By Linda Likomwa

Phalombe, August 7, Mana: Oxfam Malawi on Tuesday rolled out its first phase of El Nino induced food insecurity response targeting 12,000 people in the three districts of Phalombe, Mchinji and Lilongwe.

Speaking at Chidalale Evacuation Centre in Phalombe, Oxfam Malawi Country Director, Lingalireni Mihowa said Malawi has experienced droughts, floods and rising prices of food at the market which has led to food insecurity in many households.

“The sooner the vulnerable are assisted, the better because by doing so we would stop them from selling their assets. There is need for working decisively towards long term nutrition food strategies so that we break the cycle of food insecurity,” Mihowa said.

Mihowa appealed for more support to reach out to more households that have been affected, saying that in April this year government launched a US$36.5 million humanitarian appeal, noting that currently only US$11.6 million has been raised.

She said this is as a result of the fact that most countries are faced with conflicts, earthquakes, floods and droughts, occurrences which have contributed to donor dependence.

Mihowa noted that in 2019 Oxfarm raised enough funds which they used in reaching out to many households with support, adding that the situation is not the same this year; hence, appealed for communities to venture into viable economic activities that would help them support themselves instead of waiting for food aid from the donor community.

District Commissioner for Phalombe, Douglas Moffat said the hunger situation is severe in the district according to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report which estimates that almost 525, 000 people translating into 44 ,000 households were food insecure.

“Government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) will from October to March this year distribute food to affected households, but Oxfam decided to be ahead by supporting 1, 075 households with cash transfer for families to buy food,” he said.

Moffat, however, emphasised the need for communities to follow weather updates by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services to avoid incidences of disasters which rendered most households food insecure following Tropical Cyclone Freddy and droughts.

One of the beneficiaries, Edna Mbendera from Ng’anjo Village in Traditional Authority Jenala thanked Oxfam for the support, saying the money would assist her to buy food for her family because one bag of maize she harvested was depleted four months ago.

In March this year, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera declared a State of Disaster in 23 out of the 28 districts that were affected by floods and droughts induced by El Nino phenomenon which left over four million people in dire need of food aid.

Oxfam has raised MK207 million and each household would receive MK50,000 cash transfer funded by the Irish Aid and Oxfam International.

By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, August 7, Mana: People from Traditional Authority Dzoole in Dowa district have hailed the construction of Nkhanthwe bridge by the council saying this has improved safety and eased mobility challenges.

In an interview, one of the community members, Chifundo Mwale of Ngalawi village said before the construction of the bridge, people during rainy season used to face challenges when crossing the river to access markets, schools and hospitals at Mponela.

"It was a tricky situation because you would want to go somewhere and sell your goods, access banks, schools and hospitals, but you could not do so because crossing the river during rainy seasons was dangerous as we did not have a good bridge.

"Over the years, we have had some accidents and others lost their lives while trying to cross the river using unchartered crossing areas, so it was a big challenge," he said.

Mwale said as an alternative, people were forced to use long routes, which he said was both expensive and time consuming.

He however, said the construction of the K27 million concrete deck bridge by the council under the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) has eased these challenges.

“Even during rainy season, people can now cross the river, day or night without any problem.

"The bridge also improved business opportunities as farmers can easily sell their produce at Mponela at a higher price, than relying on vendors to come to the villages which reduces product value,” he said.

Madalitso Charles of Binda village who has this year sat for her standard eight Primary School Leaving Certificate of Educations Examinations at Malambo primary school, said the bridge is also helping leaners around the area.

"The nearest school from here is Malambo primary school, but we used to go to Tchawale which is very far because of lack of a safe bridge. This affected class performance as we used to reach to school late and tired.

"But with this bridge, children can now go to Malambo school which is nearer, this gives us enough time to concentrate on our studies," he said.

Director of Public Works at Dowa District Council, Oscar Kumwenda in his remarks said GESD is helping to improve service delivery in the district.

"We are building schools, police units, market sheds, medical facilities and bridges among other infrastructures.

"On our part as a council, we are making sure that every project we are delivering to the people should be durable, of high quality and meet stipulated requirements and specifications. But most of all, it answers to the challenges of the people, like it is with this bridge," he said.

Recently, Dowa district council scooped position one in the Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA) under GESD.

By Esther Ndhlozi

Mzuzu, August 7, Mana: Mental Health Specialist, Chiyambi Guwela Sande is set to host an online Stress Management and Meditation Training workshop from 10th to 24th August 2024, in response to the growing concern of stress and mental health in the country.

The workshop aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to manage stress and promote mental wellbeing.

According to Sande, many people in Malawi are struggling to cope with stress due to lack of knowledge on how to handle it and where to seek professional help. Therefore, this online platform based workshop seeks to reach out to each and every individual regardless of the geographical area.

“We would like everyone to get help through this workshop regardless of their distance in order to promote a mental and emotional wellbeing,” said Sande.

Sande added that our Malawian culture and social standards are perpetuating stress and emotional instability, leading to a rise in suicidal cases.

“The societal pressure on people to supress emotions and not having adequate access to help in times of need is one of the significant contributors to this crisis.

“For instance, the cultural and societal expectations for men to always be strong and not cry when faced with challenges leaves them without emotional support outlets,” added Sande.

In his remarks, one of the invited speakers at the workshop, Adorn Banda who is also a meditation coach said people who will attend this workshop will benefit in so many ways like getting an increase in self-awareness, gaining insights in the causes that trigger emotional distress and gain easy to use techniques to manage their thoughts which will equip them to face challenges and be productive.

He further alluded that the workshop will help fight the misconception that peace and happiness in life come from favourable conditions in the world.

“We would like to use this workshop to clear the misconception that happiness and peace in life comes from favourable conditions in life. However, the workshop will strive to help people see clearly that peace and happiness are a result having healthy thoughts and emotions,” said Banda.

Banda has further encouraged people to attend the upcoming workshop, saying it is a vital investment in their mental health and it will equip individuals with tools to overcome mental struggles, paving a way for a much healthier and happier life.

“I encourage people not to be hesitant in attending this workshop that aims to provide skills of mind management and development which in a long run will help people enjoy their life to their maximum potential,” Banda added.

Commenting on the matter, Lusubilo Msukwa who is one of the candidates attending the workshop expressed her excitement over the upcoming workshop saying it will help her find a safe space in reducing her emotional stress and fight the pressure from society which usually depicts that young people should not be facing problems.

“I am so thrilled to be part of this year’s mental health work shop because it will provide a safe platform for me to fight my emotions and benefit in so many ways.

“I would like to commend the organizers of this workshop because they have considered me and my fellow youths taking in consideration that our society usually expects us not to be going through stress and saying that we are too young to be having depression,” said Msukwa.

The Stress Management and Meditation Training workshop is set to commence on 10 August and will run until August 24. Online sessions will be held daily at 7:30 pm via Google Meet. Registration is open via email at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 088811103409 and 0991157448. A fee of 5,000 Malawi Kwacha is required to secure participation.

By Richard Kagunda

Kasungu, August 7, Mana: Kasungu District Council says the coming in of modern technology such as social media is distracting women from properly breastfeeding their infants, a tendency it says is leading to poor child development.

Chairperson for the council, Mwambilaso Mbedza, made the observation on Tuesday during the district’s commemoration of World Breast Feeding Week activities at Chinkhoma Primary School in Kasungu.

Mbedza said as women spend long hours entertaining themselves on social media and television, they forget their duty to properly attend their infants who need regular breastfeeding.

“A baby is supposed to be breastfed at least eight times a day but most women do not do this as they spend long hours on social media.

“This tendency is contributing to poor growth of infants and has lasting effects on their health as a person grows into adulthood,” she said.

Mbedza said there is a need to raise awareness of the importance of regular breastfeeding, observing that some women fail to follow breastfeeding prescriptions out of ignorance.

On her part, the Senior Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Kasungu District Health Office, Phebby Lodzeni Nyondo said it is worrisome to learn that some mothers do not regard breastfeeding as an important ingredient towards child growth.

“Most mothers regard breastfeeding as a disturbance. We urge them to make sure that their babies are breastfed properly on daily basis,” she said.

Nyondo also appealed to men to take a leading role in reminding and supporting their lactating wives to breastfeed their babies.

The world observes Breastfeeding Week every year in the first week of August to remind mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and promote an enabling environment that helps women to breastfeed and share information on strategies and benefits.

While breastfeeding is regarded as the most effective means to ensure child health and survival, the World Health Organisation reports that fewer than half of the infants under six months old are exclusively breastfed.

This year’s breastfeeding week is being observed under the theme ‘Minimising the gap’.

By Eranivey Temani

Lilongwe, August 7, Mana: People of Mtambwa village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Khongoni in Lilongwe have expressed excitement over the construction launch of a modern bridge worth over MK109 million.

Speaking on Tuesday during the launch of the bridge under Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Projects, Senior Chief Khongoni thanked government for the facility saying it will ease mobility challenges that people in the area are facing.

“I am extremely happy with this development, since the bridge that was here got damaged some years ago,” she said.

“This is a great development for the business people around the area as the coming bridge will enable people to easily transport their goods to and from the town,” she added.

Khongoni then advised her subjects to be at the forefront in making sure that the bridge is of high quality and that it is completed within the agreed time.

“I will advise the Area Development Committee to step up their effort and make sure that this project should be completed,” she said. 

Lilongwe District Council Vice Chairperson, Dominic Banda has since called for unity among people and the contractor for the smooth implementation of the project.

GESD projects are implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC), with funding from the World Bank.

By James Mwale

Ntchisi, August 7, Mana: Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje has urged stakeholders to work jointly and invest in child education saying this is the only way of eliminating poverty.

She was speaking on Tuesday at Mbuyedziko primary school ground, in the area of Senior Chief Kalumo, in Ntchisi district, where she presided over this year’s commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour.

She said denying children their right to education and engaging them in works that exceed their age limit is increasing levels of poverty and that concerted interventions from all stakeholders are key to ending the malpractice.

“Let us work together to do away with all practices that hinder our children from enjoying their right to access education,” said NyaLonje who added: “Let us love all the children and no country has ever developed without education.”

She further said allowing children their right to education resonates with President Lazarus Chakwera’s dream for a new Malawi, which can be achieved through educated minds.

In his welcome remarks, Senior Chief Kalumo conceded that child labour which has mostly been accelerated by poverty is negatively impacting his area and the district at large.

“We always appreciate the government’s interventions, in collaboration with the Civil Society against this backward practice,” he said.

Engaging children in tobacco farms and herding cattle are among child labour practices in the district.

This year’s commemoration was held under the theme “Let’s Act On Our Commitment to End Child Labour”