By Eranivey Temani

Lilongwe, July 6, Mana; World Vision through Nkhoma Literacy for Empowerment Action Research and Networking (MLEARN) Project has managed to reduce drop-out rates from 21.6 percent to 10.6 percent in Lilongwe.

World Vision Programmes Manager, Harold Munthali disclosed this Friday during a Stakeholders meeting in Lilongwe.

He said they have been implementing back to school campaigns and modeling boys and girls to go back to school after dropping out.

“Our goal was to come up with different interventions to bring back boys and girls to school and in 2024 we have managed to enroll 91.2 percent learners in school,” Munthali said.

He said World Vision with support of Care Groups, Religious Leaders and Child Protection Committee have managed to build the capacity of members of the community to understand children rights as well as the importance of educating them in Nkhoma Area Programme.

“This initiative has really helped to reduce high rate of single parent homes, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, history of academic difficulties, peer influence and repetition of classes.” Munthali said.

The Programmes Manager said apart from sending children back to school, World Vision has also managed to take education to the next level by introducing reading camps, building friendly toilets for girls, introducing children parliament, spelling bee competition as well as rewarding learners and teachers so that they stay motivated.

Lilongwe District Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Blessings Makhiringa thanked World Vision for the initiative saying it would assist government to have responsible citizens in the future who would assist in the development of the country.

“This is encouraging and I would like to ask other organization to emulate what World Vision is doing in the district,” he said

World Vision is implementing different projects across the country and in Lilongwe they are implementing different interventions in Chigodi, Nkhoma and Chilenje.

By Vincent Khonje

Mchinji, July 6, Mana: Mchinji District Council has received a significant boost in its environmental conservation efforts with the launch of the "Restoration of Upper Bua River Catchment" project.

The initiative, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aims to implement effective management strategies for Mchinji's ecosystems, particularly focusing on the restoration of the upper Bua River catchment area.

According to Chief Environment Officer from the Environmental Affairs Department, Mphatso Kalemba, the project would focus on implementing activities within the Mchinji Forest Reserve and selected surrounding communities.

“The key objective is to effectively manage Mchinji Forest and support local government institutions and communities to enhance conservation and sustainable use of forest resources.

“This will help maintain and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services in community forests and communal lands,” she said.

District Commissioner (DC) for Mchinji, Lucia Chidalengwa expressed their gratitude for the initiative.

She highlighted the challenges her office faces regarding forest management, particularly issues related to customary land and forest reserves.

"Chiefs frequently visit my office to report on the destruction of forests. The introduction of this project is a significant relief for the council. The conception of the project by the people of Mchinji assures that it will have a meaningful impact on protecting the Bua River from its source to its endpoint,” Chidalengwa said.

Traditional Authority (TA) Kawere pledged the community's full support.

“We will work hand in hand with the council to achieve the project's goals. We aspire to see our forests and the Bua River in good condition, ensuring a sustainable environment for future generations,” he said.

The Project, which spans from May 2024 to May 2028, is expected to significantly improve conservation efforts, sustainable use, and the restoration of biodiversity.

The Project’s grant is US$921, 508.

By Sheminah Nkhoma and Daniel Siame

Lilongwe, July 6, Mana: President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has committed to changing the well-being of Malawians though the country has recently faced a lot of tragedies.

He made the remarks when he attended National Service of Worship to mark Malawi’s 60^th Independence Anniversary on Saturday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe,

The Event saw the participation of the First Lady Monica Chakwera, Vice President Michael Usi, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Religious leaders, government officials, foreign delegates and Traditional leaders.

President Chakwera stressed the importance of religious unity in fostering national resilience, noting that the presence of diverse faiths symbolized the country’s strength through diversity and mutual respect.

“We need to be united to heal from the wounds which the country has endured recently, as Malawians, we need to put aside our political and religious differences and come together as one.

As we are still healing from the tragedy which killed the Vice President and eight others and the recent death of musician, Lucius Banda but we need to move forward with our dreams to make the country a better place,” he pointed out.

The President noted that for the country to develop, we should follow the example of late Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima of being resilient and focused in the pursuit of national aspirations.

Chairperson of Ministerial Committee of 60^th independence Commemoration, Minister of Defence, Harry Mkandawire appreciated the President for the support he provided to the committee for the commemoration to happen.

“Though the country has faced a lot of difficulties as government, we made it possible that we should come here today and commemorate this day, through prayers,” he said.

Chairperson of the Officiating Clergy and General Secretary of CCAP Nkhoma Synod, Rev. Vasco Kachipapa thanked the President and all Malawians who participated in the National Service of Worship saying this was the only way to bring peace and unity in the country.

The Event underscored the role of interfaith collaboration in overcoming challenges and building a prosperous and inclusive nation.

As Malawi commemorates its independence, the service has become a powerful symbol of the importance of unity in the country’s journey forward.

By Patience Kapinda

Lilongwe, July 5, Mana: Prophet Walter Magaya of Zimbabwe called on Malawians to seek God's intervention in the face of challenges, including the recent plane crash that claimed the life of former Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.

He said this Friday when on arrival at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe where he will conduct a two-day conference at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) from July 6 to 7, 2024.

The conference, organized by Prophet Patson Gondwe of Good News Ministries, aims to provide leadership teachings, mentorship, and spiritual guidance to attendees.

"Challenges which Malawi is facing require strong prayers to contain them. I urge Malawians to seek God's intervention and guidance during this difficult time," Prophet Magaya said.

The Conference will focus on one-on-one meetings, and attendees will learn how to run successful ministries and avoid common mistakes.

Businesspeople will benefit from knowledge and skills imparted during the conference to help them succeed in their respective businesses.

The Conference is expected to draw a large crowd, and attendees are eager to receive spiritual guidance and leadership teachings from the renowned prophet.

By Chisomo Sumani,

Lilongwe July 5, Mana: A common yet critical act of significant concern continues to be rampant in Lilongwe City where drivers wrongly park vehicles all around the city.

This prevalent practice not only causes inconvenience to other drivers and pedestrians but poses serious safety hazards like road accidents, delayed ambulance due to traffic congestion and reduced traffic.

 In response, the City Council embarked on the act of clamping wrongly parked vehicles in July 2019 which came into operation on August five the same year in their efforts to clamp down on improperly parked cars, aiming to instill a sense of responsibility among drivers and ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

In an article published by Nyasatimes, the City Council Public Relations Officer, Tamara Chafunya was quoted to have said, “We observed chaos in terms of the way people park their vehicles within the city. For example, we have seen people parking their vehicles in pedestrian pave ways and office complexes which are not designated as public parking areas.”

She continued to say, they thought it wise to include a by-law on traffic which gives powers to the council to enforce proper parking of vehicles having observed chaos in terms of the way people park their vehicles within the city, as the Road Traffic Act gives powers to the local authority to manage traffic in the city.”

It is however to a continuation that since it was said and implemented in 2019 wrong parking hasn't yet been mitigated.

Clamping has by far been done on wrongly parked cars as well as cars with lots of parking debt to the city council.

Drivers often justify their actions by citing limited parking space and the urgency of their tasks.

They argue that they need to park quickly to complete errands, enter shops, or pick up and drop off customers, such finding it challenging to drive their way through until they find a parking space that is however limited.

Many find it challenging to find a parking space, leading them to park wherever they can, even if it is illegal. They complain of having their cars clamped even when they are just getting things for their customers from a shop to the car, parking space is said to be limited. 

Most drivers claim to park their vehicles where they believe and feel that safety is assured a place where they can be and still manage to watch over their cars at a distance.

One driver, Peter Phiri acknowledged the significance of the clamping efforts but emphasized the need for more parking spaces.

"They are not wrong to clamp our cars when they are wrongly parked, but we still need more space for parking to avoid driving in circles looking for a spot," he said.

Another driver, Trywell Kagona urged his fellow drivers to adhere to parking regulations.

"If you find a good parking spot, park your car there. Most people know where the parking areas are but still end up parking anywhere," he advised.

Kagona stressed the importance of following the rules to maintain order and safety on the roads.

The Road Traffic Act Chapter 69:01 states that, no person shall park a vehicle on any portion of the roadway, excluding the shoulders, of a public road outside an urban area or with any part of such vehicle within one metre of the edge of such roadway except in a parking place demarcated by an appropriate road traffic sign.

Perpetrators of wrong parking are fined.

Despite these enforcement efforts, the issue of wrong parking persists, highlighting a need for a more comprehensive solution.

The struggle against rampant wrong parking in Lilongwe is ongoing, but with continued enforcement, infrastructural improvements, and community cooperation, there is hope for a more orderly and safer city environment.

By Pempho Nkhoma

Blantyre, July 5, Mana: All in One Entertainment has organized a free music show dubbed Bangwe Music Festival on Monday July 8, 2024 as part of the country’s Independence Day.

The Event is scheduled to be conducted at Dessert Ground in Bangwe Township to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

All in One Entertainment is a Bangwe Township based music outfit that performs in different events and they are well known for performing with celebrated Phalombe Music Star, Giboh Pearson.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Friday in Blantyre, All in One Vice Band Leader, Alex Samala said they have organized the show as one way of bringing people together to address the issue of suicide cases in their area.

“In the past months, we registered more suicide cases in our area; we, therefore, thought of organizing this show for people to be entertained and get counseling on the matter,” he said.

Samala disclosed that they have reached out to other organizations and individuals to partner with them and provide counseling about suicide at the event.

He added that the campaign does not target the youths only, saying since it was a free event everyone was at liberty to attend.

“Our main target is the youth but since it is a public activity, everyone is invited,” Band leader hinted.

Samala appealed to people from Bangwe Township and surrounding areas to patronize the event, on account that it would be entertaining as well as educative.

One of the Artists expected to perform on the day, Mellz confirmed about his availability during the show, saying he was ready for the show and expecting a great show.

“I am going to be there, just know that I was born ready and I was born for this,” he boasted.

Mellz who is known as the Zipweteko Star among his fans, appealed to those that would attend the show to observe peace, noting that the event would attract people with diverse backgrounds being in an open ground.

“Those that will come should avoid violence so that we will have a great show,” he said.

People at the show will enjoy music performances from the Chinafuna M’bale hit makers Lucky Stars and Abiti Najere, among others who have already confirmed their presence.

Supporting artists include Elgenesys, Punja, Twins Mission, One Pr, King Cosh, M’buka Man, Ably, Paipa Squid, Rain C, Di Music, K Selebouy and 18 Chopper.