MANAonline
CS-EPWP wages boosting economic independence in Karonga
By George Mponda
Karonga, August 8, Mana: Members of Luwonya Cooperative from Group Village Head Mwashunguti in the area of Senior Chief Mwirang'ombe have said investing the wages they receive in Community Savings and Investment Promotion (COMSIP) has made them financially secure.
Speaking on Tuesday during a media tour, Community Facilitator for Luwonya Cooperative Tereza Ngwira said by investing part of the money they receive after each cycle under the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) they have made profits through groundnut sales.
Ngwira said: "Our cooperative has 47 members of which 28 are women and 19 are men of which most are also participants of CS-EPWP in Thabiro Micro Catchment. Together, we grew groundnuts and managed to harvest 750 tins which we have sold at MK10, 000 each and we made MK7.5 million."
"The profits from this were shared among members and I have used my portion to buy a new farm and iron sheets which I will use to construct a new house. I also started a successful bakery business through the money I receive from my shares in the cooperative and am using that to pay school fees for my daughter,” she added.
Another member, Maggie Kapira hailed CS-EPWP for enabling her to be in charge of her income generating activities.
"At the end of each year, we receive money from my CS-EPWP wages which I invest in COMSIP. I used to sleep on a mat but now I bought a bed, mattress and goats with this money,” she said.
On her part, Flora Mwangayiro a COMSIP case worker in Thabiro catchment said they encouraged participants of CS-EPWP to join COMSIP in order for them to be sustained even after the programme ends.
"They will not be receiving the wages forever so it is important for them to invest their money in COMSIP by buying shares in order for them to keep benefiting even after the programme phases out.
Through CS-EPWP, participants from Thabiro are now buying land, building houses, buying livestock and they even have good nutrition in their homes because they invested their money in cooperatives and they are reaping the benefits.
CS-EWP participants receive MK38,000 at the end of each cycle if they worked all 24 days.
It is a government initiative under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project implemented by National Local Government Finance Committee, with financial support from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund and the World Bank.
VoL partners with Propel health in promoting access to youth friendly health services
By Uchindami Msowoya
Mzuzu, August 6, Mana: In its efforts to enhance promotion of youth friendly health services, Voice of Livingstonia (VoL) Radio through its Titchile Speak-Out Program in partnership with Propel health, on Wednesday conducted Youth Contraceptive Awareness matching through a road within Mzuzu City and its surrounding areas.
According to Station Manager for VoL Radio, Rev. Ken Nyirongo the initiatives aimed at reaching out to over 200 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19.
“Titchile Speak-Out engages young people through both radio and social media platforms by coming up with impactful content on sexual and reproductive health and other relevant health topics in promoting healthy lifestyle amongst the youth,” said Rev. Nyirongo.
Youth Officer who is responsible for Mzimba North and Mzuzu City, Misheck Msokwa urged the youth to term their future by utilizing entrepreneurship opportunities and staying engaged to avoid falling victims of health risking behaviors.
"My appeal to you is take care of yourselves. You should be involved in productive activities and avoid being idle,” Msokwa said.
Sexual Reproductive Health Coordinator for Mzimba North Health Office, Linda Singini said the office is committed to ensuring that all health facilities in the district provide youth friend health services.
“While our focus is on individuals aged between 10 and 24, we are also open to provide services to people of all ages,” said Singini.
One of the young people who patronized the show, Sangulukani Mzembe said the initiative will facilitate easy access of youth health friendly services thereby promoting early treatment seeking behavior among young people.
"Most young people are always hesitant to seek health care services for fear of being judged but through this initiative, that will be history," Mzembe said.
Propel health which is funded by Developing Radio Partners, through Titchile Speak-Out Program promotes community engagement on health education and care, maternal and child health with focus on young people.
The program also provides a platform for discussions of issues of education, gender based violence child, early and forced marriages, sexual transmitted diseases, policy and governance at all levels.
Beyond the bedroom: Deadly pursuit of sexual enhancement
By Hastings Yobe
The pursuit of sexual satisfaction has become a matter of life and death in Malawi. Men are risking their lives to reclaim their reputation and satisfy their partners. The promise of a good time with the latest and powerful drugs has led many down a dangerous path, with some even trending on social media after collapsing while on duty.
Many men rely on sexual enhancement drugs to strengthen their performance, believing they will last longer and play more rounds, becoming the "king of the match" at the end of the game. However, these drugs and herbals come with risks, including long duration, pleasure, and stamina for the bedroom, but also potentially fatal side effects.
The story of Ngozo, who died after using Viagra, is a tragic reminder of the dangers of these substances. Despite previous experiences, Ngozo decided to buy Viagra for better action during a weekend with his girlfriend. Things were going as planned, but along the way, Ngozo lost control, his blood pressure skyrocketed, and he fainted, never to recover.
Such stories are common in Malawi, where men seek to experiment with sexual enhancement drugs and herbals to improve their bedroom time and please their partners. But what drives this behavior? According to experts, erectile dysfunction (ED) is not necessarily an issue of concern, but having such a problem regularly causes stress, affects self-confidence, and may contribute to relationship and marital problems.
Men opt for meds or herbs believing they will cure their problems, but this can lead to serious side effects and even death. Viagra, a trade name for Sildenafil, is used to treat erectile dysfunction but is often abused with beliefs that it improves libido, sexual performance, or increases male organ size.
Rodwell Gundo, a lecturer in medical and surgical nursing, in his article titled ‘on illicit use of viagra’ attributes most causes of ED to stress, medication, or diseases like diabetes. He emphasizes the need for proper diagnosis and treatment, citing various options, including counseling, stress management, and diet modification.
“Men should also understand that there are several treatment options for erectile dysfunction depending on the cause of the problem. Based on the assessment, other options for treatment may include counselling and stress management exercises in case of psychological problems,
If the problem arises as an effect of medication, then the medical practitioner prescribes an alternative to that medication. For those that experience the problem due to diseases like diabetes, effective measures in addressing the problem include diet modification, medication and exercises,” Gundo wrote.
He then added that health authorities and relevant stakeholders should consider recreational use of Viagra as an emerging health problem in the country.
“The misinformation on the use of Viagra among other drugs coupled with increased access to pornographic material may contribute to high dependency on these pills. It is imperative that the authorities increase public awareness on side effects of the drug and counterfeit products. The sale of this drug from pharmacies should also be closely monitored to prevent non-prescription use,” Gundo further wrote.
Lenard Gama Quality and Assurance Manager at Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) agrees with Gundo stating that the increased exposure to pornographic content among youth and men is the main resulting factor to ED and the increased demand for Viagra among them.
“Men see those pornographic actors performing the sexual act for more than 30 minutes and think that is how it should be done whilst a normal sexual encounter for normal humans is ten minutes’ maximum and not more than that,” said Gama.
Gama therefore advised the youth and men in particular to refrain from watching pornographic content and also seek medical attention when facing health problems such as Cardiovascular and neological diseases.
Joseph Josiah, Public Relations Officer for the Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority, warns against non-prescription use of Sildenafil, citing its interactions with other drugs and potential side effects, including headache, flushing, heartburn, nasal congestion, and impaired vision. Serious adverse effects include priapism, severe drop in blood pressure, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythm, and sudden hearing loss.
“Sildenafil also interacts with other drugs. Viagra is a vasodilator which means it helps in relaxing blood vessels thereby decreasing blood pressure; however, in instances where one is suffering from high blood pressure and is taking medicines for management of blood pressure, taking Viagra in this scenario may end up with excessive blood decrease which will have severe effects that may lead to death.
“For example, some antiretroviral drugs, erythromycin, ketoconazole and cimetidine inhibit the breakdown of Sildenafil and this prolongs blood levels of the drug. The effect of this interaction worsens severity of the side effects,” he said.
Josiah further explains that simultaneous use of the drug and some antihypertensive like Propranolol lowers blood pressure, leading to inadequate blood supply to the body’s vital organs including the heart. Its use is, therefore, contraindicated in men taking medication that interact with it, men with diseases affecting the heart, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and some disorders of the eyes.
He then cautioned against the practice of buying the drug from unauthorised dealers saying that the tendency of buying this drug from illegal ‘briefcase’ drug dealers just for recreational use is very dangerous in view of the serious effects that may arise.
He further advised men with erectile dysfunction to consult a medical practitioner for the problem and get the right prescription to avoid the serious side effects of the drug.
“Health authorities and relevant stakeholders should consider recreational use of Viagra as an emerging public health problem in the country,” Josiah cautioned.
Blessings Alfred, a local vendor who sells herbs, advocates for natural remedies like Gondolosi, Chengambwani, and Mkwapukwapu, claiming they have additional health benefits and no side effects. He emphasizes the need to remove misconceptions about these herbs, stating they can treat various diseases beyond sexual purposes.
“Off course these natural herbs provide extra sexual stamina to patients, but there are other benefits that people tend to overlook knowingly or unknowingly such as the fact that herbs such as Gondolosi help in treating heart problems and other problems,
Unlike the drugs that are sold in supermarkets or pharmacies, these herbs do not have side effects and can be taken by any person of any age only that people have to remove the misconception that taking such herbs is for sexual purposes only, a lot of diseases that people are facing in this day and age can be fixed with these herbs,” said Alfred.
No life should be lost due to pleasure. Malawians need to be informed about erectile dysfunction, its causes, and the risks associated with sexual enhancement drugs and herbs. Only through proper diagnosis and treatment can lives be saved.
Oxfam provides El Nino support to 12,000 people
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.
Community hail construction of bridge
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.
MHEN meet HSAs to strengthen linkage with MCCs
By Isaac Jim
Blantyre, August 7, Mana: Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) met with Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in Blantyre on Tuesday to discuss ways and means of strengthening linkage with Mother Care Groups (MCGs) in their respective areas where MHEN implements Health System and Immunization Strengthening Project which is expected to end by 2025.
MHEN which is an independent non-profit making alliance of civil society organizations and individuals that promote equitable access to quality, affordable and responsive health care services in Malawi held the meeting to also look into project achievements and challenges which MCGs face when delivering services to communities.
MHEN, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Florence Khonyongwa expressed hope that the MCGs will still be engaged when the project reaches the end in 2025 and that government will take over activities that are meant to promote immunization and track immunization defaulters.
“The Mother Care Groups will be handed over to government so that they should continue working with HSAs who are also employed by government. We know that HSAs work under District Health Office on issues of preventive health and we hope that they will proceed once the project ends in 2025,” she added.
Khonyongwa disclosed that MHEN will also provide bicycles to MCGs as promised to address mobility challenges as raised by HSAs during the interface meeting.
During the engagement meeting, the HSAs pointed out mobility as one of major challenges affecting MCGs performance in their respective catchments.
Khonyongwa therefore said that MHEN was prepared to build capacity of HSAs and to look into mobility problem before leaving, observing that some MCGs were formed before some HSAs were recruited.
“We are preparing for refresher trainings, reminding the HSAs of their duties and bring in MCGs members in case some left. This will equip new members with knowledge and skills to sustain the activities,” she added.
An HSA working with Semu MCG at Light House Health Center, Maxi Chiwawula, highlighted some of the achievements citing construction of shelters and toilets on top of increased coverage of child immunization.
Reports presented by the HSAs show that MCGs contributed a lot in increasing child immunization coverage and mobilized communities whose religious groups does not allow them medication to appreciate importance of child immunization.
Some of notable achievement were that Blantyre District Health Office provided Michiru MCG (under Chileka Health Center) with a borehole and that Michiru MCG encouraged male participation in child health care as men were seen taking children to health facilities for child immunization and other child health related services.
The HAS also noted limited transportation, no MCGs, lack of refrigeration for vaccine storage, scarcity of vaccines in other clinics and political interference as some of the challenges affecting service delivery of MCGs in their respective communities and recommended that the challenges needed to be addressed to ensure effective service delivery.
In collaboration with the Malawi Government, MHEN started engaging MCGs and HSAs through Health Systems and Immunization Strengthen Project in 2019.
Similar project was implemented in Nine districts among them, Kasungu, Mzimba North, Mzimba South, Lilongwe and Blantyre.
Expert seeks to address stress and mental health issues
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.
Social media distracting women from breastfeeding
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’.
Bridge construction launch excites community
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.
Organization set to commercialize potatoes
By Martha Simchimba
Lilongwe, July 7, Mana: International Potato Centre says it is geared to commercialize potatoes and promote consumption at the household level in the country.
The organization’s Research Technician, Thokozani Mvula was speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday during the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee meeting saying they intend to achieve that through a Market-Led Transformation of the root and tuber crops subsector in Malawi where they will increase private sector participation in value chains among others.
“Among others, the project seeks to reduce imports of potatoes from outside the country. In the meantime, we are getting more potatoes from outside and yet we have a very good land where we can grow more potatoes,” he said.
Food and Nutrition Officer for Lilongwe East Agriculture Office, Chikondi Magombo said the district will benefit more from the project by increasing consumption at household level.
"I want to appreciate people in the country because they have started learning that roots and tuber crops are useful for improved nutrition in family diets which can also assist in reducing malnutrition," she said.
The project which will run for four years with financial support from Ireland Embassy is targeting 60,000 households.
Currently, the project is being implemented in eight districts of Dowa, Dedza, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Mzimba, Ntchisi and Ntcheu.
