By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, December 18, Mana: Malawi Government, through the Department of Disaster and Risk Management Affair (DoDMA), has distributed relief items to households that were affected by stormy rains that hit early this month in the areas of Traditional Authorities (TA) Mphonde and TA Kafuzira in Nkhotakota District.

Speaking to Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Wednesday, one of the beneficiaries from Mvula Village, Cecilia Skana, thanked government for coming to their rescue saying since her house was destroyed she has been staying a destitute life.

"When my house got destroyed, I was stranded and everything was hard because I had no food, but now I will find something to eat with my family," said Skana.

Another Beneficiary, Robert Khuka from Chidzuma Village in TA Mphonde also praised government saying the relief items have come at a time he could not afford to buy a 50-kilogramme bag of maize at the market.

"I am very happy and grateful for the donation, at least hunger issues will be reduced in my household," said Khuka.

Nkhotakota District Council Disaster and Risk Management Officer, Rhomatchinga Nkhata, described the donation as the most timely intervention by making efforts to reach out 487 households that were affected by the stormy rains in the district.

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, December 18, Mana: Ministry of Education has underscored the need to create a strategic educational system that responds to learners' needs and empowers them to reach their full potential.

Speaking during the national symposium on curriculum and assessment review for schools and colleges, on Tuesday in Salima, Secretary for Education, Mangani Chilala Katundu, articulated that by Standard 4, Malawian learners must be able to read, write and solve simple mathematics.

“As we share findings of the needs assessment study, let us remember that the decisions we make here will have lasting impacts on the future of our children and our nation,” he said.

Katundu said the country's education system must help in building human capital that can propel the country into the right development channels.

He added: "The country's curriculum must be aligned with the Agenda 2063, where there has to be a shift in the way we perceive things and how our minds analyze issues. In short, it should build individuals, who are skilled in life and who have high moral standards."

Katundu emphasized the importance of establishing education systems that will help fulfil the aspirations of Malawi 2063 and contribute to building the human capital needed for the country's development.

He said, a curriculum framework that will provide a blueprint in every sector that is pertinent to the country's development must be put in place.

"This symposium is a culmination of different stakeholders meeting aimed at soliciting views. Therefore, the views will be consolidated and form a tangible curriculum that applies to the modern day," he said.

Executive Director for Malawi Institute of Education, Frank Mtemang’ombe, said there is a need to bring back civic and moral education in schools since it helps learner development.

"From research and different perspectives, we have established that the focus of education has been on the cognitive part and left out important skills of morals, cycle motor skills, and craft-related subjects. We need to bring back such lessons, education must play a role in shaping learners to be independent and stand up on their own," he said.

He, therefore, said the symposium will come up with a resolution after identifying gaps and come up with solutions.

Mtemang’ombe urged different stakeholders in the education sector to join hands and deliver quality education across the country.

The four-day symposium is being held under the theme “curriculum change and innovation: Towards achieving an inclusively wealthy and self reliant nation.

By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, December 18, Mana:  President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has addressed key questions surrounding the economy, agriculture and transport from Members of Parliament (MPs).

Speaking Wednesday at Parliament in Lilongwe, the President elaborated on concerns over wasteful spending and excessive borrowing.

He said his government has regained donor confidence, as evidenced by direct budgetary support and the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He said, the economy has faced significant challenges such as Cholera outbreak, climate change disasters which affected the economy so badly.

“Government will continue to borrow within its limits to ensure provision of essential services to the public and progress is being made in debt restructuring with China, India and other multilateral lenders to ease pressure on public debt,” said Chakwera.

The President was asked asked on why government has no intentions of reversing the law that prioritizes local contractors.

In his response, Chakwera said his administration is committed to ensuring that local contractors are empowered.

He said government will find ways to develop capacity of local contractors to complete projects within the specified time frame and to ensure they deliver standard services.

The Malawi leader was then asked to explain if they are any plans to secure or revamp the country’s own airline to impose air transport in the region.

In his response Chakwera stated that government priorities the expansion of Malawi Airlines to also be going to Mzuzu and Karonga,  a project expected to start in February 2025.

“Government plans to extend Malawi Airlines routes to Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Uganda. We are also discussing with Angola, Botswana, Nigeria and Mauritius to add international destinations,” he said.

Chakwera was also asked on plans to ensure timely and effective delivery of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) to which he said government has allocated K94 billion to fund the program.

He informed the house that this year's strategy focuses on prioritizing hard-to-reach areas in the country.

“I am assuring all MPs here that all registered farmers will receive fertilizer within the farming season in all constituencies,” he said.

Chakwera acknowledged that forex shortages has affected the importation of fertilizer that is why in other areas they have not received yet.

By Hope Chimwala

Blantyre, December 18, Mana: SABABA Agriculture Foundation has appealed to women and youth to venture into commercial farming in order to improve their livelihoods.

SABABA Agriculture Foundation Programmes Director, Joseph Master, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) that the organization aims to empower 5,000 youths and women by providing them with agricultural knowledge, skills expertise and financial capital to ensure economic stability in the course of reducing unemployment rate.

“Most youths take agriculture as a dirty work despite acquiring agricultural knowledge in schools as some expect to work in offices instead of venturing into agri-business and create jobs for others,” he said.

Master observed that women are underrated on agricultural activities and mostly denied financial support.

He said this prompted the Foundation to incorporate and empower them to ensure food security and reduce over dependence of women on men for financial support.

“Once women have been given an opportunity and empowered, our food nutrition and security will be improved. As such, we pump in capital to those who do not have enough finances,” he said.

SABABA Agriculture Foundation is currently working with 55 youths and 15 women in Mzuzu. Apart from providing financial capital and agricultural expertise to women and youths, it will also be helping less privileged students with various food items such as cooking oil, maize flour and sugar, among others.

In a separate interview, District Youth Officer for Blantyre, Peter Mizedya, said empowering youths and women in agri-business is a sustainable important way and means of reducing poverty.

“Young people are not accommodated and supported financially when it comes to agricultural businesses. When such initiative reaches to them, they will not remain idle,” he said.

He explained that lack of finances limits the office from implementing initiatives that empower the youth in agri-business.

“We do not have support directly from the office to the young people, we only depend on partners that have the financial muscle to support them,” Mizedya said.

SABABA Agricultural Foundation, based in Mzuzu, was officially registered in November 2024 as an entity to economically empower youths and women to participate in the country’s socio-economic development.  

By Brian Wasili

Mwanza, December 18, Mana: A joint delegation of the European Union (EU) and Ireland has expressed satisfaction with the progress registered by Mwanza District Council and its partners in the implementation of the Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience Gear project being supported by the EU and Ireland.

The delegation expressed their satisfaction through EU Head of Cooperation and Delegation, George Dura, during a joint visit with Irish Embassy and UNICEF to Mwanza District recently.

The visit was aimed at monitoring the project’s activities on provision of social protection and access to social services to vulnerable households and children which is being supported by UNICEF and implemented by FIND Your FEET in collaboration with Mwanza District Council.

“We are grateful and particularly pleased with what we have been told by district council officials during a courtesy call on their commitment and support provided towards implementation of the project in the district,” said Dura.

Dura said the delegation was further impressed by communities to notice that they were constantly engaged in multiple activities of the project such as training to acquire various skills, formation of village savings and loans (VSLs) groups, saying this will help transform people’s livelihoods in the district.

The project is being implemented in nine districts of Mwanza, Balaka, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Neno, Nsanje, Zomba, Ntcheu and Mzimba for three years until December 2026.

The project is expected to be expanded to other districts based on communities’ needs in a bid to transform livelihoods of the vulnerable households in those areas to desirable levels.

The project has two strategic objectives of resilience building that seeks to economically empower social cash transfer programme (SCTP) beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries through gender transformative VSL groups and access to social protection and services aimed at addressing gender based violence and sexual and reproductive health issues with linkages to SCTP.

Chairperson for Mwanza District Council, Emmanuel Kapawe, commended the project for the VSL component.

Kapawe observed that provision of cash transfers alone to the underprivileged could not be enough to change people’s livelihoods but the literacy skills provided could be helpful because they will be able to run businesses that could be sustainable and be economically empowered.

“What is happening here is impressive because the communities are giving testimonies of the positive impact on the basis that their life will improve and they will graduate from the current status so that other people could be enrolled into the project,” said Kapawe.

FIND Your FEET Programmes Manager, Sain Muskambo, attributed the successful implementation of the programme to the good working relationship existing between the organization and its partners.

In an interview Tipindule VSL group Chairperson, Patricia Kwalimba, said she is now able to provide her household with basic needs because she runs a small business which she started with money realized from savings as well as a soft loan.

By Pempho Nkhoma

Blantyre, December 18, Mana: Blantyre Kabaza Association is set to provide safety tips through a series of road safety awareness campaigns in the district in a bid to prevent road accidents involving kabaza motorcycle operators during festive season.

Vice Chairperson for Blantyre Kabaza Association, Mussa Magombo, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday that the association will visit kabaza ranks around the district to ensure roads safety tips reaches every operator.

“We need to remind each other that a lot of things happen in December. Kabaza operators should follow traffic rules and regulations to avoid accidents. Riding motorcycle while drunk and riding without helmets is another area of concern. For us to be safe we need to abide by the rules,” he said.

Magombo said the association will also sensitize their members to observe operating times, citing latest incidents of thugs attacking operators in late hours.

“Operating in odd hours is risky as many have lost lives after being attacked by thugs. We need to be knocking off at least by 6:30pm and avoid riding through shortcuts,” he said.

Public Relations Officer for Southwest Region Police, Beatrice Mikuwa, commended the association for the campaign saying the idea complements police’s efforts in ensuring safety of motorists during the festive season.

She said traffic police officers will be on the road throughout the festive season to enforce road safety rules day and night.

“We have put in place necessary measures to avoid road accidents not only for motorcyclists but for everyone traveling on the roads,” she said.

Mikuwa, therefore, urged road users to take responsibility by adhering to road traffic rules.

“Those that are driving and riding should be sober because driving or riding while drunk is an offense and it causes accidents. This is why we want to make sure that riders are adhering to road safety rules,” she said.

From January to June this year, the country recorded 2,024 road accidents with 485 involving kabaza motorcycle operators.

During the 2023/2024 festive season, 31 accidents were recorded with nine deaths, compared to 56 accidents and 20 deaths during the 2022/2023 festive season.