By Mercy Botha

Mzimba, Novermber 13, Mana: People in Mzimba have asked the government to consider subsidizing the cost of mobile phones so that they can adopt the digital financial services the government is promoting in the country.

The Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs have embarked on an awareness campaign across the country whereby they are wooing communities to adopt the digital financial services.

In an interview on the sidelines of one of such awareness meetings in Mzimba on Tuesday, Florence Phiri from Kanjuchi Village Traditional Authority Mabulabo, in Mzimba, said she is willing to adopt the initiative but does not have access to a mobile phone.

“We welcome the digital financial services initiative due to the benefits they provide such as keeping money secure and convenience of paying bills in the comfort of your home, but it’s not all of us who have phones because phones are too expensive for us’’, she said

 “We urge the government to provide subsidized phones for us in rural communities so that we also benefit from this program,” said Phiri.

Monica Luhana of Khosolo also said introducing cheap phones will go a long way in facilitating the adaptation of digital financial services as she said phones are the thing in modern years.

Speaking during one of the Digital Financial Services campaign meetings in Khosolo, Patrick Chimowa expressed the same concern of lack of access to mobile phones as one barrier to adopting digital financial services.

“We are looking forward to cheap phones also known as ‘Mose walero’ if possible, in order to adopt to digital financial services. We believe that subsidized phones will enable us to manage our finances efficiently, receive payments, and access vital services that may come along with the initiative,” said Chimowa.

Team leader for Digital financial services in Mzimba, Shazel Lambat, assured the community members that their concerns would be forwarded to the relevant authorities.

“We have heard the people’s concerns and will forward them to the government as it is committed to promoting financial inclusion and economic empowerment,” said Lambat.

By Janet Masamba

Nkhata Bay, November 13, Mana: Livingstonia Synod AIDS Program (LISAP) on Tuesday commissioned a MK51 million model Community Based Child Care centre (CBCC) to communities at Makhumbo in the area of Traditional Authority Zilakoma in Nkhata-Bay aimed at providing a conducive environment for learning.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Nkhata Bay Director of Health and Social Services Topcy Mdolo who was also the guest of honor applauded LISAP for setting the good pace by constructing a durable infrastructure which will provide good service in a long term.

He said the project is imperative in shaping the development of a child to be a complete future adult who can contribute to the country's development.

"This is a very important project as it is targeting early childhood development.

"Mental and physical development, relationship building with fellow children; all these will be happening here. As they grow, they become sharp compared to those who haven't gone through such structures", he said.

He therefore urged community members to take ownership of the CBCC by making sure that learning and teaching resources are well taken care of, so that the project serves generations.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for LISAP, Gilbert Phiri revealed that the model CBCC has been established to address the problem of learning as previously the area has been using temporary structures.

He asked community members to put in place measures that will enable the structure's sustainability.

"We expect them to come up with clear ownership plan where they should give each other duty rosters. We also expect them to ensure that there is good security here" said Phiri.

On the other hand, Traditional Authority Zilakoma promised to ensure that the structures will be well taken care of by his community members, saying committees on the same had already been formed.

Ted Tadeyo Chauluka, Country Director for Help a Child Malawi, key funder of the project, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to continue supporting the government in the early childhood development.

Currently, there are 443 Community Based Child Care centres in Nkhata Bay.

By Agatha Kadzinje

Blantyre, November 13, Mana: Christos Ambassadors Students Ministry (CASM) has organized a Blantyre Universities and Colleges Conference (BUCC) on Friday, November 15, 2024 at Malawi College of Accountancy (Blantyre Campus).

Pastor Kennie Mulinde, Founder of CASM, told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday that the conference aims at providing both spiritual and academic guidance to university students.

“Most university students lack direction in their spiritual and academic lives. Many students are unsure how to manage their studies effectively. They often get involved in activities that distract them from their academic goals.

“At this conference, we will provide practical techniques to help the students excel in their studies,” he said.

Mulinde who will also be the guest speaker at BUCC, added that the conference aims at equipping the youth with knowledge to help shape their future.

“When you’re in university, it’s easy to think that youthfulness last forever. But the reality is that we all grow older each year, so it’s important to shape our future now to avoid problems later. Even in our youth, we must prepare for the future because the more we know God, the more we understand our lives,” he said.

Mulinde, however, expressed hope that after the conference, every student will feel a renewed purpose to live for and serve God.

“The activities at the conference will help attendees realize that they are here for a God-given purpose, which they should actively pursue,” he said.

Mulinde also shared CASM’s long-term goal to reach university students not only in Blantyre but across the country.

CASM’s Head of Administration, Chawezi Gondwe told Mana in a separate interview that the conference will include interactive programmes, worship experiences, music and arts performances and teachings from the Bible.

Gondwe added that many university students think that serving the Lord might hinder their success in college.

“This mindset often discourages the youth from engaging in church activities on campus. BUCC will help change this perception by showing students how they can balance their academic and spiritual lives. Success in academics can be achieved when God is involved,” he said.

He added that BUCC is the beginning of what will become an annual event for university students and CASM’s conferences were mainly targeted at secondary schools.

Gondwe shared CASM dream to expand its campus ministries to both public and private universities across Malawi and eventually, internationally to spread the gospel among students.

He, therefore, encouraged all university students to attend the conference, describing it as a life-changing experience.

The conference will be held from 01:00 p.m to 04:30 p.m. Christos Ambassadors Students Ministry (CASM) is an interdenominational, campus-based ministry and a branch of Christos Ambassadors Ministries International, founded on February 3, 2023.

By: Steve Chirombo

Dedza, November 13, Mana: Social Welfare Officer for Dedza District Council, Emmanuel Khumba, on Tuesday expressed gratitude to various partners, microfinance institutions and banks for implementing mindset change interventions among Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) beneficiaries in the district.

Khumba described the partners as game changers for a successful implementation of the program saying most beneficiaries have ventured into businesses and are able to use the funds for the intended purposes.

He made the remarks during a tour to some beneficiary households in Group Village Head Kantema under Senior Chief Kamenyagwaza in the district.

He cited low literacy levels among most beneficiaries as a major challenge. He however said the program was registering major successes due to mindset change interventions as more beneficiaries are now able to set up businesses and are able to calculate profits, how to grow crops, as well as how to rear different animals on a small scale.

"With such initiatives, we have seen great improvements in a number of beneficiaries where such partners are operating from," he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Florida Chaola, said since she enrolled into the program, her life has changed for the better.

"I now have some pigs and I am able to provide for my household. We really struggled with hunger and poverty before we joined the program. But the situation is better now," she said.

Another beneficiary, Thamson Guya, said he used to sleep in a grass thatched house before he joined the program.

According to Guya, proceeds from the sale of pigs out of the first payment he got from the program, went towards buying iron sheets for his house.

"I am now a happy man together with my entire household. We also invested some money into our farming activities which have seen us having enough food, providing for our children's education as well as meeting our needs," he said.

Mefereniya Manyozo, another beneficiary of the program, said her story is different now as she owns goats which she believes will multiply with time.

"Hunger, lack of clothes as well as food were our major problems. But we can now breathe because we have two goats and the money we get from the program is also covering some gaps," she said.

While thanking government and other partners for the support, Manyozo went on to say that it is her dream to see her house improved.

There are 19,600 SCTP beneficiaries in Dedza District.

The program which targets 10 percent of the country’s ultra-poor population is funded   by the World Bank and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

By Memory Chatonda

Blantyre, November 13, Mana: Blantyre District Council is set to enroll at least 11,909 ultra-poor households into the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) in the retargeting exercise, currently underway in the district.

Speaking during the extraordinary full council meeting in Blantyre on Wednesday, Principal Social Welfare Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Given Mukisi said the exercise follows the 2019 study on the impact of the Malawi SCTP on lifecycle vulnerabilities, which revealed that the current targeting approach indirectly reaches many individuals with lifecycle vulnerabilities.

Mukisi said it was thought necessary by the Ministry of Gender, with support from United Nations Children Fund to explore a new, innovative targeting approach to cover the lifecycle vulnerabilities.

“During the retargeting exercise, the selection criteria for the households would include those headed by a child, those with at least one member with a chronic illness, a household with a member with a disability, those with one child aged two or below and those with at least one member aged 65 and above,” she said.

Mukisi said overall, Blantyre will have 11,909 beneficiaries, a slight increase from the current number of beneficiaries which is at 7,869.

She, therefore, underscored the significance of the SCTP which aims at reducing poverty, malnutrition and improve school enrollment.

In his remarks, District Commissioner for Blantyre, Alex Mdooko welcomed the retargeting exercise, observing that it helps to address inclusion and exclusion errors.

Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Elson Dumuka urged local leaders to work in unity to ensure that various social protection programmes, like the SCTP being implemented by the council, benefit the intended households at the grassroots level.

The SCTP targets 10 percent of ultra-poor households which are sourced from the Unified Beneficiary Registry database.

By Ephraim Ngwira

Karonga, December 13, Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has pledged its continued commitment to combating Cholera outbreak in Karonga District which has registered 48 Cholera reported cases and six deaths between September and November, 2024.

Project Officer for MRCS in Karonga, Ruth Jere was speaking on Tuesday at Kaporo in the area of Senior Chief Mwakaboko during a volunteer training session for volunteers in Cholera treatment.

"We are training the volunteers to help in treating Cholera cases in their communities as they are preparing to take patients to their nearest health facilities.

Our goal is to establish community Cholera treatment units where suspected Cholera cases will be given Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) before being referred to a health facility,” said Jere.

She added that many of those who died of Cholera delayed in seeking treatment at health facilities and expressed hope that the intervention will save lives.

Jere then encouraged the volunteers to serve communities with dedication.

Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Officer for Karonga District Hospital, Raymond Jereni commended the MRCS initiative in complementing the hospital’s efforts in combating the disease in the district.

“We appreciate MRCS for training the volunteers. Providing ORS to Cholera suspected patients will prevent them from severe dehydration and improve outcomes by the time they reach at health facility,” said Jereni.

By Kalem Ghambi

Mzuzu, November 13, Mana: Despite rapid urbanization and increased traffic flow, Mzuzu City Council (MCC) operates without a single road traffic light in some of its streets.

This situation presents a challenge for both motorists and pedestrians hence requiring a delicate balance of patience and careful driving.

One of the taxi drivers in the city, Christopher Nyirongo said that lack of the road traffic lights is a catalyst to traffic jam in most cases in the city.

“Most motorists disregard traffic rules and regulations during peak hours and fail to yield to other vehicles. This contributes to increased road traffic congestion and preventable accidents," said Nyirongo.

Another driver, Blessings Mkandawire appealed to MCC to fast track construction of some roads within the city for improved road network, hence reducing road traffic congestion.

The spokesperson for the MCC, McDonald Gondwe said that the council is aware that the traffic lights are nonfunctional and that plans are underway to fix them.

“The absence of traffic lights causes significant disruption to traffic flow in the city, hence we need to invest in modern traffic management solutions to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and enhance road safety," said Gondwe.

He said budgetary constraints and persistent threats of social unrest are some of the factors that hinder full restoration of the city's traffic infrastructure.

“I therefore appeal to stakeholders for assistance as fixing the lights requires a lot of money,” said Gondwe.

Spokesperson for Northern Region Police Headquarters, Morris Chapola said that the office deploys traffic police officers to regulate and control traffic jam.

He, however, stated that the responsibility for ensuring the functionality of the traffic lights lies with the council.

Blantyre and Lilongwe city councils have their traffic lights operational while Zomba doesn’t have any.

By Pempho Kantayeni and Pickson Chipeso

Lilongwe, November 12, Mana: Parliamentary Committee on International Relations has expressed that it is not satisfied with the inspection done by the Ministry of Labour in various work places.

Speaking on Tuesday at Parliament after meeting officials from the Ministry of Labour, Chairperson for the committee, Patrick Bandawe, said the committee was not impressed with how the ministry is handling inspections of some work places.

“As a committee, as members of parliament we have observed that they are not doing enough when it comes to inspection, as a result, a lot of working places do not have the standards that they deserve”

The Committee also raised concerns on the recent protests Israel job seekers had on the government. Bandawe added that some members of the committee did not like how the issue was handled to the point where some of the youth protesting were arrested.

In her remarks, Principal Secretary for Ministry of Labour, Chikondano Mussa said that they were invited by the committee to give them progress on what the ministry is doing on Convention 111, Convention 100 and others, to look into the issues of discrimination in work places, equal remuneration and forced labour.

“So, we have given parliament the progress report on what we have made, these are ratified conventions by the country and therefore we have regulations to facilitate adherence to the same. We have shared with parliament many issues that the ministry is doing. We have shared with parliament that we carry out regular inspections to various work places to ensure that people are complying in terms of discrimination, that there’s no discrimination and people should not be recruited based on sex, religion and ethnicity. This is what we check when we go out, we want to go into a company or industry and find out if there is equal opportunity,” Mussa explained.

She added that they have also shown parliament that through the same inspections they are able to ensure that companies and all work places both private and public are complying to issues of health and safety at work.

Mussa also addressed the concerns raised by the youth who protested against the government's involvement in job placements in Israel. The protesters urged the Ministry of Labour to halt its recruitment efforts and allow private recruiters to handle the process instead. Mussa stated that the reasons for this demand have been acknowledged and that the Ministry of Information is yet to release an official government statement on this.

She explained that the Ministry of Labour is responsible for overseeing and implementing labor export programs, as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which states that the recruitment of workers for farms in Israel is managed by the Malawian government under the Ministry of Labour. However, recent protests by job seekers have called for the Ministry of Labour to stop conducting the recruitment and instead allow private recruiters to take over the process. This raises questions about who has the authority to decide that the recruitment should shift from the government to private recruiters. The current program is government-to-government, with Israel specifically requesting that the Malawian government handle recruitment. Therefore, any decision to change to private recruiters would need to be agreed upon by Israel.