MANAonline
27 hectares of maize dry in Balaka
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, March 28, Mana: At least 109,340 farmers are likely to be in critical food insecurity in Balaka following the 33-day dry spell the district has experienced due to El Nino weather pattern which affected most districts in Malawi.
Since the onset of the rainy season, Balaka has been receiving erratic rainfall which negatively affected maize production, the main food crop, and alternative food crops.
Presenting a dry spell report for March to members of the District Agricultural Extension Coordinating Committee (DAECC) Senior Agriculture Officer, Samuel Chinkhadze said, the total hectares of the maize crop in the district during the 2023/2024 agricultural season was 95,073.8.
“Out of the total hectares 72,375.9 has been affected with 27,771.1 completely dying. Currently, some farmers are harvesting their crop straight from the garden to the maize mill as they do not have food. This means a lot more people will be food insecure soon,” said Chinkhadze.
He, therefore, asked various stakeholders to join hands with the agriculture office in helping the affected families to go for irrigation farming which is the immediate solution.
“Balaka has a total of 1351.5 hectares of land potential for irrigation, 666 hectares of which is currently irrigable and operational. It is recommended to provide farm inputs to those farmers that have access to irrigation water sources,” he said.
He said farmers should only plant drought tolerant and early maturing crop varieties considering that most of the potential irrigation sites might not have adequate moisture or water reserves.
Project Officer for Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD), who is also Balaka DAECC Chairperson, Mercy Chakoma, said CARD was ready to support the affected farming farmers.
“We have planned to support 600 families in our catchment area and Nkaya will be involved in small scale irrigation. Even without this report, we already knew that there was need for irrigation farming due to how the maize crop fared.
“We will also provide solar mobile pumps to help in irrigation. Communities will also be assisted to rehabilitate shallow wells to make their water points reliable,” she said.
Chakoma disclosed that affected farmers will also be provided with small livestock as a backup in case irrigation farming fails to work.
She, therefore, called upon other stakeholder to come forward and assist the affected farmers with various alternative interventions in the face of food insecurity.
Recently, President Dr Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster in 23 districts in the county including Balaka.
The President called upon development partners and other well-wishers to come forward and assist with relief food.
Mwanza police engages Gule Wamkulu to intensify GBV awareness
By Doreen Chiwalo
Mwanza, March 28, Mana: Mwanza Police Station has engaged Gule Wamkulu to help raise awareness on the negative impacts of gender based violence (GBV) and child marriages in the district’s hard to reach areas.
Speaking at start of the GBV campaign at Mchotseni Village, Traditional (TA) Authority Kanduku in the district, Superintendent Milita Thebulo, urged parents and guardians to send their children to school other than forcing them to marry at the expense of education.
"Anyone taking part in arranging child marriages is committing a crime because it is a violation of child rights and is subject to prosecution," said Thebulo.
Mwanza Police Station Community Policing Coordinator, Sub Inspector Mohamed Kulisinje, said involvement of Gule Wamkulu has proven to be an effective way of disseminating GBV and child marriage messages.
He added that this helps in mobilizing large numbers of people within a short period of time.
“Gule Wamkulu is a great dance and is highly valued among the Chewa and popular all over. It has proved to be a crowd puller in our awareness campaign such that GBV and child marriage message reach out to the people in large numbers,” said Kulisinje.
Representative of the Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHEFO) Mwanza Chapter, Singireti Morson, applauded Mwanza Police for engaging Gule Wamkulu in various activities, saying this helps to promote Chewa cultural values while disseminating messages of national importance.
He hailed the cordial relationship that exists between the police and CHEFO Mwanza Chapter in addressing issues of social concern.
New Malawian movie in the making
By Sheminah Nkhoma and Levison Lester
Lilongwe, March 28, Mana: Players in the art industry in the country are set to drop a new movie titled ‘Justice’ with an aim of raising awareness on human trafficking in the country.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency, a producer of the movie, Brazio Mathias Kanyong'o, said art making is a useful tool, which exceeds beyond entertainment purposes.
“As filmmakers, we thought it wise to come up with this movie in order to educate the public what human trafficking is all about because there are a lot of people who misinterpret the information about human trafficking and others don’t even know that human trafficking happens in the country,” said Kanyong’o.
He further said creative writers and producers have a role to play in uncovering the malpractices behind human trafficking.
"A movie in its nature communicates a message which is vital to a certain group of people. People in art industry have a role of giving hope to the hopeless, and this why we thought of releasing this movie,” Kanyong’o said.
Film Association of Malawi President Gift Sukali, popularly known as Sukez, said film industry is in right track in the country, adding the high quality and creativity in storytelling portray a strong film industry.
"The increase in number of people in film industry is an indication that there is progress. A couple of years ago, we would stay two to three years without having a proper movie coming on the market.
“Right now we are seeing a lot of films and clips rich in content. This just shows that film industry is in right direction in terms of building a vibrant industry," he said.
While acknowledging the existence of piracy in film industry in the country, Sukali said film makers should refrain from duplicating content which is not theirs, saying copying someone's content affects the progress of film industry in the country.
The new movie will be premiered in June at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe and people should expect the movie to be out by the end of this year.
VP calls on Rotarians to prioritise support for mental health
By Leonard Masauli
Lilongwe, March 28, Mana: Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima has urged Rotary clubs across the country to focus their efforts in supporting mental health programs, emphasising its critical role in ensuring the social well-being of individuals as a fundamental human right.
The Vice President delivered the message Wednesday night during a gala dinner held at the Bingu International Convention Centre in honour of Rotary International President, Gordon McInally.
Chilima underscored the importance for Rotarians to assume a leading role in addressing mental health issues, considering them not only as areas of significance but also as fundamental human rights.
"Mental health is not a luxury but a fundamental human right essential for people's social well-being. Despite being a non-communicable disease, mental health is often overlooked. As Rotarians, we must pay close attention and create an enabling environment to support these crucial issues," stated Chilima.
He highlighted the need to dispel the secrecy often associated with mental health issues, stressing the importance of their integration into broader community discussions.
Chilima urged Rotarians to collaborate with Rotary and ensure adequate resources are allocated towards mental health programs saying resource constraints should not be an impediment.
Rotary International President, Gordon McInally, encouraged Rotary Clubs in Malawi to actively engage in alleviating challenges faced by communities and offering hope for their future.
He commended Rotary clubs in Lilongwe and Mzuzu, among others, for their commendable efforts in improving the lives of people in rural areas.
"In collaboration as Rotarians, we must address the myriad challenges our people face in Malawi. While the needs are vast, resources are limited. Nevertheless, we must unite our efforts to provide effective solutions through Rotarian contributions," McInally expressed.
McInally cited alarming statistics from Bwaila Hospital, where approximately 40 babies perish each month, amounting to 440 deaths annually.
He, therefore, emphasised the urgent need for increased Rotarian support to mitigate such challenges.
Echoing these sentiments, Senior Mental Health Clinical Associate-Psychiatry at Kamuzu Central Hospital, Tommy Mthepheya, emphasised the necessity for Rotarians to prioritise mental health issues.
Mthepheya highlighted the stark reality that only one percent of the budget is allocated to mental health programs, severely limiting their effectiveness.
"I implore government to allocate more resources towards mental health initiatives in the country. At Kamuzu Central Hospital, infrastructural inadequacies persist, with only one room available for both male and female patients requiring short-term admission," Mthepheya advocated.
Chakwera attends Cyclone Freddy memorial service
By Alex Chitwere
Mulanje, March 27, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday joined the clergy and Malawians in a service of worship, commemorating one year since Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit most parts of the southern region.
The service, held at Mulanje Stadium in Mulanje, one of the districts heavily affected by the effects of cyclone, was conducted under the theme: ‘Malawi: a resilient nation towards recovery.’
Chakwera said it was important to hold the event to honour the lives that were lost as a result of the tropical cyclone.
He said some of them were people undertaking several productive activities to support their families and communities.
“There is need to honour them by being productive and taking every one as productive as well as a relation to us,” Chakwera said.
He added: “There are others that have the urge to ignite internal fights but we need to realize that it is better to unite as one because when things like these happen, they affect all of us.”
Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Michael Usi said that in conducting the memorial service it was a learning curve for Malawians to realize the need to honour the fallen heroes and that it also gave hope to the survivors.
Paramount Chief Kaduya said that people in the affected areas still need support as they are still in recovery and that dry spells experienced this year pose a major threat to the process.
“We have been receiving assistance through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, but I must say that we will need more because most people will not harvest enough food because of the dry spells,” she said.
During the sermon moderated by Reverend Anderson Juma, a candle lighting ceremony preceded preaching by Right Reverend Bizwick Nkhoma, General Secretary of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian General Synod and Sheikh Swalley Chilundu of Muslim Association of Malawi.
There were also performances by the Ndirande Anglican Voices, Ethel Kamwendo Banda and Mulanje Muslim women, among others.
Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit the southern part of Malawi in March last year, causing havoc and leading to loss of property and lives while several others had various degrees of injuries.
Some of the notable figures who graced the event included Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre Archdiocese, Enlightened Christian Gathering Leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, Public Affairs Committee Chairperson Fr. Patrick Thawale and Malawi Council of Churches Chairperson Rev. Billy Gama.
MACRA cautions radios on phone-in programmes
By Yamikani Sabola
Mzuzu, March 27, Mana: Director of Broadcasting for Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Zadziko Mankhambo has asked radio stations to exercise caution when handling radio phone-in programmes, warning that they risk regulatory sanctions if they fail to do so.
Speaking on Wednesday during World Radio Day commemoration in Mzuzu, Mankhambo noted that some elements hijack the programmes to spread misinformation or sow hatred.
Mankhambo said radio stations are answerable to MACRA for anything aired on their programmes, including what is said by participants for phone-in programmes.
“We encourage provision of platforms such as phone-in programmes to allow listeners to speak out on topical issues in the country. However, remember that if you cannot control views that cannot be palatable to the general public then you should not entertain those programmes.
“Anchors for such programmes should be able to control what is coming in because as broadcaster you are liable to anything that is said in your programmes and you cannot attribute it to a particular contributor,” Mankhambo said.
He however said Malawi has made commendable progress in broadcasting as the country now has 90 licensed broadcasters, including community radio stations.
MACRA Board member Alekeni Menyani said the FM re-farming exercise, which MACRA has implemented recently, stands as a testament to government’s commitment to enhance broadcasting services in the country.
“By optimizing infrastructure and promoting spectrum efficiency, we as an authority aim to elevate the quality of broadcasting across the country. Despite challenges faced during implementation, we as an authority remain resolute in our pursuit of excellence,” he said.
Acting Deputy Executive Secretary for UNESCO, David Mulera, hailed community radios in the country for amplifying voices of rural communities, promoting locally generated content and addressing unique information needs of diverse populations.
Global theme for this year’s World Radio Day commemoration was ‘A century of informing, entertaining and educating’ while locally the day was observed under the theme ‘Radio: a true companion for years in informing, entertaining and educating’.
The commemoration started with a big walk from Shoprite Roundabout to MACRA regional offices in Mzuzu City.
Inclusive education targets learners with learning difficulties
By Rosalia Kapiri
Lilongwe, March 27, Mana: The Ministry of Education has commended CCAP Synod of Livingstonia for the commendable results shown after assessing the implementation of an inclusive education programme in some districts in the northern region through Promoting Equal Access to Education in Malawi (PEATEMA) Project.
Director for Basic Education in the Ministry of Education, Grace Milner, was speaking in Lilongwe on Wednesday at Bingu International Convention Centre where she presided over the synod's conference, intended to disseminate the findings and impact of inclusive education as implemented in the northern districts of Chitipa, Karonga and Nkhata Bay.
Milner said that PEATEMA Project is in line with the education agenda of leaving no child or learner behind, which is in line with the MW2063.
Milner said: “Special needs education lies at the heart of the Ministry’s priorities. The Synod of Livingstonia has done a commendable work in ensuring that children with disabilities access quality education, and we appeal to all education partners to continue working with the Ministry in the cause of inclusive education.”
In her remarks, Deputy Director of Inclusive Education in the Ministry of Education, Lucy Magagula, highlighted that the project aimed at addressing negative attitudes towards learners with disabilities, improving access to quality and relevant education and enable children regardless of disability to reach their full potential.
“Ministry of Education recognizes the power in collaboration; as such, it does not work in isolation but through stakeholders.
“Among others, PEATEMA Project targeted children and young people with disabilities and peers without disabilities, family members, school teachers/managers, community leaders, school governance structures, as well as traditional leaders and government authorities,” explained Magagula.
Project Manager for Livingstonia Synod in the education department, Atupele Nampota, said shortage of knowledgeable teachers has been a challenge in implementing the project.
As such, according to Nampota, they worked hand in hand with Catholic University to train teachers in the special area of inclusive education since the university has a fully-fledged department of special needs programme.
One of the teachers working with the project in Chitipa, Rhoda Mnyimbiri from Kaseya Primary School, said having noted that learners with disabilities are not accommodated in the school system, they proposed changes in the school system to accommodate those with diverse challenges in learning.
A representative of a parent support group from Nkhata Bay, Walipa Phiri, said they have been working with parents in communities to encourage them to send their children to school regardless of the children’s learning challenges, adding that so far there has been great improvement in school enrolment of children with disabilities in the district.
The PEATEMA Project was implemented by the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia with support from Sense Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government.
The project implementation was done in 534 primary schools, 40 secondary schools and 40 education zones in three districts.
FEDOMA calls for inclusive elections
By Gift Mkulichi and Memory Khutuliwa
Blantyre, March 27, Mana: Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi (FEDOMA) Executive Director Simon Munde has suggested the need for wider literacy in braille among persons with visual impairment and deployment of sign language specialists in polling Centre’s to assist persons with impairments vote for candidates of their choice.
In an interview, Munde said some of the challenges faced by people with visual impairment and those with hearing impairment are failure to read and interpret voter civic education messages that should enable them to make informed decision on elections.
“Some of the messages come in the format that is not appropriate to the people with visual and hearing impairment and other disabilities,” he added and called on special needs education institutions to provide wider braille and sign language literacy to ensure inclusiveness of people with disability on all issues of national importance.
Apart from wider braille literacy and adequate sign language interpreters, Munde said there was need to also provide adequate funding and accreditation of organizations dealing with people with disabilities in voter civic education as an appropriate measure in reducing voter apathy.
“People with disabilities have got right to public and political rights and it's important for them to participate in the decision-making processes as who is going to lead them,” he said.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Communications Director Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the electoral body was in the process of accrediting CSOs to conduct civic and voter education that works with people with various forms of disabilities.
“Such organizations are already working with people with disabilities and it becomes easier for the organizations to reach out since they already know where the people are. The organizations have already skills and knowledge on how to communicate with them,” said Mwafulirwa with assurance that MEC will accredit many CSOs that specialize in working with people with disabilities.
He also said MEC is putting in place measures, ahead of 2025 to ensure fair, credible and inclusive elections.
“No one should fail to participate in the 2025 elections because of disability. We will design messages targeting all people, considering their type of disability and people with visual impairment will benefit from the audio messages.
“We will print braille literature for the people with hearing impairment and they should be assured that there will be visual messages which will also be accompanied by sign language interpretation,” Mwafulirwa added.
On registration period and polling day, Mwafulirwa said all people with disabilities will be treated with priority.
“On the polling day, there will be tactile ballot templates which will be used by those with visual impairment to vote on their own,” he added.
He further explained that MEC will also employ Constituency Civic and Voter Education Assistants who will be placed in the constituency to teach people about elections and will also be tasked to target people with disabilities.
Rays of Hope raising the bar in promoting inclusive education
By Winfrida Kamwana
Mchinji, March 27, Mana: Realizing that formal education is not the only way to success, Rays of Hope is urging people, especially community champions, to keep raising awareness on inclusive education so that children with disabilities are not sidelined in education development.
Through Pamodzi for Inclusive Education Project, the organisation has been able to sensitize people on the importance of inclusive education and ensure the success of education for all regardless of disability in Mchinji.
Speaking during a cross-learning activity between Mkanda Zone and Waliranji Zone, which took place in Mchinji, Pamodzi Programme Director Kamwana Muyaya said the project is making a positive progress in improving education standards for children with disabilities.
“We are gradually reaching to a point where people are now able to understand that children with disabilities also have a right to education and all its project’s work,” said Muyaya.
Muyaya further explained that the organisation has worked with different stakeholders, including government, to come up with policies that will help in pushing the inclusive education to greater heights.
In her remarks, Mchinji Disability and Elderly Desk Officer under the Social Welfare office, Sungeni Mapemba, expressed satisfaction with the project, saying it is indeed changing the narrative that people in communities have on children with disabilities.
“It is a good initiative and we have seen and received a number of positive feedback from the areas where the project is taking place and we hope that as community champions are working in their respective areas, they will be able to contact the social welfare office if they face some challenges,” explained Mapemba.
Edson Chalira, one of the community champions from Waliranji Zone, explained that since the project commenced, about 34 schools, including a nursery schools across Mchinji, have been educated on inclusive education and are now patronizing the project activities.
“This is a fundamental step on breaking barriers to education and promoting an environment of inclusivity,” said Chalira.
Concurring with Chalira, Mkanda Zone chairperson Stella Standford said the project has promoted the success of enrolment of children with disabilities in educational institutions.
“We have seen that parents are now comfortable sending children with disabilities to school. Before the project, we had about 68 children with disabilities enrolled in schools but ever since the project was initiated, we have seen the number rise to 218 and this is good development,” said Standford.
Despite the gradual progress the project is making, community champions expressed concern on the challenges they are facing which include shortage of special needs specialists and inadequate materials in schools to help children with disabilities have quality education.
The Pamodzi for Inclusive Education for South-East Africa (PIESEA) is a project that is being run by Rays of Hope, in partnership with Fount for Nation, Shule Direct and Kesho Kenya and is funded by Oxfam Denmark.
In Mchinji, the project started in 2022 and is being run in two Traditional Authorities of Mkanda and Mavwere.
Minister Advocates for Improved Sanitation in Healthcare Facilities
By Leonard Masauli
Lilongwe, March 26, Mana: The Minister of Health, Khumbidze Kandodo Chiponda, has emphasised the urgent need for collaborative efforts to ensure that healthcare facilities nationwide boast enhanced and high-quality sanitation amenities to mitigate the risk of hospital-acquired diseases, such as cholera.
The Minister's remarks were made during a knowledge-sharing event on Water and Sanitation in Public Health, organised by WaterAid at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
Chiponda underscored Malawi's ongoing struggle with waterborne diseases, including cholera and conjunctivitis, attributing them to poor sanitation and hygiene resulting from the neglect of water infrastructure maintenance in some healthcare facilities.
"Water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental to human well-being, and the provision of quality healthcare in public facilities hinges on accessible water. We are grateful to partners such as WaterAid for their efforts in building infrastructure to ensure improved access to water for sanitation and hygiene," stated Chiponda.
Acknowledging the issue of inaccessible water in some healthcare facilities due to neglected sanitation infrastructure, Chiponda urged health authorities to implement robust maintenance programs, emphasising the critical role of water in healthcare service delivery.
Country Director for WaterAid Malawi, Peter Phiri, said the learning event aimed to identify and disseminate best practices in promoting proper water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities.
He emphasised the need to strengthen the involvement of the health and water sectors in ensuring adequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services nationwide.
"Access to water remains a significant challenge in healthcare facilities, with statistics indicating that only three percent of facilities in Malawi have basic sanitation services. This underscores the pressing need for concerted efforts to improve the situation," Phiri remarked.
He further emphasised the importance of maintaining sanitation facilities alongside improving access, stressing the necessity for comprehensive operation and maintenance programmes.
Since 2014, WaterAid has been implementing WASH programmes in healthcare facilities, benefitting 16 facilities in Kasungu, Machinga, and Nkhotakota, along with four facilities in Machinga alone.
Senior Chief Kasakula commended WaterAid for its efforts in enhancing water access in over eight healthcare facilities in Ntchisi, contributing to improved hygiene standards in the district.
