MANAonline
Innovations to empower rural communities and smallholder farmers
By Pickson Chipeso and Patience Longwe
Lilongwe, March 11, Mana: The National Programme Coordinator at Farming Access for Rural Markets Smallholders and Enterprises (FARMSE), Dixon Ngwende, stated that through collaborative efforts, FARMSE and its partners have delivered impactful services, empowering individuals, strengthening livelihoods, and fostering sustainable economic growth.
Speaking at a FARMSE Innovation Symposium on Tuesday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) Ngwende said the innovations have facilitated an increase in access points for financial services, including mobile banking services that enable users to receive and send money, make payments and register with financial service providers.
He added that the symposium highlighted success stories, lessons learned, and the tangible benefits communities have experienced through FARMSE-supported innovations, stating that these initiatives have introduced digital financial products, bridged gaps in financial services, and created inclusive economic opportunities.
“Inclusive financial systems are not just about transactions; they are about transforming lives, promoting resilience, and fostering economic empowerment. Sustainable financial inclusion requires continuous innovation, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to reaching the most underserved,” he said.
The Secretary to the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr. Betchani Tchereni said a flagship initiative of the government aims to reduce poverty, enhance livelihoods and improve the resilience of rural households by increasing access to sustainable financial services.
"The program targets 1.5 million households nationwide, with a special emphasis on women and youth.
“Malawi has made notable progress in financial inclusion, with the percentage of adults accessing financial services rising from 54% in 2014 to 88% in 2023. Digital financial services, particularly mobile money and agent banking, have played a crucial role in this growth," he said.
He, therefore pointed out that there is still a need to deepen access beyond basic services. The government and stakeholders must work together to expand access to credit, insurance and investment products, ensuring that rural communities can fully participate in the economy.
The IFAD Country Director, Bernadette Mukonyora, stated that rural financial inclusion remains a fundamental pillar of sustainable development in Malawi, where most of the population relies on agriculture and informal enterprises. She emphasized that access to appropriate financial services can significantly enhance productivity, resilience, and livelihoods.
However, rural communities have historically faced systemic barriers, including geographical constraints, limited financial literacy, and stringent banking requirements, which have hindered their participation in the formal financial sector.
"While progress has been made, with Malawi’s financial inclusion standing at 88% of the adult population, according to the 2023 FinScope Demand Survey, gaps in the range and depth of available financial services remain a challenge. The responsibility of addressing these gaps does not rest on any single entity, it requires concerted efforts from government, financial institutions, regulators, and development partners," she said.
She added that development partners play a catalytic role in fostering financial inclusion through innovation. At IFAD, they recognize that sustainable rural finance solutions must be inclusive, accessible, and scalable.
"By Providing strategic funding and technical assistance: development partners such as IFAD invest in pilot initiatives that financial institutions may consider too risky in their initial stages. Through the FARMSE Programme, IFAD has facilitated the development and scaling of digital financial services, micro-insurance products, agent banking, and community-based financial organizations (CBFOs). By de-risking investments in these innovations, IFAD through the FARMSE Programme has enabled the private sector to adopt and expand successful rural finance models,” said Mukonyora.
The event encouraged stakeholders to engage actively, share insights and explore new opportunities that will shape the future of financial inclusion, as the financial landscape continues to evolve, the collective goal remains to build a system where no one is left behind.
Communities commend Social Cash Transfer Program for transforming their lives
By Bazilio Chingoli
Ntcheu, March 11, Mana: Beneficiaries of Social Cash Transfer Program popularly known as Mtukula Pankhomo in Ntcheu District have hailed the program for transforming their livelihoods.
Speaking on Monday during Media tour on the program's impact, Jane Sakaiko one of the beneficiaries at Chiluzi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Ganya, said the program has enabled them to live a dignified life by providing them with their daily needs.
"l have managed to venture into goat farming from the money I received through the program and am living happily with my three children than before," she said.
Another beneficiary, Patrick Sipiyano from kuntomba Village Traditional Authority Ganya said he invested the money into fish business and he is making a lot of profits where he has managed to buy a bicycle and build a house and a kitchen both with iron sheets.
Social Welfare Officer responsible for SCTP in the district, Catherine Ngoleka, has advised beneficiaries of the program to use the money efficiently and keep safe automated teller machine card (ATMs) and passwords to avoid fraud.
Ngoleka adds that the program aims at alleviating poverty among ultra-poor families and that the beneficiaries in the district are receiving their money using E- payments through FDH Bank hence the need to be careful.
Ntcheu District has 114 clusters with 14,347 beneficiaries of SCTP with funding from Irish Aid.
Minibus-motorcycle collision claims two lives in Machinga
By Charlie Ligomeka
Machinga, March 10, Mana – Two people have died in a road accident when a motorcycle they were riding on, collided with a minibus on Liwonde-Zomba, M3 road in Machinga on Monday evening.
Police in Machinga identified the two as; Mussa Bwanausi, 32, and Biliati Cassim, 28, both from Katete Village, Traditional Authority Malemia in Zomba.
Machinga Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Western Kansire said the accident happened at Chingoli Village, along the M3 road on Monday around 18:35 hours when a Toyota Hiace minibus registration number CK 8724, driven by Ndaona Bwenzani, 40 was heading to Liwonde from Zomba direction lost control while avoiding a pothole.
“The minibus then collided head-on with the unregistered motorcycle, ridden by Mussa Bwanausi, who had Biliati Cassim as his passenger. The impact of the collision was severe, leaving both the rider and his passenger with critical head injuries,
“The two were pronounced dead upon arrival at Machinga District Hospital,” Machinga Police publicist added and further explained that the minibus driver sustained minor injuries, while passengers escaped unhurt.
He said the driver is currently in police custody pending court proceedings as he is expected to answer charges of causing death by reckless driving.
Bwenzani comes from Kalonga Village, Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi.
World Bank mission commends Zomba for smooth implementation of SSRLP
By Solister Mogha
Zomba, March 10, Mana: World Bank mission has commended Zomba District Council for implementing Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) to the satisfaction of the mission.
Senior Social Protection Officer for the Bank, Chipo Msowoya on Monday expressed satisfaction on the implementation of SSRLP during the mission's engagement with some of Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) and Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) participating communities at Sambaisa catchment in Zomba where the participating communities also organise themselves into Village Savings and Loan groups.
Msowoya said, based on the interactions, it was evident enough that the objectives of the SSRP were being achieved.
“It is exciting to hear from participating communities on how they are benefiting from the programme and also how activities under the programme are benefiting and improving their likelihoods,” added Msowoya.
He said the mission whose main objective was to understand how the SSRLP was being implemented and impacting on Malawians is confident of the sustainability of the programme and long lasting structures.
Under the SSRLP, Malawi Government with support from the multi donor Trust Fund is implementing social support activities that are meant to end ultra-poverty while building resilience amongst rural population listed in SSRP.
Executive Director for National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Dr, Kondwani Santhe whose team joined the mission said the essence of the trip was also meant to appreciate successes and challenges in the implementation of social support programmes.
“We are not here for fault finding. We are here to appreciate successes and challenges and together, find solutions to impending issues,” he added and explained that all issues discussed during the interactions with the community and Zomba District Council officials have been noted and will be looked into.
District Commissioner for Zomba, Reinghard Chavula expressed gratitude for the bank and the whole Multi donor Trust Fund team for visiting the district to appreciate SSRLP implementation.
Chavula said people in Zomba were committed to work hard in all the social protection programmes, observing that programmes have transformed a lot of lives through active participation.
"To be honest with you, the money under the social protection is making a huge impact on people in Zomba. Many have joined Village Savings and Loans groups such that they establish small scale businesses to support themselves,” she said.
Before Zomba, the mission also visited Machinga District Council where it also appreciated SSRLP implementation.
Union trains and support informal sector amid economic hardship
By Nellie Nyirenda
Blantyre, March 10, Mana: Malawi Union for Informal Sector (MUFIS) is conducting nationwide training sessions for small scale business people and those in the informal labour market to cope with economic hardships that has affected businesses and livelihoods.
Executive General Secretary, Mwanda Chiwambala told Malawi News Agency on Sunday that MUFIS intends to support the informal sector through series of trainings to ensure adequate knowledge and skills to deal with economic challenges.
“The economic hardship has made it very hard for a lot of people in the informal sector, especially those running small businesses, to stabilise,” Chiwambala said.
In line with government policies, he said that MUFIS remains committed to protecting livelihoods of those in the informal sector, adding that the union will continue providing proactive measurers in the wake of inflation.
He assured the members that MUFIS will continue to be a beacon of hope for those that depend on small-scale entrepreneurship to sustain their families and to serve communities.
“We train our members in small groups, where they learn innovative approaches to secure micro-loans among themselves. By providing this tailored support, MUFIS aims to not only stabilise individual businesses but also to strengthen the overall economic fabric of the nation during a period of significant financial downturn,” he added.
A MUFIS member at Chirimba Market in Blantyre, Annie Masanza expressed gratitude to the union for supporting members to adapt to the hard economic times.
“It has been so difficult for small business people like us to stay afloat during tough economic times. I want to thank MUFIS for teaching us the importance of relying on each other and for the support they provide,” said Masanza.
MUFIS came into being in the year 2000, and it has 18,000 members across Malawi where members are engaged in fruit, vegetable, maize, groundnuts selling, second hand clothes, grocery shops, farm, flower selling, small holder tea growing in Mulanje and cooperative farming in Chitipa and Karonga.
MeHA takes mental health awareness to school
By Pempho Nkhoma
Blantyre, March 10, Mana: Mental Health Awareness Hub (MeHA) has organized a mental health awareness campaign on Friday March 14 at Blantyre Secondary School (BSS) to promote mental wellbeing among individuals.
The campaign targets students and teachers at BSS and will be held under the theme; Healthy minds, happy lives.
Founder of MeHA, Bright Kanola, said the hub always hold online awareness sessions and thought of organising a physical session to accommodate others that have no access to online platforms.
“Many people are not aware that mental health issues cover wide range of areas, including depression, substance abuse and addiction, stress, anxiety, gambling addiction among others. This event will cover some areas mentioned above to sensitize people to know when and where to seek for help,” he said.
Kanola therefore urged the general public to be open and seek support whenever they struggle with mental health issues like, stress, depression and having thoughts of committing suicide.
“Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional, and let them help you find the strength to keep going. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but strength,” he added.
Other activities like quiz and drama will be used to deliver mental health information to the attendees.
One of the speakers for the event, Funny Chapalapata, urged people to patronize the event saying prioritising mental health discussing sessions is of high importance for a health mind and happy living.
“We will tackle topics like; substance use disorders directed to the students and stress related disorders directed to workers. This is because we have seen that due to stress workers in different institutions have not been able to perform productively. Mental health awareness provides chance to identity stressors and help those stressed with good coping skills to ensure quality outcome,” she said.
Other speakers that will have presentations on different topics include Elizer Kanyika, Willard Waile, Pilirani Kumundayayi, Alice Phiri, Glory Benson, Rosemary Mkumba,
This is the second physical mental health awareness session organised by MeHA, the first one was held in October 2024 at Ngumbe Secondary School in Chileka.
Malawi Commemorates Commonwealth Day with Sports and Unity
By Donald Zimba
Lilongwe, March 10, Mana: The Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, alongside the British High Commissioner to Malawi, Fiona Ritchie, on Monday led the Commonwealth Day celebrations at Civil Service Stadium.
In his remarks, Mkandawire emphasized the significance of the Commonwealth in Malawi, particularly in youth empowerment.
“We have actively participated in various Commonwealth Games, and we will continue to do so because these events foster unity and togetherness,” he said.
He further highlighted the role of sports in the Commonwealth, noting that youth engagement remains at the heart of these celebrations.
British High Commissioner to Malawi, Fiona Ritchie echoed these sentiments, describing Commonwealth Day as a moment to reflect on shared values and a longstanding partnership.
“This day is an opportunity for us to come together as a family, celebrate our friendship, and strengthen our collaboration. The theme this year, ‘Together We Thrive,’ reminds us that these connections are vital for progress,” she stated and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to working with Malawi in empowering its youth for a brighter future.
Commonwealth Day is an annual event observed on the second Monday of March. While it is not a public holiday in most Commonwealth countries, it serves as a platform to celebrate the unity, diversity, and shared goals of the 56 member nations.
Originally established as Empire Day in 1902 to honor the British Empire, the observance evolved in the latter half of the 20th century, shifting its focus to the modern Commonwealth of Nations. It was renamed Commonwealth Day in 1958, and in 1977, its official date was moved to March.
The occasion is typically marked by messages from the Head of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, inter-denominational services, and flag-raising ceremonies across member states. A notable event takes place at Westminster Abbey in London, attended by the Head of the Commonwealth and other dignitaries.
In Malawi, this year’s celebrations reaffirmed the country’s dedication to the values of the Commonwealth, with sports playing a key role in engaging young people and fostering a sense of unity.
The event was graced with several activities; a big walk, music performances and some games where some walked away with awards and prizes.
Incentivise communities engaged in environmental conservation - Kamtukule
By Memory Kutengule Chatonda
Blantyre, March 10, Mana: Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule, has emphasized the importance of government and private sector partners incentivising communities engaged in environmental conservation efforts as Malawi strives to restore deforested areas.
The minister made the remarks on Monday during Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi supported tree planting exercise at Michiru Nature Sanctuary in Blantyre.
During the exercise, the minister and other community members planted about 1,000 tree seedlings at the sanctuary.
Speaking to the media, Kamtukule observed that engaging the communities in the exercise would ensure that they continue to take an active role in planting and taking care of the planted trees to increase survival rate.
“The greatest part of conservation is the community. You cannot do conservation work without the communities. Therefore, we need to put governance arrangements from the government perspective, working closely with the communities and other sectors within this country, to ensure that we are taking care of the trees.
“Statistics show that we plant close to 10 million trees every single year, but not so many of the trees survive,” she added.
The minister therefore emphasised the need for communities supporting environmental conservation efforts to be incentivized through income-generating activities and others to support their livelihoods.
"This is voluntary work, and communities work at night under very harsh conditions. Let us motivate them with income generating activities and also support them with protective gear and other incentives," Kamtukule said.
Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Board Chairperson, Tiwonge Mzumata Gawa, concurred with the minister's sentiments.
“Communities or scouts play crucial role in protecting the environment, including the trees we plant year in and out. As such, they need to be supported with basic stuff,” Gawa added.
Traditional Authority Chigaru pledged to intensify bylaws to punish those found wantonly cutting down trees in protected zones.
About 7,000 tree seedlings are expected to be planted by WESM in the Michiru conservation area.
All is set for Top 5 Supper League Teams Bonanza for the North
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, March 10, Mana: Preparations for Northern Region Top 5 Supper League Teams Bonanza are almost complete.
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.
The others are Karonga United Football Club also called Ingwina Syamwakaronga on field of play and Chitipa United and Mzuzu City Hammers.
This was disclosed recently by the vice chairperson of the organizing committee of the bonanza, Paul Tembo during a press briefing on updates of the preparations in Mzuzu.
According to Tembo, in terms of resource mobilization, the committee is in discussion with banks, corporate bodies and individuals who love football to woe resource assistance towards the bonanza and that the committee will soon announce the partners.
“We therefore appeal through this resource mobilization drive, appeal to all those interested in football reach out and partner with us as we continue preparing for the bonanza which is scheduled to take place at Rumphi Stadium from 21-23 March, 2025.
The three days are enough to accommodate all the five teams and we expect that it will be an intense kind of bonanza,” said Tembo.
Tembo then thanked the participating five teams for trusting the committee’s member with the task of mobilizing resources, planning and execution of the bonanza.
“The bonanza is very key as the teams will soon be going into Supper League of Malawi (SULOM), hence they need to prepare and test themselves, identify their shortfalls and understand how strong they are.
“We also have a new team by the name ‘Songwe Border FC’ that needs to access their level of preparation for them to survive and fare in the elite league for the first time,” he added.
He said that the aim of the committee is to avoid losing any team from the league and that if anything, the number of new teams joining the league should increase.
General Secretary for Mzuzu City Hammers, Benjamin Thole, stated that his team, the defending champions of the bonanza, is ready to defend the title.
“The bonanza will provide us with a platform through which the participating teams can prepare for the league hence it will be worthy to patronize and watch,” said Thole.
Social Cash Transfer Programme graduate becomes millionaire
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, March 10, Mana: A Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) graduate in Rumphi, Zakeyu Banda, now owns at least 20 pigs worth millions which he has accumulated over a period of five years since he got enrolled into the programme.
Banda from Kasalika Village in Senior Chief Katumbi says before he became a beneficiary of the Multi Donor Trust Fund and World Bank funded programme he struggled to feed his family of seven, but once he got the opportunity he utilized it fully.
"Once I joined the programme I knew it was a chance to transform my life for the better. I bought one pig which has multiplied to at least 20 now. I can now afford farm inputs and produce food for my family by selling some of my pigs.
"I have also built a decent house thatched with iron sheets. I also own six acres of farm land. I have achieved all this through the programme," said Banda.
Another former beneficiary, Hellena Mkandawire, from the same area says through the programme she has connected her house to piped water, bought solar power, renovated her house and also owns goats.
Desk Officer for Social Cash Transfer Programme in the district, Abel Ndlovu has urged new beneficiaries of the programme to invest their money in order to achieve self-sufficiency.
SCTP is a Malawi Government programme under Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Programme (SSRLP). There are 5,061 SCTP beneficiaries in Rumphi and most of them have just been enrolled into the programme.
