By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, May 8, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) District Elections Officer for Nkhata Bay, Peter Mukhula, has urged traditional and religious leaders in the district to mobilize their subjects to verify their voter details during voter verification exercise.

Speaking, Tuesday during voter verification and inspection sensitization meeting with traditional and religious leaders in the area of Sub Traditional Authority Mndola, Mukhula said the exercise is scheduled for May 21-23, 2025.

According to Mukhula, the meeting was aimed at equipping the leaders with the knowledge on the importance of voters to verify their details ahead of the September 16, 2025 General Elections.

"We are meeting with traditional and religious leaders across the district to disseminate information about the upcoming voter verification exercise.

This is one of the ongoing exercises in preparation for the general elections and we urged the leaders to take the message to people so that they turn out in large numbers for the exercise," said Mukhula.

He added that the exercise was important as it will rectify issues such as spelling errors, mismatching names and facial elements which cannot be corrected on the polling day.

“Those who lost their voter registration certificates or identity cards can still participate in the exercise by providing their names and dates of birth,” he said.

Mukhula informed the leaders that voter verification can also be done through phones by dialing *2509# and entering the voter registration number starting with "G" or National Identity number and that the service is free.

In his remarks, Sub Traditional Authority Mndola said the leaders are geared to mobilize their communities.

"As local leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that our people are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

We will work closely with the MEC in mobilizing people so that the exercise becomes a success.

Mndola expressed optimism that the electronic verification process will help reduce congestion in centres and save time for people.

Consolidated preliminary figures of registered voters indicate that Nkhata Bay has 107, 314 registered voters with 186 polling centres.

By Doricah Mkwapatira

Machinga, May 8, Mana: Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP)’s lean season top up support participants in Machinga have hailed government and its development partners for providing support that helped them build resilience during the recent past dry spell.

The participants expressed their gratitude on Wednesday when Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare officials visited the district’s traditional authorities Sitola and Nsanama to appreciate how the social support programmes have contributed to better livelihood.

A 57-year-old Leonard Mwakhula, a father of seven children, from Mtila Village, Group Village head Napwanga, Traditional Authority Sitola, testified how the SCTP, popularly known as Mtukula Pakhomo, improved his household’s income and how the lean response food package addressed food challenges during the dry spell.

“We were very poor; Mtukula Pakhomo has been a game changer to me. I invested some of the cash in my mat weaving business, which brings more returns to my family,

“From the business profit, I am able to send my four children to school, besides buying livestock that will sustain me even if Mtukula Pakhomo phases out,” explains Mwankhula, adding that he, also, received food in the lean season that bailed him out of difficult moments of acute food shortage.

The father of seven commended government and development partners for responding to the lean season food insecurity.

Another participant of the lean season response package, Patuma Sailesi, 87, from Group Village head Kwilasya, Traditional Authority Sitola, said the intervention saved her from starvation.

“I was included in the maize distribution programme and it saved my household as I did not harvest anything at all due to lack of fertilizer, besides poor rain pattern.

“With a full stomach, I now strongly carry out economic activities like selling fruits for more income to buy basic needs,” she explained, thanking government for “its timely intervention”.

Another elderly participant, Esnart Walasi, 80, from Gawo Village, Traditional Authority Nsanama said she used to sleep on empty stomach and that her nutrition status was critically compromised.

“I could spend two to three days with no food, and this put me at the verge of malnutrition. After receiving maize for three months, I have been eating consistently and I am strong enough to interact with my grandchildren as my health has been restored,” she said

Machinga District Council’s Principal Social Welfare Officer, Daniel Zidana, has since expressed happiness with the testimonies from the SCTP participants.

“I commend the beneficiaries for their dedication to this programme. This demonstrates that they are keen to work with the vision of the ministry in achieving livelihood transformation.

“To achieve total excellence, I urge relevant officials to work on meeting the timeline of events to improve inconveniences that come with delays in carrying out SCTP activities,” he said.

Machinga District has 18,173 SCTP participants, including 61,827 under expansion programme, totaling 80,000 people benefiting from the whole social protection programme.

By Yanjanani Mendulo                    

Chiradzulu, May 8, Mana: People from Gomani and Ngusiche villages, Senior Chief Likoswe in Chiradzulu, will soon have better mobility after Chiradzulu Nguludi aspiring legislator for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Winston Bergi started the construction of Mapanje Bridge estimated to cost K1.8 million.

Speaking to Malawi News Agency (Mana) during a visit to the site on Wednesday, Bergi said good roads and bridges are important for development.

“This bridge is more than just cement and poles. It will connect people, help them go to markets, schools, hospitals, and make their lives better,” he said.

The shadow member of parliament said many people, especially farmers, struggle to take agricultural produce to markets as they could not cross Mapanje River during rainy season.

Group Village Head Gomani thanked Bergi for listening to the people’s concerns over mobility, saying; “For a long time, we have suffered. This bridge will end our struggles and make grow as a community,”.

He also asked villagers to take care of the bridge once it is finished and warned people in the area against stealing project materials, saying the law will take its course.

Mirriam Keyala from Ngusiche Village, said the bridge will facilitate transportation of goods and services.

“Vehicles will transport our farm produce without problem, Learners will no longer miss classes during the rainy season because the bridge will help them cross safely to schools” she said.

Works on the bridge have already started with completion expected soon.

By Ella Mlenga

Rumphi, May 8, Mana: Director of Education and Sports for Rumphi District, Fides Msowoya, has commended government for its efforts of improving female teachers lives by providing them with easy transportation through the Malawi Education Reforms Programme (MERP).

Msowoya made the commendation on Wednesday during a media tour, adding that the bicycles have significantly enhanced the district's education standards by providing better and easy transportation to female teachers.

"I am very grateful that government has also considered giving female teachers bicycle for easy transportation. This development will tremendously improve education standards in Rumphi district," she said.

However, she appealed to government to prioritize addressing accommodation and transportation challenges that female teachers are facing, so that they do not run away from teaching in rural areas.

Nellie Chawinga, Head teacher at Kakuyu, one of the primary schools in the district, welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely.

"As a way of safeguarding this development, we already have existing by-laws and regulations in place to protect the bicycles and ensure it continues to serve future generations," Chawinga said.

She also advised fellow headteachers against personalising the bicycles, emphasizing that they are intended to serve all teachers in the district and promote equitable access to transportation.

By Yamikani Sabola

Mzuzu, May 08, Mana: Center for Development of People (CEDEP) has terminated a project that was aimed at reducing HIV prevalence and increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among key populations in Mzimba North, Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mangochi.

Technical Director for CEDEP, Angela Simwanza, disclosed this on Wednesday during an exit meeting for the project with Mzuzu City Executive Committee.

She said they cannot continue with the project due to an aid freeze following USAID cuts effected by the United States of America.

Simwanza said the project, called Peer Solutions for Epidemic Control, was targeting, among others, female sex workers, men who have sex with men and trans genders to prevent new HIV infections among them, and ensure that those infected are accessing ART, as well as sexual reproductive health services.

“The project started in 2015 after noticing high HIV prevalence rate among key populations. For example, HIV prevalence rate was 49.9 percent among female sex workers, 12.7 percent among men who have sex with men and 13.8 percent among trans genders,” she said.

“These figures were so alarming compared to HIV rate among the general population which was at 7.7 percent. The aim of the project was to uncover the key populations, who mostly are in hiding, to ensure that they start accessing ART and that they are not spreading infections,” she added.

The Technical Director further said through the project, the organization was conducting outreach clinics for key populations where a core package for HIV and AIDS services were being offered, including viral load monitoring, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and psycho-social counselling.

Director of Planning and Development for Mzuzu City Council, Philemon Maseko, commended the project for expanding access to HIV and AIDS services among the key populations.

Maseko said the country needs HIV and AIDS interventions that target everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

By Alice Ndunya

Machinga, May 08, Mana: Centre for Community Change and Youth Development (CECOYOD) on Wednesday donated pens and exercise books to 38 learners at Mtubwi Primary School in Machinga as one way of promoting quality education among needy school girls.

Chief Executive Officer for CECOYOD, James Chilongo, said the organization is commitment to grooming brighter leaders, adding that the donation targets needy girls as a way of encouraging them to work hard and excel in class.

“As CECOYOD, we noted that in most circumstances, girls face a number of obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goal.

“This donation is one among many other initiatives that include; providing school fees, uniform and pocket money, to students just to make sure they have all the necessities that should encourage them to perform well and succeed in their education,” he said.

One of the girls, a Standard 6 learner, Bertha Chibwana, hailed CECOYOD for the support and she pledged to work hard in class to prepare for her future.

“I am delighted to be among those that have received pens and exercise books. I really appreciate the gesture and I will work hard to achieve my goal,” added Bertha, whose ambition is to become a nurse.

Mtubwi School, Head teacher, Margret Mazengera, urged girls that dropped outs of school for various reasons to return to school.

“Educating a girl child is equal to educating a whole nation. I therefore appeal to young mothers to returning to school so that they can do better in life," added Mazengera as she received CECOYOD donation, which was worthy K430, 000.

One of Directors of the organization, Samson Funny, encouraged girls to work hard and continue with their education up to tertiary level.

He has since asked partners to assist CECOYOD with financial resources to ensure wider outreach in assisting needy girls to achieve their goals.

CECOYOD was established in 2020 to, among other areas; provide support to female learners in both primary and secondary schools in Machinga District.

By Paul Madise

Lilongwe, 7th May, Mana: Malawian delegation attending the 2025 e-Learning Africa Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been selected as the leading team, with Minister of Higher Education Dr. Jessie Kabwira, and Minister of Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu at the helm of the team.

The Summit, which runs from 7^th to 9^th May, 2025, is being held at Julius Nyerere International Convention Center, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzani, and the two cabinet ministers are accompanied by senior officials from the two ministries.

A statement released by the Ministry of Higher Education Wednesday described the opportunity to host dedicated tables at the summit as a significant honour “reserved for selected delegations recognized by the organizer’s”.

The statement further said the gesture symbolizes Malawi’s influence and capability at fostering meaningful engagement in digital education and the development of the skills for the future.

Renowned education rights activist and Civil Society for Education Coalition (CSEC), Benedicto Kondowe, has since described the two-day summit as significant opportunity for Malawi to learn from cross boarder universities that offers best education practices.

Kondowe added that the Summit is an opportunity for Malawi to adopt an improved eLearning service delivery for Malawi`s higher learning institutions to significantly contribute towards Malawi 2063 Agenda.

“Human capital development relies on physical presence of students in various institutions of higher learning; our view is that eLearning is central for the purposes of expanding access to education, considering that physical spaces are limited,” he said.

The two-day e-Learning Africa Summit offers the continent's leading platform for exploring the intersection of technology, education and development hence Malawi's engagement during the Summit positions the country as a key player in shaping the future of digital learning across Africa.