By Chilungamo Missi

Blantyre, July 20, MANA: Chiradzulu District Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Focal Person, James Lisausyo has commended Evidence Action Organisation for its interventions that ensure that communities have access to safe water in the district.

Lisausyo made the remarks on Thursday in Chikankheni Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mpama in the district, during Evidence Action field visit aimed to appreciate the Chlorine Dispensers which the organisation installed in the district.

He said that with the intervention he expects a decrease in waterborne diseases saying the only way to deal with such diseases is water and food hygiene.

“We are coming from a period where the country experienced Cholera outbreak and Chiradzulu was not spared.

“The development is commendable as currently the country is dealing with Polio which spreads as a result of ingesting unhygienic food and drinking unsafe water, so Chlorine dispensers are ideal in the fight against the disease,” said the IDSR.

Speaking on the same, Village Headman Chikankheni said that his village welcomed the development which has assisted in curbing waterborne diseases since the chlorine dispensers were installed in his village three months ago.

“My village has 166 families, and we only have two water boreholes, a situation which forces us to drink from nearby wells. In the past, these wells were unprotected but now Chlorine dispensers have been installed in these wells and majority of the people have embraced them,” he said.

In her remarks, Evidence Action Associate Area Coordinator for Blantyre and Chiradzulu districts, Annie Laisani said that the organisation has installed 1,435 Chlorine dispensers in Chiradzulu district adding that they have so far installed dispensers in eight districts; Mwanza, Neno, Blantyre, Zomba, Balaka, Mangochi and Machinga.

She added: “Evidence Action came in to support government in curbing waterborne diseases and the programme is making positive strides although in some areas people are spreading myths concerning the dispensers, but with help from health workers we are addressing such problems by making sure that people have the right information.”

By Chisomo Kambanganda

Nkhata Bay, July 21, Mana: Nkhata Bay District Commissioner (DC), Rogers Newa says the council is geared to continue with implementation of various interventions on nutrition to improve nutritional statuses of people and reduce cases of malnutrition in the district. 

Newa was speaking on Thursday during a reward ceremony where the council was named as top winner in the Catholic Relief Service (CRS)’s Performance Based Incentives (PBI), a model through which various groups or individuals are being rewarded for star performance in nutrition related activities under AFIKEPO project.   

He said the council will prioritise improving on areas where it scored low and continue to foster coordination amongst nutrition structures.

Newa said: “We are extremely happy to be the top winning council in the competition. We are going to continue encouraging coordination among stakeholder ranging from the community to district structures. I urge everyone involved to continue working as a team for more success and development of the district.”

CRS Country Representative to Malawi, Sekai Mudonhi said as government’s partner in development they decided to implement PBI under AFIKEPO programme as a sustainability strategy.

“CRS is determined to improve people’s nutrition status mainly pregnant and lactating mothers and reduce cases of malnutrition in children. As such the PBI model is intended to promote nutrition related activities and practices within the AFIKEPO project’s catchment area,” she said.

Nkhata Bay District Council was presented with a K60 million cheque for scooping the top position while Karonga District Council which emerged runners up, went away with K40 million cheque. Traditional Authority (T/A) Kabunduli, group village heads, care groups and various households in the district were also recognized for their sterling performances and went home with various prizes. 

Afikepo Performance Based Incentive is being implemented by the CRS in 11 district councils under the AFIKEPO programme in partnership with UNICEF, FAO, Government of Malawi and University of Malawi with support from European Union.

By Harold Mtepatepa

Lilongwe, July 22, 2023: Malawi Interfaith and AIDS Association (MIAA) has rolled out K56 million worth of project which is geared to reduce gender based violence (GBV) and HIV cases through faith communities in Lilongwe, Mchinji, Salima and Blantyre districts. 

Briefing Lilongwe District HIV and AIDS Coordinating Committee (DACC) about the project in the district on Friday, MIAA Project Officer, Wellington Nkhoma, said the project is expected to create and sustain GBV and HIV free communities.

“As we know that cases of GBV are on the rise. It is on that note that our organisation should come in and work together with the faith community.

“This project will work hand in hand with faith leaders, faith youth leaders and student based organisations like SCOM, Adventist Youth, Young Christian Students and Muslim Students Association on treatment literacy and faith healing sessions,” he said.

He added that the project will promote child-centred practices and conduct GBV awareness among communities so that they are able to speak out about GBV incidents.

This is expected to help mitigate GBV cases and implement activities that will increase access to HIV and AIDs services for boys and men.

Lilongwe District Council Principal Nutrition and HIV and AIDs Officer, Edina Mwangonde, commended the initiative, saying it will promote HIV-services-seeking behaviour and GBV prevention in the district.

“The project has come at the right time when the district is grappling with GBV and rising HIV infections. I urge district stakeholders to support its implementation,” she implored the DACC members.

United States (US) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will be supporting the project every year for five years.

By Memory Chatonda

Thyolo, August 3, Mana: Director of Public Works for Blantyre District Council, Joseph Bodole has urged extension workers to share knowledge and practices gained on nursery establishment and tree management with local structures, so that environment could be restored.

He said this on Wednesday in Thyolo district during the official opening of a three-day training workshop on Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) where 75 extension workers are attending.

Bodole said extension workers play a crucial role in the implementation of CS-EPWP hence the need to equip them with various and essential skills that would help to achieve the programme’s intended results.

“We want you to perform the best of your capabilities. Tackle real issues affecting your respective communities and use the knowledge gained to change the mindset of local communities regarding environmental conservation,” he advised.

One of the participants, Nozghechi Hara hailed Blantyre District Council for the training, pledging to put into practice the skills gained to conserve the environment. 

“After this training, we will equip foremen and Catchment Management Committee members on nursery and woodlot establishment and management, occupational safety and health, catchment environmental and social management plan, grievances and Gender Based Violence (GBV) issues including emergency response planning so that they can extend the same knowledge to their fellow communities to improve the environment,” she said. 

Director of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources for Blantyre, Edward Katunga advised members of the Blantyre District Environmental Sub-committee to conduct regular monitoring of CS-EPWP activities so that best results could be achieved.

CS-EPWP is a component of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project supported by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

It is being implemented by 28 local councils in the country and facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee.

Participants of the programme implement sub-project activities such as natural tree regeneration management, contour ridging, construction of swales, and tree planting among others. 

By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, August 2, Mana: Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change Tuesday expressed concern at the pace which the country was executing National Implementation Plans (NIPs) for mitigating Persistent Organic Pollutants due to inadequate resources.

The development was revealed in Salima during an inception meeting held to review and update the National Implementation Plans (NIPs) of the Stockholm Convention on the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Malawi.

Deputy Director of Environmental Affairs Department, Victoria Kachimera said the main challenge the country was facing over time in implementing the NIPs that were developed in 2004 and 2019 has been low or inadequate financial resources allocated to implementation activities.

She added that by not implementing activities underlined in the NIPs it has made it difficult for government to determine if the actions outlined in the NIP are effective or not in mitigating POPs, as the chemicals could cause serious human health and environmental problems.

"Malawi developed two NIPs which allowed us to come up with plans on how we will manage a group of chemicals which are called POPs. These chemicals are particularly dangerous because they stay in the environment for a very long time and they are difficult to get rid of.

"Another challenge is the complexity of the chemicals themselves. While the country may not have the capacity to analyse or detect the chemicals in products, there are opportunities for ou institutions of higher learning to conduct research in the said areas," Kachimera added.

She pointed out that the involvement of different stakeholders during the inception meeting would assist in reviewing and updating the 2019 NIP with assistance from United Nations Environmental Programmes and Africa Institute.

The Deputy Director said after sourcing views from different stakeholders from the workshop, a platform for strategic objectives, capacity building, and mobilising resources for management of POP chemicals has been put forward to benefit the country in eliminating the problem.

Assistant Programme Coordinator for the Africa Institute, Vincentius Mughongora said the adoption of NIP's idea by Malawi government was a good idea to mitigate the usage of POPs.

"It is important to strengthen the political will regarding the adoption of the NIPs. The Africa Institute helps in facilitating the funding that countries receive to ease their objectives that are developed by the countries to mitigate the availability of POPs," he said.

The workshop which involved stakeholders from agriculture, forestry, higher education institutions and universities, media and district councils among others aimed at collecting ideas that can be used to implement the launched NIP and how best it can run for the benefit of the country.

Some of the chemicals covered under the Stockholm Convention include chlordane that is used in construction for termite control, as well as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) that are found in transformers and capacitors. 

By Tione Andsen

Lilongwe, August 2, Mana: Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change has warned that deadwood in Ministry would be thrown out if progress was to be made.

Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Dr Michael Usi made the warning Wednesday during a Press Briefing on the Progress of his Ministry in Lilongwe.

He said the Ministry need to bring in mind set change among its officials to value their services they provide to the public.

The Minister said there are some officials who are deliberately frustrating the Ministry’s efforts to attain its objectives and mandate

Usi noted that dismissing civil servants from the public service has been a challenge to the absence of appraisals reports within ministries, departments and government agencies.

“I have already informed my Principal Secretary to make sure that appraisal reports should be made available by end August, 2023 and this will provide an opportunity to have a basis to remove the deadwood from the Ministry,” he charged.

The Minister pointed out that all civil servants are subjected to removal from the public service if there is clear evidence that are failing to perform their work and if they could challenge their dismissal the ministry should be in a position to provide tangible evidence of their action.

He said there are high quality officials within the Ministry who are relevant to their work and they need to be motivated to more.

“We have an example where officials of the Ministry have deliberate delay in processing application letters for mining.  Department of Forestry has expedited the process and all applicants have been responded to within a week and this is what we need,” Usi added.

He said it becomes frustrating to note that some officials are not taking up their assignments and this tendency needs to be stopped.

The Minister said the issue of Viphya housing scandal is one of example which need addressed thoroughly and amicable solutions should be found.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Dr Yusuf Nkungula emphasized said the Ministry has a mandate to implement.

He said everything need to be done through teamwork, collaboration, coordination and networking.

By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, July 31, mana: Mzimba based extension workers have been challenged to share knowledge they gain from various trainings with local structures in order to benefit local communities and improve the environment.

Speaking on Saturday in Mzuzu during a training for extension workers from Mzimba under the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme, District Commissioner for the District, Rodney Simwaka said extension workers are the bedrock of agricultural field work hence success in the field can be registered if they share knowledge gained during the training with local structures.

‘‘Extension workers are vital on which the success of all agricultural activities revolve around because they work on the ground with local structures. If we need to implement agricultural activities in areas such as forestry and farming extension workers are critical. But they should be able to work with the communities and share the knowledge, ’’said Simwaka.

Simwaka said Mzimba just like most districts in Malawi is facing environmental degradation due to among other factors tree cutting due to charcoal burning. He also lamented the low tree survival rate.

‘‘Taking care of the environment should be a shared a responsibility. This means the extension workers should be able to work with local clubs and everyone in the local communities on conserving the environment.’’

Simwaka said the training was organised with an aim of imparting skills to the extension workers on how they can set up woodlots and nurseries and also take care of the general environment.

Director of environment and natural resources for Mzimba, Ezra Mbendera challenged the extension workers to work hard in preserving the environment by involving grassroots structures.

One of the extension workers, Jimmy Allan Phiri from Champhira extension area said the training helped him get insights on establishment of woodlots and nurseries.

The programme is being implemented by Malawi government through the National Local Government Finance Committee with funding from World Bank.

It focuses on land resource and forestry conservation to improve soil fertility as a means of responding to effects of climate change.

Innocent Chunga

Nkhota-kota, July 20, MANA. The Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi WESM, has vowed to strengthen its effort towards the restoration of bird population in areas around Chia Lagoon in Nkhotakota district.

Speaking on Wednesday at the launch of a 312 million Kwacha Chia Lagoon Waterbird project in the district, WESM Programs Manager Blessings Chingagwe, said the organization will assist communities in protecting birds, after noticing that Chia Lagoon is not gazetted as a protected area.

"The project will work with communities to better manage and restore the vital lagoon ecosystem, reverse decline in vulnerable and declining bird species and improve livelihoods in the communities." She said.

Nkhotakota District Environmental Officer, Jane Kayira encouraged WESM to work together with other organizations that are already on the ground with related projects at the lagoon to use already existing structures for smooth implementation of the project.

She said use of already existing community structures ensures project sustainability because other partners like Ripple Africa are implementing a similar fish for tomorrow project in the area which is looking at the ecosystem around the lagoon.

WESM has been dedicated to protecting Malawi's remarkable biodiversity and ecosystems for over 75 years. With support from UK based organization Dawn initiative, the project will work with nine villages from the areas of Senior Chief Mwadzama and Traditional Authority Kalimanjira and Nkhanga in the district.

WESM will work with partners in the project including Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change through Department of Fisheries, Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Tourism through Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Micro loan Foundation, African Parks and Ripple Africa.

By Golden Kang’oma

Salima, July 25, Mana: Ministry of Agriculture says proper land and soil resource management is the best option in climate change mitigation.

Principal Secretary responsible for Irrigation in the ministry, Engineer Geoffrey Mamba, made the remarks on Monday during the opening of the 41st National Conference for the Department of Land Resource Conservation in Salima District.

"As the country's agriculture sector continues to be affected by natural disasters and other environmental hazards, it is only right to find other solutions and strategies to increase crop productivity of which one is proper land management," said Mamba.

He said there is need for government and other stakeholders to assist smallholder farmers with education and technical support on how they can increase productivity amid climate-induced challenges.

"I should say it clearly that for the past years, crop production has gone down due to drought, heavy rains and other climate change effects.

“But if we stick to proper land management, there will be great change," he added.

On her part, Director of Land Resource Conservation, Getrude Kambauwa, said lack of resources continues to affect the department, which makes it difficult to address land management issues.

"As of now, lack of resources remains our greatest challenge as we do not receive enough funds, but we are very optimistic that we will be bailed out and work accordingly," she said.

Kambauwa further urged government and other stakeholders to pump in more resources to address land and soil management issues in her department.

The 41st Land Resource and Conservation Conference is being held under the theme: "Re-thinking Sustainable Land and Water Management amid Emerging Issues”.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, July 23, 2023: National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) has advised communities across the country to own projects under the Climate Smart Public Works (CSPW) Programme to ensure sustainability of the programme’s gains.

NLGFC Social Development Officer, Mateso Kazembe made the call Saturday in Mzuzu when he closed a two-day refresher training for Nkhata Bay extension workers on how to address challenges that were realised in the first phase of the project.

"The programme focuses on land resource and forestry conservation to improve soil fertility as we respond to effects of climate change.

This intervention will go a long way in addressing issues of food security, hence they need to embrace the interventions even after the expiry of program’s period,” said Kazembe.

He however said that government has put deliberate measures to sustain the interventions through the introduction of a ten day unpaid for service every month.

In his remarks District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, Rogers Newa, said the training was a timely intervention in mitigating potential challenges in the implementation of the program.

"We are therefore, advise the extension workers to share their knowledge which they have gained during the training with all players on the grass roots for quality work." Newa said.

One of the trainees, Loveness Kamtema who is an extension worker for Kavuzi Catchment Area, hailed NLGFC for organising the training which he said will lead to improved output in the second phase of CSPWP.

“We will take the message players at grass roots level for the betterment of the communities, the district and the country as a whole,” said Kamtema.

The program is being implemented by Malawi Government through NLGFC with funding from the World Bank.