MANAonline
Sanwecka ready to conduct trainings
By Innocent Kachingwe
Blantyre, June 3, Mana: Sanwecka Tech Companions is set to resume its trainings this week in the three major cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu in a bid to equip the youth with vocational and practical skills.
Sanwecka Tech Companions offers different courses which include phone repairing, Information and Communication Technology and computer use, computer repairing, dish installation, video production and graphic designing.
According to the company registration of participants is now in progress.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Monday in Lilongwe, Sanwecka Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rasheed Kasito said the registration process was going on well as 70 people have already registered in Blantyre and phone repairing being the most registered course.
“Of course, the figure might go up since there are others that just reserved their places and they will finalise their registration when they come to Blantyre because they stay in far places,” he said.
Kasito added that apart from Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, Sanwecka operates in other districts through remote trainings with an aim of reaching the people in those remote areas.
He said new packages have been introduced whereby they are offering three months long trainings and after the trainings they would provide business incubation for another one year on top of start-up tools, where students will be under Sanwecka's supervision on how they could establish and start their businesses.
“On top of that the trainees will have access to funding whereby they can get the loan at FDH Bank using the Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) partnership that we have in place,” the CEO added.
Kasito said the trainings contribute to youth empowerment as they start business and create job opportunities for others; hence, generating income to support themselves and their families.
“To ensure that this is achieved we make sure that we provide entrepreneurship workshops on how they can earn income; secondly, we drill them in marketing on how they can connect with their customers to build long term relationships,” he said.
One of the Sanwecka training beneficiaries, Matthews Shaba commended Sanwecka for the initiative, saying they have really provided him with practical skills.
He encouraged those that have nothing to do to register with Sanwecka.
“I was trained by Sanwecka for six weeks and this has been the best thing I have done as I am already making earning an income through my business of phone repairing,” Shaba said.
Teachers sensitize on GBV
By Rennie Tembo
Lilongwe, June 3, Mana; Lilongwe Police is to implement 'Safe School' programme to sensitize students on school related Gender Based Violence (GBV) and other human rights issues.
Speaking on Saturday during an orientation organized by Lilongwe Police, Community Policing Coordinator, Frank Kaila said the aim of the programme was to create a safe environment for child education and to help teachers on how to handle cases related to GBV.
The programme has come as a preventative measure after receiving a lot of cases from the month of January to May.
"In the past, we have been training schools based on structure including community policing structures on the programme but now we would like to orient teachers since they are the ones who receive the cases first hand and this will help them in dealing with such cases in a way that it will not affect the learners’ performance in class," he said.
As a way of encouraging the learners to express themselves, complaint boxes have been introduced in schools.
"We have decided to introduce complaint boxes in schools for students to easily lodge their complains through these boxes, as a way of making sure that there is no one threatening them or shutting them from expressing themselves," Kaila said.
He urged teachers to pay attention to learners conduct in class both physically and psychologically for them to easily notice changes and act accordingly.
Principal Education Advisor for Boma Zone, Caroline Chiwayula expressed satisfaction as she described the meeting as a good development as it has equiped them with information and skills that teachers were missing in handling abuse cases.
"There are alot of abuses that learners face in the hands of teachers and their fellow learners and some of the cases are very hard to handle but this orientation has enlightened us on how to handle our learners who are passing through different forms of abuse," she said.
Chiwayula complained that abuse was not only faced by learners but teachers are abused by some learners.
"Let it be known that we face different forms of abuse from learners more especially those under the influence of drug and substance abuse. We face abuse from other parents who use their position in the society, which affects our work negatively," she concluded.
The programme will be implemented in 11 primary schools in Lilongwe district.
Two nabbed for theft
By Margret Kalua
Nkhata Bay, June 3, Mana: Police in Nkhata Bay are keeping in custody two men for stealing a water pumping 250 Watts solar panel worth over K500,000.00 at a construction site of Police houses at Nkhata Bay Boma.
Confirming the development in an interview on Monday, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Nkhata Bay Police Station, Kondwani James said the suspects, Ibrahim Somanje, 33 and Shaibu Mhone, 25 committed the offence in the evening of May 30, 2024.
"On the said day, it was alleged that Somanje and Shaibu took advantage of a few minutes’ absence of a security guard from the cite.
They were then found at Nkhata Bay Boma on May 31 selling the panel at a suspicious price and this prompted a prospective buyer to tip the police," he said.
James added Police quickly followed and arrested the suspets and panel was recovered after which they were charged with theft.
Both Somanje and Mhone who both hails from Singo Village in the area of Senior Chief Mkumbira in Nkhata Bay are expected to appear in court soon.
Plight of street connected mothers and children
BY Memory Khutuliwa
Blantyre, June 3, Mana: Blantyre District Social Welfare Office has said limited access to health care, homelessness; poverty and family breakdown are major factors that drive mothers and children into streets in the cities and other urban areas.
Blantyre District Social Welfare Officer, Ireen Lakuzala said this in relation with increased street connected mothers and children amidst current cold weather condition and other social challenges in the city.
She observed that street connected mothers were exposed to various life challenges such as social rejection and the mothers were mostly victims of sexual crimes.
“We are implementing various interventions to address these challenges that street connected mothers and children face. One of the interventions is to unite or reintegrating them to their families,” she said.
Child Rights Activist, Amosi Chibwana said mothers who were born from street connected parents end up in the street where they face numerous challenges.
He observed that poverty, family breakdown, single parenthood are common factors leading to the influx of mothers and children on the city streets.
Chibwana added that children from street connected parents are deprived of their rights to education, health and right to play thereby affecting child growth, care, development and survival.
“Children who grow in the streets with their parents or sent by their parents to beg in the street lose their intellectual; social and emotion touch with their homes and community,” he said.
The Child Rights Activist said it becomes a challenge for foster parents, child care and reformatory facility to manage children who are raised in the street after moral decay takes up the course.
“Children who are raised in the streets are unable to access education because of the stereotypes and negative perceptions that the society has on them,” he said.
Chibwana disclosed that activists continue to advocate for the rights of children including street connected children for their social welfare, protection and justice on top of encouraging the children to go to care institutions for their best care.
“It is important that laws should be enforced on parents whose children are on the streets but this must do because the very same parents are required to provide care and support to their children,” he said.
Chibwana said reintegration, relocation and all interventions to tackle mothers and children street connectivity should be done in the best interest of the child as provided by the law.
He called on communities to put mechanism that should take full responsibility to raise children in their communities to become reliable citizens other than creating situations that could compel mothers and children to go into streets.
One of the street connected mothers in Limbe, Blantyre, and Matilda Jafali said she lives with her two children in the street because her husband left her when she was pregnant for her second born child.
“I left home when I was five months old pregnant for my second born child. My husband lied to me that he was going to look for greener pasture in Mozambique and I waited for moths until one day his friend told me that my husband married another wife,” she said.
Jafali added that the rejection put more suffering onto her and the two children such that she could not help it but to go way.
“I failed to feed my first child and to feed myself, I was in extremely poverty and had no peace of land to cultivate, I had no house and this is why am here,” the street connected mother added.
Jafali has four kids, two were born in the streets after a man raped after disguising himself as Good Samaritan who could offer her startup capital for business while another man came in to promise her marriage.
Blame game on teen pregnancies
By Emily M’mangisa
Zomba, June 3, Mana: School Authorities at Matiti Primary School in Zomba Urban are puzzled at the rate of teen pregnancies at the school.
The school registered nine pregnancies this year and it has sent wrong signal to the development of education among girl child.
Matiti School, Deputy Head Teacher, Yahaya Samson said the school was surprised to register nine pregnancies among standard seven learners such that four girls are out of school in teen marriages.
“The pregnancies are going at a worrisome rate. We are talking of nine pregnancies this year alone which was not the case last year with four cases recorded,” he said.
Samson added that Matiti School was leading in Songani Education Zone and the Deputy Head Teacher put the blame on parents, saying learners go wayward at home after classes.
A parent of a standard seven learners, Faith Katoma accused teachers of complacency in handling the learners on the human and academic aspect.
She accused teachers of focusing on academics only and completely turning blind eye to the social being of pupils.
Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Chairperson, Clement Manyamba acknowledged the challenge, adding that poor supervision of wards was the major contributing factor to the current state of affairs.
“Learners seem to be on free range system both at home. Parents are more occupied in personal matters than education of their kids but I can assure you, change is inevitable,” he added
Matiti Primary School has an enrollment of 2,940 learners comprising of 1,457 boys and 1,483 girls with teacher learner ratio of 1:46
Chief Education Officer at Education Office in Zomba, Medson Mbilizi admitted that pregnancy rate at Matiti Primary School was worrisome and said the situation need some collective intervention.
He said his office was putting everything in order to tame the situation before it comes a crisis.
Songani Zone comprises 12 primary schools including Matiti, Mwanje, Namitonso Chikupira, Mpungulira, Songani, Naming’azi, and Mtondo among others.
Good Vision to distribute 12,000 eye glasses
By Wellington Sibale
Neno, June 3, Mana: Good Vision Malawi, a sister organization to One Dollar Glasses has targeted to distribute 12,000 glasses to needy people with visual challenges in the country.
Good Vision National Distribution Manager, Movan Chirwa disclosed this Sunday in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on the sidelines of a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting in Neno.
He said as one way of addressing visual challenges in the country, they have launched a campaign on good vision and they target to reach out to students or learners and teachers who have visual challenges.
Chirwa said Neno has been targeted because it has been affected by climate change; hence, high numbers of eye-related issues as well.
"We plan to reach out to over 12,000 needy people with glasses in the country and Neno is inclusive,” he revealed.
Chirwa said early interventions to vision problems could save the sight of students, teachers and community members.
"We have a schools' programme in central and northern region and plans are underway to bring it to the southern region. Glasses are solutions for all despite the beliefs and early interventions could save the sight of people," the Manager said.
He added that the organization is ready to collaborate with stakeholders to achieve their intended goals and community members will be paying a small fee of K4, 000 each for a pair of spectacles.
Clinical Officer for Eye Care services at Neno District Hospital, Tizyo Kumwenda said Good Vision glasses would allow vulnerable people to access them at affordable prices compared to those found in optical shops.
"Good Vision will be in the district providing eye care services especially in hard to reach areas to the vulnerable people who cannot afford the glasses on their own because of financial issues,” he said.
Kumwenda noted that the coming of Good Vision to the district, several activities would be carried out including awareness and sensitization campaigns to all health centres within the district where people will be enlightened with knowledge about eye care and how to get the glasses.
Good Vision Malawi, soon to be Good Vision International operating in eight countries in Africa and South America with the aim of providing basic eye care services for all people at affordable prices.
MACRA to construct K100 million ICT lab
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, June 3, Mana: There was jubilation and excitement on Saturday at St. Peter’s Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Balaka when the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) launched the construction of an Information and Technology Communication (ICT) lab at the institution.
Teachers, parents and students alike from the school and surrounding areas of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Matola in Balaka North Constituency gathered at the school to witness the historic occasion marking the start of new life in the area.
MACRA has embarked on the Connect-a-school project whereby 75 ICT laboratories will be constructed in 9,000 schools across the country with each district receiving two during the first phase.
Speaking during the launch, Member of Parliament for Balaka North, Tony Ngalande hailed the initiative, saying it would increase the confidence of learners at the school and enrich them with computer skills.
“As a leader, my duty is to encourage possible investors as well as developers to come forward and help us as MACRA has done. This ICT lab will help in bridging the ICT gap that our leaners especially those coming from the rural areas have.
“We are now seeing the Malawi 2063 taking shape as the world is going digital, having an ICT lab in this rural area is a positive step forward as you know if you cannot operate a computer you are considered to be way behind,” he said.
Ngalande assured the community that he would always be available during the implementing period of the project so that the structure meets the required standard considering that the facility was meant for the learners who would take over from him development of the area.
MACRA Broadcasting Service Manager, Matilda Bande said the project was funded by Universal Service Fund whose aim was to have equal access to information services.
“Schools irrespective of where they are ought to access internet services and they have the much needed facilities, we are coming from the background of tele-centres which targeted the community in general and did not work.
“In these ICT labs, we are targeting the pupils so that we grow the generation that will know how to use the internet that is why we would like to reach out to them while they are young so that when we bring back the tele-centres in future we will now have a catchment,” she said.
Bande disclosed that each school will be given 20 computers for a start and within the project, each school will have 60 computers with free internet provision for three years.
Head Teacher of St. Peter's CDSS, Sister Regina Komicho noted that the project apart from imparting computer skills to learners, would help in enhancing learning and teaching of different subjects as leaners would be free to search for information on the internet.
“Let me register my profound gratitude to the Ministry of Education for considering our school to be in the first phase of this project, this means a lot as we have now seen that our school is regarded,” she added.
Chinsinsi, the provider for Mponda
By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, June 2, Mana: Super Substitute, Chinsinsi Maonga’s 90th minute striker was the provider for league leaders, Silver Striker to hand in first historic defeat of the season to TNM Super League defending champions, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets 0-1 beating at Kamuzu Stadium on Sunday.
Is this a clear statement of intent to win the league title after 10 years of absence owing to the fact that Silver Strikers have managed to collect six from for the two Blantyre giants this season.
Aggrey scenes took the centre stage after Silver had scored where Bullets supporters resorted to throwing missiles to the pitch.
The match was briefly to allow fans to calm down but this was not possible until referee, Gift Chiko had to end the match after consultations.
The last time Bullets fans were involved in throwing missiles into the pitch was in 2018 when their team was beaten in the finals of the Airtel Top 8 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe and was banned from participating in the 2019 tournament.
The Central Bankers had to wait for 11 years to defeat Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium and they have used their Assistant Coach, Peter Mponda to break the losing streak.
They last won a league game against Bullets 1-2 in 2013 and it was the same year won the league.
Bullets have recorded the first defeat of the season at home, now they are stuck with 14 points from nine games and have dropped to position five from four.
Silver have posted their second away win after they had collected maximum points when they beat Baka City 2-0 in Karonga.
They have eight wins and a draw making them 25 points seven clear of the second placed, Kamuzu Barracks with 18 points and are 11 points ahead of the defending champions.
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers resurrected from the dead to push in a 3-1 won of Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Interim Coach, Meke Mwase was off to a good start after the team had suffered two consecutive defeats away from home under the tutelage of form coach, Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan and the defeats made he to step down.
Second half substitute for Wanderers, Isaac Kaliati turned to be to king pin for the starved Wanderers supporters when he scored a brace when the two teams were tied 1-1.
Wanderers are 15 points from nine games and are number four up from five with 10 points short of leaders, Silver Strikers.
Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos has dropped to position nine with points from six with 11 points.
Creck Sporting were victorious on their travel when the beat Mafco 1-2 at Chitowe to collect maximum points and they are now position eight from nine with 11 points.
The win has come when the coaching panel was warned on the team’s performance by top management of the club.
FOMO handed second defeat to Mzuzu City Hammers after 2-1 beating to collect full points making them to move to position 11 from 13 with 10 points.
The Hammers have recorded their third loss and have dropped to position three from two with 16 points.
Bangwe All Stars have registered their first win of the season after edging Chitipa United 3-0 win at Mpira stadium in Blantyre.
They have six points from nine games and they are on position 14 from 16 but still in relegation zone.
Moyale Barracks beat Mighty Waka Waka Tigers 1-0 at Mzuzu Stadium to move to position seven from 10 with 14 points while Tigers have dropped to position from 10 eight with 11 points.
On Thursday, Kamuzu Barracks over run Karonga United with a 2-1 win at Civo Stadium to go second of the log.
On Friday, Civil Service United moved one step up to position six after beating Baka City 3-0 at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
With the defeat, Baka City are back to the bottom of the log table with three points.
The full results for week nine are as follows;
Thursday, May 30,2024
Kamuzu Barracks 2 Karonga United 1
Friday, May 31, 2024
Civil Service United 3 Baka City 0
Saturday June 1, 2024
Mighty Mukuru Wanderers 3 Premier Bet Dedza Dynamos 1
Mafco 1 Creck Sporting 2
FOMO 2 Mzuzu City Hammers 1
Moyale Barracks 1 Mighty Waka Waka Tigers 0
Sunday June 2, 2024
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets 0 Silver Strikers 1
Bangwe All Stars 3 Chitipa United 0
Poor menstrual hygiene can lead to infertility – expert warns
Chakwera emphasizes on the restoration of the lost factories
By Elia Chibwe
Lilongwe, June 1, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera says his government is working on restoring factories and banks that were sold by previous government, as one way of controlling the country's currency.
Speaking Saturday during the launch of Magwero Industrial Park Project at Area 55 in Lilongwe, Chakwera said some of the challenges the country is facing by selling of factories and banks that would have assisted to control the country's currency.
"I do not have time for fighting with anyone but to ensure that the lost economy is restored. The companies and factories that were sold should be back," Chakwera said.
He, therefore, cautioned against abusing power to delay the project saying such behavior is not condoned and those found doing that will be brought to book.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Sosten Gwengwe, said the project is important in building Malawi.
"This is important to any investor. Those who invest in these parks and do production, should also have the markets locally and they will be supported," Gwengwe said.
President for Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Wisely Phiri, said the project is an opportunity for vocational skills and mutual development.
Member of Parliament for Lilongwe City Centre, Alfred Jiya, hailed government for the project saying it will accord the youth employment and impart skills among people.
"I see piped water and electricity coming here and I see youth getting jobs from this park," he said.
The park, which sits on a 400 hactare land, will have different industries specialized in agro-processing, chemical and plastic and is expected to help advance the country’s economy as envisioned in the Malawi 2063.
Government acquired US$200 million from Afrexim Bank for the project whose area will be developed by Arise Integrated Industrial Platform.
The launch was held under the theme "Catalyzing Industrialization in Malawi".
