country.
NCDA Chairperson, Maud Mwakasungula, made the remarks in Lilongwe on Tuesday during the Policy Landscape Analysis meeting.
Mwakasungula expressed the need for more support from government and stakeholders to ensure continued access to NCD services and availability in hard-to-reach areas across the country.
Mwakasungula commended government, through Ministry of Health, for its dedication in reducing the burden of NCDs in the country.
Ollen Mwalubunju, a Consultant who conducted the analysis, echoed the call for collaborative action, urging the Ministry of Information and Digitalization to utilize various media platforms for sensitization campaigns in addressing the long-term consequences of alcohol and drug abuse.
Mwalubunju highlighted the role of such initiatives in mitigating the exacerbation of NCDs in the long run.
Another Consultant, Dr Henry Ndindi, advised NCDA Malawi to continue working towards monitoring and implementation of its programmes through various stakeholders for effective service delivery and broader impact across the country.
What could be Zomba’s disaster in waiting
By Kondwani Magombo
Lilongwe, February 27, Mana: High up in the mountain of Chinamwali in Zomba, a smoke is spotted billowing into the sky. The first thought one has is that some fanatic of environmental degradation is in the process of making charcoal.
But casting one’s eyes wider and beyond, one is hit hard by shocking realization: some residents have built houses up the mountain to heights that leave them prone to disaster.
Among these residents is 66-year-old Dickson Kadwala, married, with 6 children.
To get to Kadwala’s house, which is made from unburnt bricks and mud, one does not only need to be athletic, but they should also possess the determination of a mountain hiker.
A range of houses line up in a terrace-like fashion, one “above” the other.
When one finally reaches Kadwala’s house, panting and exhausted, the panorama of Chinamwali residential location and the surrounding areas below compensates the hassle — but, perhaps, not enough to justify Kadwala's decision to build there.
The risky actions of the likes of Kadwala up the slopes of Chinamwali Mountain does not sit well with Disaster Risk Management Committee (DRMC) for Chinamwali Ward and, as a result, the committee has sprung to action.
“We find these actions very unacceptable, with what Tropical Cyclone Freddy taught us, as a nation, in March last year,” explains the ward's DRMC chair Andreck Tito. “So we’ve embarked on a door-to-door sensitization, urging those people in such disaster-prone areas to move to safer grounds.”
According to Tito, his committee is making headway and most of the disaster-prone residents are ready to relocate. The challenge, however, is that they don’t know where to relocate to, let alone how to make it there.
Sitting comfortably at the verandah of his house, Kadwala looks less disturbed by the danger that looms around him.
Just a few feet below Kadwala's house, his neighbour, a youthful man probably in his early 30s, is busy rebuilding a wall of his house that might have collapsed a couple of days before.
Kadwala concedes that his life, and that of his wife and children are at risk, with those huge rocks surrounding his house on the slopes of the mountain. But, according to the father of 6, this place is all that he and his family have, and they have nowhere to go.
“I’ve had enough warnings from these people,” he gestures at the DRMC members, “And I've always agreed that this place is prone to disaster. But I do not have anywhere to go.
“If I can be assisted with the relocation process, such as acquiring land and all the necessary logistics, including transport and construction of a house at the new place, I'm ready to move even tomorrow,” adds Kadwala, who claims to have bought the risky land from one of the chiefs in the area.
The scramble for land on the slopes of Chinamwali mountains was done behind the back of the authorities, according to Councilor Munira Abdullah Bakali, Vice Mayor for Zomba City.
As such, the chiefs and their subjects living on the slopes of the Chinamwali mountains are residing in an area that is not just unplanned, but not recognized by the city council.
However, the city's authorities have not taken the matter with arms folded: the establishment of the DRMC to conduct sensitization meetings with the chiefs and the residents to relocate is just one of the approaches that the city authorities have employed.
As the residents like Kadwala are looking up to city authorities to facilitate the relocation process, Zomba City's major challenge is that it has no adequate land, despite the city's fast growth.
“The city does not have land,” explains Clr. Bakali via a questionnaire. “Besides, these are residents that have their home villages and most of them came in to venture into business.
“These families have also been considered to be beneficiaries of the cash transfers to help them build their capitals to enable them boost their business and be able to relocate.”
Zomba continues to grow fast with a lot of people coming in to search for job opportunities, or venture into small businesses.
The authorities admit that the fast growth of the city has led to housing problems, unemployment, development of slums, water and sanitation problems, poor health and spread of diseases.
According to the Vice Mayor, up to 60 percent of Zomba City is unplanned and this leaves the control and management of most of the city's land into the hands of chiefs.
Consequently, the urban poor like Kadwala are driven to such living conditions due to the city's poor functioning land and housing markets, as well as lack of planning for urban development and growth.
The authorities in Zomba believe that the existing housing problem could be solved by extending the boundaries of the city; increasing staff under District Risk Management; and increasing funding allocation for the city.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) describes Zomba City's approach of engaging residents in disaster prone areas through DRMC as “a path in the right direction” where reducing disaster risks is concerned.
DoDMA’s spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula says the efforts of Chinamwali Ward DRMC are worth emulating across the country to reduce disaster risks among the citizenry.
“Engaging communities on the dangers of living in disaster prone areas is in line with our efforts aimed at relocating communities (living in disaster prone areas) to safer places,” explains Khamula.
According to Khamula, currently, DoDMA has relocated over 3,600 households in Makhanga area, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mlolo, Nsanje, to safer places within the same T/A.
But, perhaps, as they await authorities-facilitated relocation, residents like Kadwala, who managed to acquire land in disaster prone areas and constructed houses, ought to reflect on their individual responsibility on their own safety — a point the Vice Mayor also raises in the questionnaire.
“City has done a lot in educating its residents on issues of disaster risk knowledge,” she says, and adds, “It’s time that residents take ownership of their [own] safety.”
Neno youths urged to venture into businesses
By Wellington Sibale
Neno, February 27, Mana: Partners in Health (PIH), popularly known as Abwezi Pa Zaumoyo, has encouraged youths in Neno district to utilize vocational skills and start their own businesses.
PIH Director of Community Health, Jimmy Harare, made the remarks on Tuesday during a graduation ceremony of 12 male youths who underwent vocational skills in tailoring, plumbing, brick laying, motor vehicle and motorcycle mechanic.
PIH gave the youth start-up tools, such as plumbing equipment, sewing machines, rolls of cloths, thread and motor cycle and vehicle tools boxes worth K24 million.
Harare said the youths were trained under the project called 'Programme on Social Economic Rights' (Poser) to ensure the adolescents’ economic empowerment through their enrolment in vocational skills.
“Empowering these youths economically through the vocational skills will give them a sound financial standing,” he said, adding that the programmme was introduced to compliment government efforts in empowering young people as government alone cannot manage.
In his remarks, Neno District Council Director of Planning and Development (DPD), Charles Lomoni, hailed PIH for the initiative, saying the council alone cannot manage to reach out to the youths in many areas in the district with vocational skills.
"We would like to appreciate the effort that Partners in Health have rendered to us because on our own as a council we cannot manage due to inadequate resources and insufficient budget," said Lomoni.
One of the youths, Reuben Baluwa, expressed gratitude following his graduation, saying he acquired mechanical skills that will help him to be economically independent.
“I didn't expect that I can be a mechanic. From today I will be a mechanic in my area and l will help my parents financially and will also repair people's vehicles,” said Baluwa.
Embracing community initiatives to conserve nature
By Salome Gangire
Neno, February 27, Mana: Dominic Kulani, 48, of Fred Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chekucheku was an unrepentant charcoal producer in his community, having indulged in the business for 15 years to sustain his family of six.
Dominic narrates how adamant he used to be to stop his charcoal trade despite the several challenges he encountered, all because he had no alternative source of income.
“I used to load a full truck with charcoal to sell in Blantyre. Mind you, this was not easy at all as I encountered problems, such as spending nights in the bush whilst hiding from forestry officers and as well as dangerous police chases as we were transporting charcoal to Blantyre,” Kulani says.
He adds that the experience was physically and emotionally draining but he still continued all in the name of fending for his family.
However, all this changed in August 2023 when he received Community Environmental Conservation Funds (CECF) amounting to K58,000 under the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) whose objective is to increase the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices and improving watershed services in the targeted watersheds.
Moreover, the project also aims at diversifying people's livelihoods and food security as a result of increase in household income from both agriculture and small-scale enterprises with the support from the matching grants.
In Neno, the project is being implemented in Wamkulumadzi Catchment which has four sub catchments; namely Golden, Mkulumadzi, Chekucheku and Mfundazi with a total of 70 Village Level Action Plans for a period of six years.
In the spirit of motivating project participants, MWASIP provides CECF to help them uplift their livelihoods with small scale businesses whilst they are implementing various project activities.
From the K58,000 grant Kulani received, he stopped the illicit trade and invested the money in buying two goats and chickens which started producing manure which he eventually used in his crop field.
“I eventually started growing tomato and maize and I have been able to buy iron sheets ready to roof my house,” adds Dominic who is now a member of Village Natural Resources Management Committee (VNRMC).
He notes that the project has driven them to establish backyard woodlots in their respective homes apart from the project site.
“My plan is to plant trees on my one acre of land in this rainy season. The project has made me understand the evils of deforestation as evidenced by how rainfall pattern is in this 2023/24 agricultural season.
“I am now geared to plant trees everywhere they were destroyed as I have witnessed the side effects of deforestation but I will also be an ambassador, advocating against deforestation to others who are still cutting down trees for charcoal production,” he indicates.
Dominic is not the only one who has abandoned the illicit charcoal business. Maganizo Menyere was also involved in destroying the environment through charcoal business but has changed as he is into conserving the environment.
“MWASIP gave us the skills and the CECF has helped a lot of us to venture into meaningful businesses,” says Maganizo who is now into agri-business.
“After receiving K40,000, I bought some farm inputs like seed and fertilizer to start a garden. I also used the expertise gained from the project to make some organic manure.
“I am now into irrigation farming where I grow maize and tomatoes for sale, thereby helping me fend for my family,” says a visibly happy Maganizo.
Member of Parliament for Neno North, Thoko Tembo, expresses excitement with the funds, stating that it is a good incentive to the community as far as dealing with deforestation is concerned.
“The funds will help to restore the environment as communities have been empowered with capital to venture into good business that does not harm the environment.
“The problem has been that people had no capital and they resorted to cutting down trees as their capital by burning charcoal for sale which was disastrous to the environment,” notes Tembo.
MWASIP coordinator for Neno, Vincent Sambuka, discloses that they have disbursed a total of K170 million to all the four catchments to help project participants uplift their livelihoods with small scale businesses whilst they are implementing the project activities.
“The funds are given upon successful implementation of sustainable land management activities in their catchment area as an incentive to communities that have done well in sustainable land management activities whilst implementing the project so that they conserve the environment.
“The funds are provided in form of revolving fund and is used to provide micro-credit to community members involved in the village level action plan (VLAP) activities under MWASIP and is accessible to community members within the catchment area that are involved in the landscape restoration programmes,” Sambuka explained.
He, however, appeals to project participants to follow guidelines that have been determined by the communities so that the funds can grow and resources can reach more community members.
Chairperson for Chekucheku Catchment Management Committee, Steve Donda, says it is encouraging to see how people have embraced the funds and are repaying the loan in time.
“The VLAP distributes the money according to performance such that others received over K100,000 and for purposes of sustainability, they have opened an account where there is a committee and they have a 10 percent interest which is repaid after a period of six months,” Donda explains.
Donda attests to Dominic and Maganizo’s testimony of improved livelihoods, adding that they are indeed able to yield the fruits of CECF.
“People invested in small scale businesses, farming and now some are purchasing livestock and household properties and some people are repaying before the agreed time,” adds Donda.
On her part, District Commissioner for Neno, Rosemary Nawasha, urges beneficiaries to venture into meaningful enterprises that should transform their lives.
“The funds are primarily meant to improve people's lives as they are conserving the environment,” Nawasha emphasizes.
Neno is one of the districts in Malawi that is grappling with deforestation as most its forest reserves are under threat due to charcoal and timber production, and it is clear that initiatives like CECF are slowly changing people's mindset.
Chakwera pledges support to Lilongwe vendors
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, February 27, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday met Lilongwe Vendors Association at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe where the vendors presented the problems they are facing when doing different businesses in the country.
Speaking at the event, Chakwera said he wanted to meet the vendors so that they can discuss issues affecting them on the marketplace.
“I am delighted today that vendors have voiced out problems they are facing day by day when doing businesses. You know the country has been facing financial challenges since Covid-19 but my government is still working so hard to make sure that we are better again as a country. For that matter, I want to assure you that I will support you in the businesses.
“Your concern on tax, I will put that into consideration so that you are able to make profits from the products you buy from outside the country. It is sad that vendors cannot afford to pay taxes because of high prices they get from Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA),” he said.
Chakwera further encouraged the vendors to work together for them to help each other in boosting their businesses, telling them that “jealous will not take this country anywhere but when we are united it’s where we can see the progress.”
In his remarks, Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda, thanked the President for having an audience with the vendors, saying it shows how important the President considers its citizens.
“As the Minister, I am so grateful that the president had to meet the vendors for the first time here in Lilongwe with over one thousand vendors to give them a platform to present their concerns about how their businesses are doing.
“Issues which have been raised here are very important and the president will look into them very soon,” Chimwendo Banda said.
Representative of the vendors, Hardwell Kachibekete, emphasized the issue of tax, saying that since Covid 19, businesses have been hard to operate but they are still charged with high tax from MRA when they are importing products.
“We are pleased with how the President has responded to our concerns. Our biggest challenge was taxes, so the President has said that he will handle that matter with relevant authorities,” said Kachibekete.
Well-wisher roofs classroom block
By Amos Phiri Chigwa
Mchinji, February 27, Mana: Community members from Senior Group Village Head Diti, Traditional Authority Dambe in Mchinji have breathed a sigh of relief after receiving iron sheets for a classroom from a humanitarian, Anthony Masamba.
Masamba will also foot the cost of roofing the classroom, which has stayed for three years without a roof, giving learners a more conducive place for studies than under trees which they used due to lack of classrooms.
Speaking in an interview over the weekend after the gesture, Masamba expressed his concern about challenges faced by schools in Mchinji North East Constituency as a whole.
"Schools are facing numerous challenges in this constituency, children are learning under the trees, lack of enough infrastructure and enough teachers are forcing children into early marriages. We cannot keep on watching our community fall like this, we need to do something,” said Masamba.
Masamba called for support from community members, saying it will lead to improvement in the development of this community.
"Our community is trailing in terms of development; we cannot wait for someone somewhere to do something for us. We need to start supporting ourselves wherever we can if we are to live a better life. We should not depend on government to do everything for us but rather we should try to help the government in achieving its development goals,” he said.
Masamba said he is targeting five schools with the development of infrastructures, desks, and many other assorted items as this will give a chance to the youth to play an active role in achieving the Malawi 2063 agenda.
Headmaster of Diti Primary School, Rowlings Mbendera, who also happens to have taught Masamba, hailed his former student for his efforts of trying to improve the education standards of the community.
"This is the spirit that the nation needs if we are to achieve Malawi Vision 2063. Masamba has shown how passionate he is to improve the wellbeing of his community.
“At this school we are suffering a lot, we do not have desks, and we have few classroom blocks. Coming in of the Iron sheets for the school block will help us to solve the problems of learning under trees, and mixing classes when rains come,” said Mbendera.
Senior Group Village Head Diti congratulated Masamba for the donation.
"We have suffered for a long time as a community; we built this school block on our own as community members three years ago, and throughout the period we have been hunting for the iron sheets but to no avail to the extent that we decided to thatch it with grass," said the chief.
CSEPWP gives hope for environment restoration
By Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, February 27, Mana: The water and soil conservation interventions that are being done under the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) have given hope to restoring the environment and rehabilitating degraded soil in Mchinji, thereby enhancing high yields.
CSEPWP is a component under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Programme (SSRLP), which aims at, among others, rehabilitating the degraded environment, strengthening households’ resilience to shocks and increasing households’ income.
In an interview with beneficiaries in the safety net CSEPWP, they said there is hope that the degraded land can be healed and households can be able to harvest more.
Susan Phiri from Kamphoro catchment in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kapunula said water runoff from Nkhukwa Hill was causing havoc on the fields downhill, and this affected yield.
“The interventions like stone bands and semi-secular bands have helped to reduce water runoff thereby helping the field downhill to be protected and the soil is no longer being washed away, giving us high yield,” said Phiri.
Chairperson for Nathyola Catchment in T/A Mlonyeni, Andsen Mvula, said the land is filled with gullies but the check dams they have constructed are helping to fill up the gullies.
“The big gullies were eating up farming land but we have made sure that they are filled up by using check dams that check the speed of the water. We are observing that the gullies are slowly filling up with soil which later will be used for farming,” said Mvula.
Desk officer for Gumba Catchment, Jeremiah Chafukira, said they have set up interventions uphill which have helped in catching water which later is able to infiltrate into the soil, and they have also helped reduce siltation in rivers.
“The most important thing about these soil and water conservation initiatives is that, there will be enough groundwater, crops will not be washed away, and rivers are protected,” said Chafukira.
CSEPWP is benefiting 19,362 participants in Mchinji who get K28,800 in wages after working in the catchments to restore the environment.
Senior Land Resource Conservation Officer Rhoda Njikho said in the next cycle, the number of beneficiaries is likely to be increased.
“There will be additional 3,783 beneficiaries in the next cycle which will be added on top of the 19,362,” said Njikho.
Other interventions include the construction of swales, contour marker ridging, caring for naturally regenerating trees, afforestation, and river bank protection.
CSEPWP is implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee and funded by the World Bank and the Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
Marist Brothers roll out goat pass-on programme in Salima
Fostina Mkandawire
Salima, February 27, Mana: Marist Brothers in Malawi on Monday rolled out a goat pass-on programme targeting young people from underprivileged families.
Speaking after a symbolic presentation of the goats at the headquarters of Traditional Authority (T/A) Maganga in Salima district, the National Provincial Councilor for the Marist Brothers in Malawi, Brother Francis Jumbe, said the programme seeks to empower youths.
He said the programme is in line with their philosophy of making a difference in the world by showing young people that they are loved, safe and cared for.
“Today, we are distributing 50 goats to the first line beneficiaries who are expected to pass on the benefits to the second line of beneficiaries. We expect that the goats will help the targeted youths to generate income for investment in other entrepreneurial opportunities,” said Jumbe.
He assured the beneficiaries that they will be offered expertise on how to take care of the livestock by linking them with the district agricultural office.
He then pleaded with the beneficiaries to look after the goats well and jealously guard them against theft.
One of the beneficiaries, a 24-year-old Christina Phiri, from Umodzi Business Ladies, commended the brothers for the initiative, saying the programme will play a crucial role in transforming her life.
She said as a single mother, she lacks resources to take care of her child, hence she is hopeful that through the pass on programme, she will establish herself businesswise to be able to take care of her child.
“I have been struggling to afford a decent life for me and my child; this is a gateway to a better future. I pledge to raise the goats very well and ensure that we pass on to the next line of beneficiaries,” assured Phiri.
In his remarks, District Commissioner for Salima, James Mwenda, described the livestock pass-on scheme as a pathway out of poverty for the young people in Salima.
Mwenda assured the Marist Brothers in Malawi of the government's commitment to partnering with the religious brothers in improving lives of the underprivileged in the society.
"We would appreciate if this initiative would be scaled up to other areas in the district so that more youths should benefit and improve their lives," he said.
The livestock pass-on scheme is a component of the Girls Education Project, the religious brothers are implementing with financial support from an Irish charity called Misean Cara.
Apart from Salima, the project is being implemented in four other districts of Lilongwe, Balaka, Zomba and Dedza.
