MANAonline
Human rights crucial in public service programming
By Tamala Kamanga
Dowa, May 7, Mana: Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) says public service has to mainstream and align issues of human rights as they execute their work, saying this can help achieve effective service delivery.
MHRC Deputy Director of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Lucius Pendame was speaking Tuesday after conducting a training on Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) training for Dowa district council officials.
The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of council officials in mainstreaming HRBA in the planning and implementation of public services at the district level, especially as the country works on achieving the Malawi 2063 agenda.
"Development, effective service delivery, and even Malawi 2063 plan cannot be achieved if duty bearers are not holding on to human rights principles.
"So this training is meant to ensure that as we move towards implementing development and the country’s 2063 ambitious plan, duty bearers must embrace the principles of human rights as they work.
"This will not only ensure the promotion of people's trust in daily public services and upholding of human rights but also promote people's participation in Malawi's 2063 agenda. So this training was very important," said Pendame.
The workshop also provided a platform for engagement, knowledge-sharing, and discussions on best practices, ensuring that human rights principles are effectively integrated into public service frameworks.
Sectors involved in the training included planning and development, gender, information, social welfare, community development, police, health and administration.
In his remarks, Director of Finance for Dowa, Martin M'baya said the training will help the council to improve its implementation and incorporation of human rights issues.
"As a council, we have many plans and activities to implement regarding the promotion of Malawi 2063 plans. So this training has equipped us with skills of incorporating human rights issues in our service delivery programming," he said.
PGP move to raise K10 million through fundraising
By Rennie Tembo
Lilongwe, May 7, Mana; Pretty Girls Pray (PGP), a grouping of girls and women aimed to empower and uplift women through prayer and providing a supportive environment for spiritual growth and development, has organized a Tea Party with an aim of having a permanent place of worship.
PGP Administrator, Tiyamike Betha told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday that the event which will take place on 10th May 2025 at the Botanical Gardens in Lilongwe, is aimed at raising K10 million for the ministry to have its own buildings.
“For the past three years, PGP has been operating in a rented place, and we believe it is high time we have a place to call our own, where we can gather to pray and serve together effectively.
“We are optimistic that through this event, our dream of owning a plot will finally be achieved,’’ she said.
Betha then further said that the ministry is counting on the generosity of well-wishers, partners and friends to help reach the planned amount of K10 million.
“We are relying on well-wishers and friends to assist us in raising this amount. Any contribution, big or small, will be of much help to us and we shall be grateful to our members who have already started making their donations through buying tickets,” she said.
Founder of Mai Mbambande Foundation, Deborah Mbale, an invited guest to the function, thanked PGP for the initiative saying she is looking forward to seeing God’s glory descending on that day.
“As it is written in the Bible that ‘With God all things are possible’, so shall it be on that day,” she said.
The fundraising Tea party will start from 2 pm to 5 pm with a lineup of exciting activities such as raffle draws, games and live music performances.
PGP ministry was launched in the year 2020 and has branches in Mzuzu, Blantyre, Salima and Lilongwe as its headquarters, with over 2,300 members.
Government urges CSOs to spearhead alleviation of malnutrition
By Mary Makhiringa
BALAKA, May 7, MANA: Government has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Balaka to work collectively in spearheading the alleviation of malnutrition among pregnant women, lactating mothers, children under five children and adolescent girls.
Principal Nutrition HIV/AIDS Officer (PNHAO) from the Department of Nutrition in the Ministry of Health, Clara Mvula, made the call Tuesday in Balaka when ‘We Effect’ in partnership with Self Help Africa (SHA) presented the Nourishing Futures: Empowering Malawi's CSOs for Sustainable Nutrition project to the District Executive Committee (DEC)
According to Mvula, women and children under five from rural communities are more vulnerable to issues of malnutrition because they have limited access to fortified nutritious food, which contains iodine, zinc and vitamin A, among others.
"Malawi is still among the developing countries in Africa whose households are grappling with issues of access to a balanced diet, particularly for pregnant and lactating women and underage children.
“Recent studies have shown that out of general population in Malawi, 36 percent of under five children are retarded, 12.5 are under weight and 15.6 percent of adolescent girls are malnourished," she said.
"Hence, we are calling for CSOs in Balaka to jointly complement the government's effort by partnering with sectors like Health, Agriculture, Education and Trade to build strong awareness and capacity among the community members on issues of nutrition," added Mvula.
Balaka District CSOs Chairperson, Helix Chimutu hailed the project saying it will act as a game changer for other nutrition-related interventions such as school feeding programmes which are already on the ground.
He assured the communities that CSO network will work collectively with all relevant authorities, including the media, to successfully disseminate the messages that highlight benefits of consuming a balanced diet and how households would access it using local resources.
The project will be implemented through joint effort from ‘We Effect’, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM), Catholic Development Commission of Malawi (CADECOM) among others with funding from European Union (EU) and it will targets over 9,000 beneficiaries from Traditional Authority Amidu and Sub TA Matola starting from March 2025 to August 2029.
NGO to equip over 12,000 beneficiaries with vocational skills in Balaka
By Andrew Phiri
Balaka, May 7, Mana: Foundation for Civic Education and Social Empowerment (FOCESE) has committed to equip with vocational skills to over 12,000 female-headed households, mothers of under-five children, survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and adolescent girls in Balaka District.
The Organization’s Project Coordinator, Mercy Chakoma made the pledge Tuesday when presenting the Institution Strengthening project to Balaka District Executive Committee (DEC) with the goal of restoring and empowering the underprivileged groups with entrepreneurial skills in order to uplift their lives.
"The major challenge with female-headed households, mothers of under five children, survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and adolescent girls in our communities is a shortage of financial capacity; hence some people, especially men, who are doing well financially take advantage and harass them in various ways," she said.
According to Chakoma, FOCESE will partner with Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) to take on board the targeted beneficiaries from the three Group Village Heads (GVHs) under Traditional Authority (T/A) Chamthunya with various life empowering programmes such as tailoring for income generation, homestead farming for nutrition knowledge among others.
She therefore called for a joint effort from all relevant authorities including district council officers, parents, police, chiefs and faith leaders, to work together to protect and uplift the lives of targeted people.
Balaka District Council Gender Development Officer, Scholastica Shaba has commended the initiative considering that many girls and women in Balaka are being victimised resulting from financial challenges.
FOCESE will be implementing the Institution Strengthening Project for one year, 2025, with a tune of K142 million from IM Swedish Southern Africa Development Partners, with the ultimate goals of improving financial and nutrition capacity among the communities in Balaka.
WaterAid commemorates World Hand Hygiene Day
By Ernest Mfunya
Mangochi, May 7, Mana. WaterAid Malawi on Tuesday commemorated World Hand Hygiene Day in Mangochi, to educate communities on the importance of handwashing with soap in preventing diseases related to poor hygiene.
Speaking during the event at Nangalamu Health Centre ground, Senior Medical Officer for Mangochi District Hospital, Dr Salimu Kaunda, said that the day encourages practices like hand washing with soap, thereby reducing infection, promoting public health and global action toward improved health outcomes.
"Hand hygiene is a crucial component of our health systems. Most illnesses we see in health facilities are due to infections that can be prevented through simple hygiene practices like handwashing with clean water and soap," said Kaunda.
He noted that for the past years, Mangochi has grappled with various diseases such as cholera outbreaks, diarrhoea and others that come due to poor hygiene and drinking unsafe water.
WaterAid Malawi hygiene specialist, Maria Soko, noted that Malawi has been severely affected by cholera and other diseases linked to poor hygiene.
"We wanted people to understand the importance of hand hygiene in the prevention of diseases related to poor hygiene. We might use other measures like gloves, but hand hygiene surpasses everything," said Soko.
She added that the organization was building sanitation facilities such as toilets and bathrooms in hospitals and providing communities with clean and safe water to promote public health and prevent diseases.
Patuma Mamu, a resident of Group Village Headman Chikamba in the district said that through the interventions, she has learnt how she can protect her family from diseases linked to poor hygiene by using safe and clean water, washing hands with soap after using the toilet, before preparing food and other practices.
During the commemoration, WaterAid handed over sanitation facilities such as buckets and sanitisers to four health facilities, including Nangalamu.
Being observed under the theme "it might be gloves. It's always hand washing" this year, World Hand Hygiene Day is commemorated each year on 5 May to maintain a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.
Mission Rabies in Blantyre for dog vaccination
By Memory Khutuliwa
Blantyre, May 7, Mana; Vet Surgeon at Paws and Claws Veterinary Clinic, Owen Chausa says vaccination of dogs was the only way to prevent transmission of diseases to promote animal well-being and urged pet owners to follow recommended vaccination schedules to keep their pets free from diseases.
Chausa made the remarks on Tuesday as dog vaccination campaign by Mission Rabies Malawi continues in Blantyre.
He said that vaccination in pets supports public health, preventing transmission of diseases, promoting herd immunity, reducing animal suffering, thereby improving animal welfare, adding that the vaccination mitigates the spread of zoonotic diseases such as rabies.
“The vaccination is crucial as it protects pets from life-threatening diseases in dogs such as hepatitis, parvovirus, kennel cough, canine distemper, parainfluenza and leptospirosis. Cats suffer from life-threatening diseases such as feline rhinotracheitis,” he added.
The Vet Surgeon therefore urged pet owners to they should follow recommended vaccination schedules and to always keep their pets vaccination records, saying accurate records determine accurate times for boosters to understand core and non-core vaccines.
Mission Rabies Malawi, Country Director, Dr.Inga McDermott, described the vaccination programme as an important step towards protecting city residents and their pets from rabies, expressing optimism that the exercise will significantly stop spread of rabies in Malawi.
“We have a target, we want our post-vaccination surveys to show that we have reached at least 70% of dog population in Blantyre, and this is a crucial percent to keep the community safe”
Blantyre City 2025 vaccination campaign is meant to vaccinate over 20,000 dogs within 10 days.
Old Mutual hands over classroom block to Rumphi District Council
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, May 7, Mana: Old Mutual handed over a K115 million classroom block at Katete Primary School in Senior Chief Mwahenga in Rumphi on Tuesday which school authorities said will improve the learning environment.
In an interview, Director of Education and Sports for Rumphi, Fides Msowoya, said the structure will improve learning at the school.
"Learners will now be learning efficiently and comfortably, as they have also been promised desks. Our teachers, as well will have a conducive environment for preparing their lessons with the new office that has been attached to the block and we expect the children to perform well," said Msowoya.
She further said the council would also continue to engage other partners to support other needs at the school, including housing for teachers.
She also said her office would engage relevant committees at the council to consider upgrading the school from a junior primary to a full primary school.
Chairperson for Old Mutual Foundation, Tawonga Manda, said they have built the block to bail out young learners who were walking long distances to school to access education.
Member of parliament for the area, Jappie Mhango, said the classroom block would attract more learners to school.
He also called on partners, including Old Mutual and CARE Malawi who collaborated on the project, to continue supporting them as the Government's resources are not adequate to resolve all challenges.
He further urged Government and development partners to make rural schools attractive for teachers by constructing decent houses for them in order to facilitate quality learning.
SADC Electoral Advisory Council engage media ahead of 2025 elections
By Sukasuka Milton and Josephine Chipofya
Lilongwe, May 6th, Mana: The Southern African Development Community Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC) is conducting stakeholder engagement meetings to evaluate Malawi’s preparedness for the September 2025 general elections.
On Tuesday, SEAC engaged journalists from various media houses in Lilongwe to hear their role and views ahead of the September 2025 polls.
Speaking to Journalists Member of the SEAC Advocate Notemba Tjipueja, said they are looking at the political and security environment to determine if it is conducive for holding the elections.
"This is done in terms of the SADC principles and guidelines governing the democratic elections and this is a process that we follow in every SADC member state that is holding elections. we always go and do a pre-election assessment mission,” she explained.
The assessment will also look at the legal framework governing the elections and the Malawi Electoral Commission’s preparedness to conduct the general elections.
Community lauds construction of female teachers houses
By Ella Mulenga
Karonga, May 7, Mana: Authorities in Karonga have described Malawi Education Reform Programme (MERP) female teachers house construction initiative as a significant milestone that motivates female teachers to teach in hard-to-reach areas in the district.
Deputy Headteacher for Tumbi Primary School, Loncy Kaluba, expressed her excitement for the construction of the only female teacher's house at the school, saying that the development will improve education service delivery more especially to female learners and motivate them.
"The construction of a house for a female teacher here at Tumbi Primary is more than just a building, but also a symbol of what our girls can become. Seeing a fellow woman teaching them will motivate learners to be like their teachers or more," she said.
Group Village Head Mazyuli also hailed the initiative, stating that the investment in education demonstrates the government’s commitment to developing rural communities.
"This project is a true testament that our government values education. Providing proper living spaces for our female teachers will not only improve performance in their teaching practices but also encourage female learners to go further with their studies,” he said.
NEEF launches loan for winter cropping inputs in Zomba
By Solister Mogha
Zomba, May 7 Mana: Nation Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) on Tuesday launched winter cropping agriculture loan inputs in Zomba with K51 million going to Kadewere Irrigation Scheme at Traditional Authority Mwambo.
The loan inputs which among others included fertilizer, maize seeds and solar solar-powered pump target over 200,000 farmers across the country.
Speaking during the launch and handover of the farm inputs at Kadewere Irrigation Scheme in Traditional Authority Mwambo, NEEF Chief Executive Officer, Humprey Mdyeseni said the loan inputs were meant to improve the country's food security.
Mdyeseni said, according to data, the country requires 4 million metric tons of maize which has not been achieved for the past two years, expressing hope that the winter cropping, once implemented, will close up the gap.
“We are receiving overwhelming applications for loans, and this only means more farmers need support.
“We expect that, through the farm inputs loans, Malawi is assured of enough food,” he added.
Zomba District Council, Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Linda Mphande said provision of farm input was the best way to address food insecurity in the district.
Mphande added that, with increasing fears of climate change, irrigation agriculture remained the best option.
“We applaud government through NEEF for the support to farmers. Through this initiative, the country has high chances to achieve food security,” she added.
One of the beneficiaries under Kadewere Irrigation Scheme, Godfrey Makwinja said most of the farmers have muscle but lack financial and farm inputs.
“Many farmers are proud of the support from NEEF. We have been empowered and energised to do more,” he added.
A total of K51 million has been used to procure fertilizer and maize seeds for 83 farmers under Kadewere scheme.
