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MACODESO urges expectant women, youth to get HIV test
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, March 17, Mana: Programs Manager for Mtisunge AIDS and Community Development Support Organization (MACODESO), Michael Kameta, has urged expectant women and youths in Nkhata Bay to get an HIV test saying this will reduce HIV prevalence and help them access the needed support.
Kameta said this Sunday at Bandawe Primary School Ground in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Malengamzoma during "Ndife amodzi know your rights" awareness campaign aimed at strengthening community systems to prevent stigma and discrimination against women and children living with HIV.
According to Kameta 6.4 percent of Nkhata Bay's population lives with HIV and AIDS and to avoid further transmission it is essential that women and youths know their status.
"In the course of our work, we are still meeting resistance from certain groups to undergo HIV testing.
"There is also resistance from women who after testing positive do not initiate ARV treatment resulting to high rate of transmission hence the call for women and mostly youths who are sexually active to get tested to curb the transmission rate," he said.
Antiretroviral Therapy Nurse at Bandawe Health Centre, Mary Mkandawire, hinted on the importance of couples getting tested together.
"It is good for expectant women to go for HIV testing together with their husbands so that they can be advised on how best to protect unborn babies from the virus, “she said.
Chintheche Police Unit Officer Sergeant Rabecca N'deza linked the high HIV prevalence rate in the district to gender based violence.
"Our unit receives so many cases connected to gender-based violence.
"Women and young girls are being raped and some are left without support, which has contributed to the high prevalence rate of HIV," she said.
Group Village Head Nabayoti commended MACODESO for educating his community about HIV testing and treatment.
"We are grateful for this campaign as it has been an eye opener to many. I am optimistic that this will help change attitudes and behaviour especially among the youths," he said.
The campaign was conducted in partnership with COWLHA, Reach Trust and Y+, under the project called ‘Kids Health, Kids Rights: Enhancing HIV testing, treatment, and adherence among Kids, pregnant women and lactating mothers living with HIV’ with financial support from AIDSFONDS.
Dedza council takes IWD to female patients
By Steve Chirombo
Dedza, March 17, Mana: Dedza District Council Gender and Development Officer, Lisnet Dauya, has disclosed that this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) commemoration for the district will be done through cheering patients in both female and antenatal wards at Dedza District Hospital.
Dauya disclosed the plans Monday during a Gender Technical Working Group, which met in preparation for the event scheduled for Thursday this week.
She said the idea comes about due to resource constraints, as this year’s plan was to bring together women aspirants for an engagement so as to enable them realize that they have the zeal to compete just like any other candidate.
“We, therefore, emphasize the importance of women’s participation in politics as a crucial aspect of achieving gender equality. We believe that increasing the number of women in leadership positions will accelerate progress towards gender equality and improve the lives of women and girls,” she said.
According to Dauya, the event on Thursday will see them cheering about 120 women at the district hospital.
“We plan to buy them sugar, flour as well as soap. We realize that sickness is something that one doesn’t plan and when such happens, a lot of problems come in hence the support,” she said.
According to Dauya, their initial budget was pegged at K4 million but they have been supported with about K600,000 as well as other material support from the Ministry of Gender, Self Help Africa (SHA), Gender Injustice and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).
The global day celebrates women’s social economic, cultural and political achievements. It also recognizes women’s achievements and calls for action to accelerate progress towards gender parity.
In line with Malawi 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality), this year’s theme: “Accelerate action, emphasizing the need for swift and decisive action to achieve gender equality” aligns with the national and global commitments to achieving gender equality.
NBS Bank in football development drive
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, March 17, Mana: Northern Region Top 5 Supper League Teams Bonanza has been renamed ‘NBS Bank Northern Region Top 5 Supper League Teams Bonanza’ following a whopping K10 million sponsorship towards the bonanza by the Bank.
Speaking Sunday when the organizers of the bonanza unveiled the bank as the main sponsor Service Centre Manager for Mzuzu NBS Bank, Aron Gumbo said the bank is committed to the development of football in the country.
He said despite hard economic conditions, the Bank decided to sponsor the bonanza in demonstrating its commitment to social corporate responsibility by giving back to communities.
“To continue portraying this commitment we intend to hold NBS Bank Charity Shield on April 29 and NBS Bank League in May, 2025.
“As a Bank which is concerned with development of football we will continue providing more sponsorship for the development of football, especially in the northern region, so that we can produce the much needed players that feed into the national team,” said Gumbo.
He said the sponsorship is also part of the banks broader strategy towards youth development and empowerment by providing opportunities for them to showcase their talents.
Gumbo added that football is a popular sport, which brings together people of different backgrounds from different areas; hence, it plays a big role in fostering community engagement, keeping young people engaged in productive activities thereby keeping them away from negative influences.
Chairperson for NBS Bank Northern Region Top 5 Supper League Teams Bonanza, Alexander Ngwala, said the organizing committee of the bonanza and participating teams are excited with the sponsorship.
“This sponsorship addresses the practical theory of responding to our request for support towards the bonanza as we strive to grow football in the northern region and the country as a whole,” said Ngwala.
He pledged that the organizing committee will ensure that there is transparency and accountability in utilization of the sponsorship.
“Apart from NBS Bank, we have the Blue Fish Lodge that has pledged K500, 000 towards the bonanza. We also have Hon. Mike Bango who has provided us with K200, 000 and this amount is earmarked for the would be top goal scorer.
The winning team will go away with K1 million while the runners-up will get K 500,000 while those on positions three and four will pocket K250,000 and K200.000 respectively,” said Ngwala.
The ceremony was witnessed by representatives of Northern Region Football Association and NBS Bank Service Manager for Karonga and Chitipa.
The five teams participating in the bonanza are Songwe Border United Football Club, Moyale Football Club popularly dubbed as the Lions of Kaning’ina Forest, Karonga United Football Club also called Ingwina Syamwakaronga on field of play and Chitipa United and Mzuzu City Hammers.
The bonanza is scheduled to take place from March 21 to 23 at Rumphi Stadium.
DoDMA warns of Tropical Cyclone Jude
By Paul Madise
Lilongwe, March 09, Mana: The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has advised people in Southern Malawi to follow precautionary measures following an issued warning of Tropical Storm Jude by the Department of Meteorological Services (DCCMS).
In a statement signed by Charles Kalemba, Commissioner for DoDMA, Tropical Storm Jude is expected to develop into a cyclone and directly trigger heavy rains and strong winds in the country from Monday, 10th March 2025 leading to rainfall amounts exceeding 100mm in 24 hours, particularly in affected areas.
"Districts in southern Malawi are expected to receive rainfall amounts exceeding 100mm in 24 hours. Some of the districts that are likely to experience severe impact include Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Machinga, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Thyolo and Zomba, districts along the lakeshore areas are also expected to experience high rainfall amounts,” reads the statement.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), is advising the general public to move to safer and higher areas as a matter of urgency, follow weather updates through various communication channels and platforms further avoid crossing flooded rivers and walking through running water among others
DoDMA is also advising the public to stay away from power lines and electrical wires and report fallen power lines to authorities.
The statement indicates that people are advised not to attempt to save personal property at the expense of lives, to move and store essential property in safe higher grounds as well as providing first aid treatment to the injured, those in shock and call for medical help.
In accordance with the statement, apart from alerting councils, DoDMA has activated all clusters (sector working groups) for swift preparatory and anticipatory actions. The national emergency operation centre has also been activated for coordinated preparedness and response.
"DoDMA has also made standby arrangements for the deployment of a search and rescue team comprising the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), the Malawi Police Service (MPS) the Marine Department and the Malawi Red Cross Society," the statement reads.
The department, through the Public Communication and Publicity Cluster, is also working with DCCMS and councils in disseminating early warning messages and raising awareness of the looming cyclone.
DoDMA has also appealed to Councils in disaster-prone areas to alert area and village disaster risk management committees to further alert and assist vulnerable communities to move to nearby evacuation centres.
Experts Calls for adequate funding for Children's Education and Welfare
By Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, March 7, Mana: Chairperson for the NGO Coalition on Child Rights, Desmond Mhango has identified significant gaps in the national budget that threaten the well-being of children.
Speaking during a meeting with Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities Cluster on Saturday at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe, Mhango said despite the budget increase, there are discrepancies between the actual allocations and estimated needs.
"We have seen gaps in terms of child protection and education, the budget for Early Childhood Development (ECD) is inadequate, and primary education, which is supposed to be free, still imposes user fees," he said.
Mhango also emphasized that they expect Members of Parliament (MP) to understand the context of their analysis and consider the identified gaps when reviewing budget allocations.
"We hope they will prioritize the best interests of the child and make necessary adjustments to the budget," Mhango said.
He therefore urged government to address these gaps and ensure that the budget aligns with the needs of Malawi's children by doing so; Malawi can work towards a brighter future for all its citizens.
Chairperson for Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities Savel Kafwafwa advocated for a significant increase in the national budget for inclusive education, he noted that the current budget allocation for inclusive education is only about 1% of the total education budget, which is insufficient to cater to the needs of students with special needs.
He also emphasized that government needs to prioritize the education of marginalized and vulnerable groups such as students with disabilities.
"We would like to see the inclusive budget appear clearly as its own budget line and ensure that the money reaches students with special needs," he said.
Kafwafwa highlighted the importance of supporting institutions run by Christian organizations and non-governmental organizations that provide education to students with special needs.
"These institutions were previously dependent on donors, but due to donor fatigue they are now struggling to survive,” he said.
Meanwhile, Speaker for Mzimba South in the Children’s Parliament, Rachel Nguluwe has called upon government to prioritize the needs of children in Malawi.
She said the current budget allocation for education and child protection is insufficient, particularly for children with disabilities.
"We need more investment and focus from the government on issues such as child protection, education, inclusive education, and climate change, the Malawi 2063 vision is for the future generation not just for us adults" She stated.
Nguluwe highlighted the lack of a clear budget line for inclusive education, making it difficult to analyse the budget and ensure that funds are being allocated efficiently.
The activity was supported by Norad, through the Tikuma project and brought on board child rights Actors including the Joining Forces Alliance, World Vision, Plan and Save the Children and was coordinated by the NGO coalition on Child Rights, Children Engaged Parliamentary, Committee on Social and Community Affairs.
Chakwera hails church’s role in nation building
By Yamikani Sabola
Mzuzu, March 9, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera has commended churches for complementing the government’s efforts in bringing unity, peace and social cohesion in the country through delivering messages of righteousness, uprightness and good moral values.
Chakwera was speaking on Sunday at Chisomo Baptist Church in Mzuzu where he congregated.
He said churches were playing an important role in ensuring society upholds good morals while the government was preoccupied with improving citizens’ livelihoods.
“Government also acknowledges the role churches play in supporting government’s development agenda. They play a complementary role to government, particularly in the provision of social services such as health and education,” he said.
In his homily, Reverend Humphry Chapulapula advised the congregants to be righteous and conduct themselves according to the will of God.
“The righteous man is the one who listens to God, who fears God. Live as children of light and do what pleases the Lord. You should have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.
“A man of God who lives righteously has a different moral compass from the rest of the world. He thinks differently. He acts differently. He treats money differently. He talks differently. He treats women differently. He relates to his neighbour differently,” he said.
Chakwera contributed K2 million towards the church’s building project.
Movement calls for proper tree care
By Max Medson
Salima, March 8, Mana: Movement for Environmental Action (MEA) has called for proper tree planting and caring techniques to ensure high survival rates and replenish vegetative cover.
The call was made on Saturday, when MEA planted 1,000 trees at ABC Primary School, Mphere Village, Traditional Authority Kuluunda in Salima district.
Chairperson for MEA Mathews Malata said in their broader drive to plant 10,000 trees this rainy season, they have managed to plant 8,000.
Malata emphasized the need to plant more trees in the area, noting that the place experiences heavy winds and irregular rainfall due to lack of vegetation.
"Most people do not know how to plant the trees well, and how to take care of the planted trees, hence we came to teach and illustrate the right ways to do so," he said.
Mlambe ABC Primary School’s headteacher, Wilfred Kalirani, expressed gratitude for the initiative, praising MEA for teaching the community the importance of trees in combating environmental challenges.
"On behalf of the staff, I would like to thank MEA for hearing our request. We are happy to have them here to teach the people of Mlambe village the essence of having trees, and ways of caring them. All this will help to combat the problem of strong winds and intermittent rainfalls,” he said.
On his part, Village Headman Mphere said there will be measures to prevent destroying the trees, warning that anyone found will face stiff penalties.
"As their leader, I will put in place good measures to stop people from destroying these trees. All found guilty will face tough punishment such as fines,” he said.
Partners asked to collaborate in improving justice systems
By Steve Chirombo
Dedza, March 8, Mana: Director of Community Policing and Police Units, Jaqueline Kainja has asked security agencies to collaborate and build a society where people can easily access justice when their rights are violated.
Kainja made the request on Friday during a day-long capacity building orientation on access to justice for Victim Support Unit (VCU) for police officers, and members of Malawi Prison services in Dedza.
She appealed to VSU officers and all concerned partners to be providing effective justice for victims in line with the country’s laws.
Kainja said: “Justice is not a privilege but a right. This is why we are expecting officers to improve their performance after this training. We believe they have gained knowledge and create some work relationships. They will now be able to handle some cases professionally.”
Director of civil and political rights from Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) Peter Chisi said some people fail to understand where to lodge their complains.
“MHRC realizes the importance of working together. This is why we are empowering the Malawi Police and Prison Services officers and other stakeholders to enlighten them on their roles.”
In her remarks after the training, one of the participants from Mtakataka police post Temwanani Malenga expressed satisfaction with the training saying it has helped them understand how they can discharge they duties competently.
“We have been reminded on the roles of the Ministry of Justice, Legal Aid Bureau, MHRC, Office of the Ombudsman, Judiciary, Malawi Prison services and the police as our roles are interrelated and it is very important for us to know them properly,” said Malenga.
The orientation was done with funds from the European Union (EU) under Chilungamo project.
Ambassador Kaphaizi laid to rest
By Wanangwa Tembo
Kasungu, February 8, Mana: Late Kester Kaphaizi, who was Malawi's Ambassador to Ethiopia was on Saturday raid to rest at his home, Kaphaizi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kaphaizi in Kasungu District during a ceremony attended by Vice President Dr Michael Usi.
Kaphaizi, who died at the age of 69 also served as the country's Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, succumbed to cancer on Monday March 3 at Artemis Hospital in India where he went to seek treatment.
In his eulogy, Usi described Kaphaizi as a true patriot who served his country with diligence and integrity.
"We have heard for ourselves that the late Kaphaizi was a man of high integrity who hated corruption and loved his work. His life must be a lesson to us all," Usi said.
While calling for religious and political tolerance and condemning corruption, the Vice President said the life of Kaphaizi who married in Thyolo was an illustration of tribal tolerance which all Malawians must practice.
Usi conveyed condolences from President Dr Lazarus Chakwera whom he said was saddened by the demise of Kaphaizi, a career civil servant who rose to become a principal secretary for the Ministry of Local Government and that of Energy.
Melina Dzowera, representing the children, thanked the President for entrusting her departed father with public responsibilities and also assisting him when he was sick.
On her part, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo, said since reporting for his duties in Ethiopia in January 2023, Kaphaizi demonstrated trustworthiness, diligence and hard work, describing his demise as a big loss to the country.
Other speakers including Senior Chief Lukwa, Member of Parliament for Kasungu Central Constituency, Ken Kandodo and a representative of retired principal secretaries Prince Kang'ombe, said Kaphaizi valued education and charity work.
Born 1956, Kaphaizi was one of the founding members of the Association of Principal Secretaries in Malawi and also served as a trustee for a wildlife conservation association in Kasungu District.
He is survived by a wife, four children and three grandchildren.
ILO/IFAD impressed with Naturals limited value addition products
By Christina Mkutumula
Lilongwe, March 7, Mana: The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) says it is impressed with value addition to its products by Naturals Limited Company.
Speaking after touring the company on Friday, Country Director for IFAD Bernadette Mukonyora said her organization was impressed with the value addition done to agricultural products.
“Most of you are aware that MW2063 pillar 1 talks about Agriculture commercialization as critical to ensuring wealth creation among Malawians. What we have seen today is a glimpse of what could be a drive to such wealth,” she said
Makonyora said Naturals limited drive to process baobab seeds into oil is a great demonstration of what value addition is, as they are using indigenous trees that have economic value.
“Our organization is looking for developmental outcomes in the SDGs as key pinnacles that drive real transformation with the community” she said.
According to Makonyora, the interest of IFAD is to see that people in the country are self-reliant and that they have viable livelihoods.
She said Naturals limited supported by International labour Organization (ILO) through IFAD has made it possible to unlock jobs for young people.
“A lot of young people have gone into apprenticeship with Naturals Limited as jobs were created by the company. These jobs are not only created in the cities but also in the rural areas,” she said.
Director of ILO for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Wellington Chibebe said the ProAgro Youth project is focusing on skills development in the agro industry in order to ensure that skills are imparted to the youths so that they do not remain idle.
“As ILO we are focusing on youth development and in Malawi our focus is on agribusiness because we feel that the value chain and employment in that area is quite high.
“Skills development is key in any nation because with relevant skills one can do anything, like being an employer but also an entrepreneur,” he said.
He said as a nation there is need to train prospective employers because the idea of gaining relevant skills and looking for a job should be a thing of the past.
Chibebe also disclosed that his organization will get in phase II of the project with focus on rural setup.
Senior Deputy Director of Planning in the Ministry of Labour, Wezzie Kayira Madzi said the project aimed at enhancing youths skills in the agriculture sector.
She said time has come to start looking beyond just equipping youths with relevant skills, but also help them with start-up capital for businesses.
Managing Director for Naturals Limited, Towera Jalakasi thanked IFAD and ILO for the grant given to her company as they were able to train youths and produce oil from baobab fruits for both skin and hair.
One of the young people who benefited from the training at Naturals Limited, Moses ziyaya said the training helped as he is now employed and able to assist his family with what he is receiving at his work place.
