MANAonline
Norway funds US$3.5 million to Ministry of Education
By Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, October 4, Mana: Norwegian Ambassador to Malawi, Siri Frette Allsted, has emphasized that the funding amounting to US$3.5 million which the Norwegian Government has supported Malawi through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will support strengthening of foundation for learning in Malawi.
Speaking during a press conference at Capital Hill in Lilongwe on Friday, Frette said Norway reaffirms its commitment to work with the government of Malawi and partners to give children education opportunities.
“I would like to thank UNICEF for the excellent partnership and your engagement with the Malawi Government to support education for all children,” she said.
Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, said the contribution is a clear demonstration of dedication to shared goals and will play a crucial role in addressing key challenges within the education sector.
“We are confident that we will see significant improvements in learning outcomes, particularly in the early years of education. This strategy is not only aligned with the NESIP 2020-2030 but also with the Malawi 2063 which places education at the core of our national development efforts,” she stated.
UNICEF Representative in Malawi, Shadrack Omol, said UNICEF effectively supports the Government of Malawi in its goals to enhance learning outcomes and bring a first class learning ecosystem to every child in Malawi through flexible funding.
“This flexible funding allows UNICEF to effectively tackle critical issues in our education sector, such as access to quality inclusive early childhood and lower primary education to further strengthen the foundations for learning in Malawi,” he said.
Veep calls on Youth to advocate for Technical Skills
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, October 4, Mana: Vice President Dr. Michael Usi, has appreciated the Good News Mission for the support they are providing to the country in empowering the youth.
Usi made the remarks on Friday during the grand opening of International Youth Fellowship (IYF) centre in Lilongwe.
He said it is high time young people utilise their skills and talents to develop the nation.
“We live in a country where we cannot just depend on being employed by other people. It’s time to use our skills and resources just like this facility will help youth to acquire different technical skills and make them independent,” Usi said.
The urged the young people to maintain, preserve and protect the facility as it will be an asset towards shaping their future.
“As government, we look at the Malawi 2063 whereby we want to have independent youth. So, this facility should not be taken for granted but an opportunity to make good use of it,” he said.
Secretary for IYF, Rev. Young Joo Park, said it is their wish to see Malawi developing in all aspects that is why they want to empower the young ones as they have the ability to make a change.
He stated that IYF in Korea has opened a university whereby they want to train people from Malawi and other countries in different fields so that they can help their nations.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, said government is committed in ensuring that youth have attained technical skills to contribute to the development of the country.
“The ministry has started partnerships with different stakeholders to make sure that youth are developed. So, the coming in of IYF will help youth who are struggling to be employed to come and learn technical skills as they have a training centre,” said Mkandawire.
One of the beneficiaries, Yhobson Kumwenda, expressed gratitude to IYF for training him with media skills in broadcasting, photography and editing.
Kumwenda was selected to go to Kenya and pursue his education which, he said, has helped him to find a job in the media industry.
IYF will be providing youth with skills in media, tailoring, carpentry and construction.
Currently, IYF has branches in over 100 countries worldwide.
Established in 2001 in South Korea, IYF is a global youth organisation and NGO that provides local and international volunteers opportunities through a vast global network.
Gwengwe opens Metallo Trading Limited in Limbe
By Beatrice Bangula
Blantyre, October 4, Mana: Minister of Trade and Industry, Sosten Gwengwe, on Thursday opened Metallo Trading Limited in Limbe, Blantyre where the company is expecting to expand to produce pots, electrical cables and steel bars among others.
Gwengwe said was impressed to see Metallo, a big investor in Mozambique getting established in Malawi to buy and process metal.
He said Matelo is also a job creator to young people.
“Through the conversations we had, Metallo have built this shelter and have started small but their plan is to expand so they are able to deal with local scraps that we have in Malawi. They will be producing value added products like pots, electric cables, steel bars and everything else,” he said.
The minister also appealed to other foreign companies to establish bases to contribute to Malawi’s economy.
“The trade balance has always been on the negative side for our country and we are trying as much as possible to have policies that reverses the trend where our trade balance start balancing,” Gwengwe said.
He observed that Malawi was having too much imports and very little exports, adding government was working hard to encourage companies to make export quality goods that should compete on international markets.
Speaking on behalf of the metal company, Shivam Mittal, appealed to Malawians to sell scraps to Metalo Trading Limited, saying their products will also be sold here.
“We are here now to buy the scraps and recycle them. Next year we will start manufacturing copper cables so that Malawi will not have to import from other countries. Malawi will be exporting these products to earn forex,” he said.
Before opening Metallo Trading Limited, Gwengwe toured Pharmanova Malawi Limited in Blantyre to appreciate how the company is faring.
British High Commissioner says Rumphi has tourism potential
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, October 4, Mana: British High Commissioner to Malawi, Fiona Richie, says Rumphi District has potential in attracting tourists who would help improve economic activities in the district and the country at large.
Richie made the remarks Thursday when she engaged officials for Rumphi District Council on various issues.
“Rumphi is an incredibly beautiful part of Malawi. I think, with good infrastructure, it would be easier for tourists to come here. Nyika National Park is an asset to the country. It is beautiful. It offers what you cannot see in other places,” said Ritchie.
Richie, later in the day visited headquarters of Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe at Bolero to pay a courtesy call to the traditional leader of the Tumbuka people.
She said she was pleased to have been offered royal experience of Chikulamayembe Chieftaincy.
Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe said he was honored by British High Commissioner’s visit to his headquarters.
District Commissioner for Rumphi, Emmanuel Bulukutu, said tourism is one of the council’s strategic areas aimed at improving the district’s economic development in contributing to the attainment of the Malawi 2063 with focus on upper middle income status.
Bulukutu also shared the council’s plans to have an industrial park to promote value addition to crops such as soya beans and groundnuts, among others.
"We export a lot of raw agricultural produce such as groundnuts. We need to start adding value to our farm produce. That would create job opportunities to people. We need to work on these opportunities to transform our economy and achieve Malawi 2063," said Bulukutu.
Nsanje District Council geared to improve education
By Robert Nayeja
Nsanje, October 4, Mana: Nsanje District Council has put in place measures to improve education standards in the district in order to ensure quality education.
Nsanje District Council Chairperson, Husein Ngwali, made the remarks Thursday during the district’s commemoration of Day of the African Child.
Ngwali cited construction of additional classroom blocks as one of the measures to improve education in the district.
He expressed concern that the Council is not doing well in child education and construction of more classroom blocks is one way of giving children access to education.
“We are not doing well in education. This is due to shortage of classroom blocks; we have stepped up efforts to construct more classroom blocks,” he said.
According to Ngwali, the Council has also laid out plans to deal with child abuse to allow a lot of children access to education as per their right.
“The Council will make sure that all perpetuators of gender based violence (GBV) face the law," he said.
District Social Welfare Officer, Chikumbutso Salifu, urged children to report any form of abuse to relevant authorities.
“Some of you do not report GBV. Let us report to authorities for appropriate action,” he said.
Salifu highlighted that shortage of school blocks compromises quality education and lack of bursaries for needy students were among challenges affecting child education in the district.
The day was commemorated under the theme: Promoting Quality and Inclusion Education for All Children in Malawi: Act now.
Nsanje appears on the bottom 10 education districts in the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE), Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations for 2024.
Pre-lab meetings crucial for energy solution
By Gift Chiponde
Lilongwe, October 4, Mana: Secretary for Mining, Dr Joseph Mkandawire, has expressed satisfaction with the recently concluded Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and Power Sector Coordination pre-lab meeting, stating that the initiative will help remove bottlenecks hindering the energy sector.
Speaking during the closing ceremony in Lilongwe on Thursday, Dr Mkandawire, commended participants for their teamwork, dedication and commitment.
He expressed confidence that the forthcoming main delivery lab would mark significant progress in addressing the identified bottlenecks.
"As we transition to the main lab next week, we anticipate thorough discussions on issues identified in the pre-lab, some of which will be addressed during problem-solving sessions," said Dr Mkandawire.
He hailed the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) for the financial and technical support towards the meeting.
Director for Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), Dr Enwell Kadango, said the meeting pointed 19 critical issues, with nine in need of dedicated problem-solving sessions to be held during the main delivery lab.
Kadango emphasized that PDU would engage various key stakeholders on cost-effective tariffs during the main delivery lab.
He underscored Malawi's target to enhance its energy generation capacity to 1,000 megawatts by 2030, through initiatives such as the Mozambique interconnection programme and the full implementation of the Independent Power Producers (IPP) for Power Production Plan.
Director of Electricity in the Ministry of Energy, Million Mafuta, stated that the pre-lab provided a platform to thoroughly examine challenges facing the energy sector in the country.
Mafuta expressed optimism that once these issues are addressed in the main delivery lab, the energy sector will undergo a significant transformation.
Social support program beneficiaries urged to join Savings and Loan Groups
By Beni Bamusi
Thyolo, October 4, Mana: Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare has encouraged beneficiaries of social support programs, such as the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) and the Climate-Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP), to form and join Savings and Loan Groups (SLGs) to strengthen their economic resilience.
Chief Community Development Officer, Samuel Ziwa, made the remarks Thursday in Thyolo during a sensitization tour on Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods (SSRLP), held in the areas of Traditional Authorities (TA) Ngolongoliwa and Nanseta.
"Beneficiaries should join SLGs to multiply the money they receive from social protection programs. This will help them remain resilient to economic shocks even after graduating from the programs," Ziwa said.
He said research shows SLGs have the potential to elevate livelihoods, as the money provided through these social programs alone cannot fully transform households.
"By joining SLGs, beneficiaries can save, borrow and invest in small-scale businesses to improve their economic standing," he said.
Ziwa noted that village banks, where SLGs typically operate, offer low-interest loans, unlike formal banks, making them more accessible and affordable to the beneficiaries.
Thyolo District Social Welfare Officer responsible for the SCT program, Madalitso Noah, emphasized that SLGs opens up opportunities to access loans from commercial banks, which would otherwise be difficult for individuals.
"SLGs allow beneficiaries to access financial resources, build economic stability and improve their overall livelihoods.
"Additionally, these groups serve as platforms where members share skills, knowledge and address various community issues," Noah said.
Tereza Chantha, a CSPWP beneficiary from Ntikhe Village, TA Ngolongoliwa, shared her success story after joining a village bank before being enrolled in the program.
"Through the village bank, I started a business that allows me to provide for my family basic needs. I have managed to build a house with iron sheets, something I couldn’t have achieved without the support of the village bank," said Chantha.
Chakwera describes USA visit as fruitful
By Arkangel Tembo in Washington DC, USA
Washington DC, October 3, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has ended his working visit to the United States of America (USA) where he attended the 2024 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
While in USA, President Chakwera undertook several engagements including taking part in the General Assembly debate, the Malawi partners conference as well as meeting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank officials.
Speaking to journalists at the end of his tour, President Chakwera said the visit has been crucial, particularly in engaging potential investors in the field of Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM).
Under the ATM strategy, Malawi prioritizes cooperation and investment in increasing productivity through commercialization and digitization, enhancing value through industrialization and promoting sustainability through climate-smart business practices.
He said to achieve food security, job creation, and wealth creation in the shortest time possible there is need to boost productivity in ATM strategy by bringing several investors.
“I am glad that I came here to represent the Malawi nation. Notable outcomes include discussing with investors, and taking part in the general assembly debate where I emphasized that climate change has heavily affected Malawi leading to food insecurity.
“On this, I said it will be difficult for countries to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This is where several other leaders complemented meaning that it is a global concern that needs to be addressed,” he said.
He further said that it is important for leaders to find solutions and resilient strategies as far as the effects of climate change are concerned adding that in Malawi over 5.7 million people are currently food insecure as a result of climate change.
He said: “All the meetings I have held with stakeholders and leaders look promising. Interestingly, this is my second time conducting Malawi partners conference on the sidelines of UNGA and the patronage has been very positive. We will continue to woo investors as one way of pushing our development agenda.”
Chakwera, therefore, emphasized the need for Malawi to break free from the shackles of poverty through strategic investments.
President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina, commended Chakwera for his leadership saying he deserves some respect in as far as his governance style is concerned.
Tingathe empowers youths with vocational skills training
By Prisca Mashushu
Lilongwe, 3 October, Mana:Tingathe organization has stepped up efforts to empower youths to participate in vocational skill training to ensure they become independent and self-reliant.
Among other things, the organization is equipping the youths in carpentry and journey, tailoring and designing, and entrepreneurship skills.
Communications and Programmes Coordinator Martin Mbewe said the organization thought to introduce the initiative to equip vulnerable youths to gain skills that will enable them to be self-dependent.
“We prioritize those from vulnerable backgrounds who have demonstrated a strong desire for personal and community development. The selection process also ensures gender balance and inclusivity to maximize impact.
“Our vocational training program equips youth in Lilongwe with practical skills like tailoring and fashion design, carpentry and joinery, and leadership and entrepreneurship, enabling them to start businesses or secure employment," said Mbewe.
Mbewe added to say youth from peri-urban areas in Lilongwe face barriers such as limited access to education, information, unemployment, and lack of resources due to poverty which often leads to early marriages, crime, and dependency.
He said the presence of vocational training will help to curb the challenges by giving them something to rely on.
Mbewe said this will not only benefit them as individuals, but the skill development will bail out their poverty struggles and improve their socio-economic status.
One of the beneficiaries of the training, Ronald Gondwe, said many youths face significant challenges due to poverty and limited access to quality education.
He said about 70 percent of youths lack formal training and the presence of the organization has helped youths to learn practical skills like computer and waste management initiatives to enable them to secure jobs or start their businesses.
Gondwe said this has led to greater financial independence and community improvement amongst the youths in Lilongwe.
Teacher arrested for having sexual intercourse with a form one student
By Ernest Mfunya
Mangochi, October 3, Mana. Police at Chimwala in Mangochi District have arrested a 33-year-old teacher, lsaac Mathipa of Chiunda Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old form one student.
Mangochi Police Station, Public Relations Officer, Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi, said that Mathipa allegedly committed the offence on September 30, 2024, around 2:00 p.m. when he met the victim coming back from her way from her friend's place at Njaidi Village.
The suspect offered the victim a ride on his motorcycle as both were going in the same direction, according to Mangochi Police Station publicist.
“The suspect cruised past the victim's place straight to his house claiming that he wanted to give her some books to study promptly. He took her to his bedroom and forced himself on her.
"After the act, he dropped the victim near her house around 4:00 p.m. Parents questioned the girl for coming home late and this prompted the victim to narrate what happened to her,” added Daudi.
The matter was reported to Chimwala Police Unit where it was referred to Mangochi District Hospital for medical examination.
“Results indicated that she had sex, and this led to the arrest of the teacher on Wednesday, October 2,” Mangochi Police Station Publicist added.
Meanwhile, Mathipa is expected to appear before court to answer charges of; Having sexual intercourse with a minor which contravenes section 138 of the Penal Code.
Mathipa comes from Kalembo Village, Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka District.
