By George Mponda

Karonga ,November 3,  Mana: Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga and Chitipa has said most Malawians no longer follow traditions due to misunderstanding of democracy.

Kyungu said this, Saturday, while speaking at the celebration of the second Karonga-Chitipa Cultural Festival held at Mbande Hills in Karonga under the theme 'Unity in Diversity, Respect and Justice for All'.

"Ever since we attained democracy, most Malawians fail to understand the system and end up abusing it. We have witnessed a high number of suicide cases, youths vandalising development equipment all this happening because of failure to understand what democracy is all about."Kyungu said.

“We need to retrace our steps and start using our lost values and showing respect especially to the elderly people and if we do this, then the country’s development will be on the right track,” he added.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Catherine Gotani Hara, who was representing President Lazarus Chakwera at the festival, commended people of Karonga and Chitipa for their efforts in promoting culture.

Said Hara: "Culture is considered as being primitive by the current generation. Most people living in urban areas dont even know their vernacular languages like Tumbuka, Nkhonde and Lambya which is very bad."

“We have forgotten where we come from, in the past you wouldn't even know that there are orphans because people adopted them into their homes with love unlike the situatuon now where everyone only looks out for their immediate family members which is a serious sign of moral decay," she added.

Chairperson for Karonga Chitipa Heritage Malumbo Mwasinga, asked government to offer support for cultural festivals, emphasizing their role in fostering national unity.

This was the second joint cultural festival held by the people of Chitipa and Karonga, following the inaugural edition in 2022 at the same site.

By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, November 2, Mana: Ministry of Education Director of Basic Education, Grace Milner has described primary school teachers as the heart of the education system upon which learners’ lifelong learning and character are built upon.

Milner made the remarks, Friday at Njewa Primary School during the best award event ceremony of Education Managers, teachers and schools that performed well in the 2024/25 academic calendar in Lilongwe Rural West Education Division.

“Primary education forms the cornerstone of every child’s learning journey and behind this phase of discovery are teachers like you. Your commitment to nurturing potential, sparking curiosity and inspiring confidence for the learners to become future leaders cannot be overstated,” she said.

Milner said government through the Ministry of Education is committed to creating an environment where every teacher feels valued, motivated and equipped to thrive.

“Our goal is to ensure that teachers have access to professional development opportunities, additional resources and the support they need to overcome the challenges. We are advocating for more robust resource allocations, improved classroom environments, and continuous teacher professional development,” she said.

In her remarks, Director of Education and Sports, Sophia Mthiko said they organized the awards as one way of encouraging and motivating teachers and learners to continue doing well in their education.

Mthiko said the event targeted schools that produced a 100 percent passing rate and urged other schools to emulate the gesture.

One of the teachers who got the award Harriet Chitanda from Khanda primary school thanked the education office for the initiative, saying it will go a long way in motivating and encouraging teachers and learners in their education.

“This is a morale booster. It has never happened in the district before. I am so happy for this initiative,” she said.

Lilongwe Rural West Education Division has 261 primary schools and 223 schools participated in the   Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination, out of which 77 schools produced a 100 percent pass rate.

The schools, Education Managers and Teachers went home with certificate of recognition and cash.

By Benedicto Maguda

Blantyre, November 1, Mana: Executive Director for Zomba Centre for Creative Arts (ZOCCA), Pemphero Mapanje has advised the youth in the country to work together and take part in different activities for the country to make meaningful progress.

Mapanja emphasized the importance of self-advocacy, resilience and community engagement for young people.

Speaking with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Friday, Mapanje said the youth need to take an active role in development activities in order for the country to forge ahead with its soci0-economic growth.

“There is need to give chance to our youth by giving them the opportunity to take different roles in our society, being it in government, church and other areas. One of our objectives at ZOCCA is to work hand in hand with the youth and provide them with counseling and guidance in life,” she said.

Mapanje added that recently there has been an increasing number of school dropout, attributing it to poverty among the youth and sometimes because of peer pressure.

“Our youth are meeting with a lot of problems of which sometimes make them to think of committing suicide that is why we use to chat with such youths and give them a talk and advice on how they can handle themselves when they are in dilemma instead of committing suicide,” she said.

Mapanje disclosed that the organization is also responsible for helping the youth with sexual and reproductive health issues, encouraging them to go back to school after delivery, besides empowering with business management skills.

“We bring sanity among the youth in the community and also we act as mediators between parents and their children by bringing peace if there are some misunderstanding in the family,” she said.

One of the members of ZOCCA, Chifundo Kadzuwa said she has benefited a lot from the group, pointing out that she has learned a lot after joining the organization.

“Through ZOCCA, I have gained a lot such as sexual and reproductive health, issues about environment, it has also helped me because instead of indulging in some untoward things, I spend most of my time doing activities organized by the organization, playing netball; for example,” she said.

Kadzuwa, therefore, urged all the youth in different areas to desist from engaging in wayward behaviours, instead advised them to be responsible in bringing peace especially now when the country is preparing for 2025 elections.

ZOCCA was established with the aim of helping the youth to be tolerant with one another and making the youth to be the instruments of peace in their communities. Currently, the organization is working with the youth in Zomba District.

By: Vida Msiyo

Blantyre, November 1, Mana: Chitseka Foundation in partnership with communities under Village Head Chopenga in Chilomoni Township on Friday undertook its first project with focus on controlling erosion along the slopes of degraded Michiru Mountain.

Foundation members and local residents placed rocks in areas heavily impacted by water runoff, aiming at reducing the risk of damage to farmland, homes and local infrastructure.

Executive Director for Chitseka Foundation, Prince Chitseka said the plan was initiated to safeguard both the environment and the community.

“We saw that erosion channels on Michiru Mountain pose a risk, especially during heavy rains and decided to take action, by placing rocks in these areas, we aim at slowing the flow of water and future efforts will include tree planting wherever necessary,” he said.

Village Head Chopenga commended the foundation’s involvement, describing it as essential support for the community’s long-standing environmental efforts.

“This is what we have always hoped for to have people helping us protect the environment, since we started in 2019, resources have been limited because we are all volunteers and now with the foundation, we believe this work will progress and they will help with some of the tools like slashers, hoes and panga knives,” he said.

Community members have also committed to forest preservation, discouraging deforestation practices around Michiru Mountain.

Treasurer of the Forest Committee in Chopenga Village, Susan Mkolongo said maintaining vegetative cover is critical for air quality and preventing soil erosion.

“These rocks are a temporary measure to protect crops and infrastructure until we can plant more trees with the rains, all thanks to Chitseka Foundation for coming through, we believe they will be there to help bring back our Michiru Forest,” she said.

The efforts of the Chitseka Foundation and the Chilomoni community on Michiru Mountain aim at strengthening environmental protection and foster a sustainable future for the local area.

By Agatha kadzinje

Blantyre, November 1, Mana: In an effort to combat suicide cases, Mental Health Coalition Malawi has launched a new initiative offering free call-in therapy sessions for individuals struggling with mental health issues across the country.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Friday, Tilinao Lamba, a founding member of the Mental Health Coalition and a Global Health Corps alumnus, revealed that the initiative aims at linking those in need of mental health support with qualified professionals, such as psychologists and therapists.

“One of the major challenges we face in Malawi is that people often do not know where to seek assistance or how to connect with mental health professionals. This initiative will help bridge the gap in seeking mental health assistance,” she said.

Lamba added that the initiative will help address daily mental health challenges that affect individuals’ well-being from relationship problems to financial hardships.

She added that this development aligns with Malawi’s mental health strategy by raising awareness about mental health issues, an area that has for a long time been neglected.

Founder of The Little Mental Health Project, which is part of the coalition, Collina Nkhambule said the coalition is expanding its efforts to rural areas through partnerships with local hospitals and secondary schools.

“We have started meeting with major hospitals in the districts. Additionally, we are collaborating with secondary schools to train teachers and students, with the aim of establishing mental health clubs to increase open discussions about mental health struggles,” she said.

Nkhambule added that the coalition’s main goal, through this initiative, is to raise awareness and reduce stigma, ensuring that people are well-informed and have access to mental health support.

In a separate interview, mental health expert, Moses Muotcha emphasized that free therapy sessions could potentially reduce suicide rates in Malawi by providing support to those in need while highlighting the multiple benefits of the initiative.

“Support from experienced individuals will be more accessible and people won’t need to travel long distances or spend money to seek help. Many Malawians cannot afford therapy sessions due to the high costs, so this initiative will reach a broader population,” he said.

Muotcha commended the initiative, emphasizing that it will reach many people who might otherwise lack access to mental health services.

“Malawians should take advantage of these services to share their struggles, which could help decrease suicide cases in the country,” he said.

He also urged the coalition to maintain strict confidentiality, fostering a safe space where individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves openly.

The Mental Health Coalition Malawi was founded by Global Health Corps and includes a range of organizations, brands and individuals working to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health in Malawi. Members of the coalition include The Little Mental Health Project, Match Foundation, Mind Malawi and Caring Malawi. The hotlines include 0993875725 and 0996491333.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, October 31, Mana: Billions of Malawi Kwacha have been invested in Chitipa District in various developmental projects. However, when the projects phase out, oftentimes, issues of sustainability become a bottleneck in the district and country as a whole.

One such organization that has invested heavily in the district and Malawi at large since 1982 is World Vision Malawi (MVM).

The organization has made significant investment in infrastructure and made contributions in different sectors mainly; education, livelihood and resilience, maternal and child health, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

Despite these investments, the organization still lacks a comprehensive database that shows the type, number, location and state of infrastructures constructed or initiated by WVM because of lack of ownership among community members.

But at Lufita Trading Centre in Senior Chief Mwabulambya in the district, the story is different.

In 2008 World Vision under Namatubi Kanyenjere Area Programme procured a sunflower processing machine, which was donated to Witimba Kaseye Cooperative. And the 114-member cooperative is still up and running.

“Governance structures we have in our cooperative have assisted us to reach where we are today,” explains Andrew Mtambo, Chairperson for the cooperative.

He said: “We have an executive committee, sub committees and board. These are the structures that this cooperative has been rooted in.”

The cooperative, which started as an association in 2003, is into agribusiness and has acquired many assets from the cooking oil processing business.

Mtambo says the cooperative has managed to build a business shop at Lufita Trading Centre, poultry house and bought a piece of land at Ilema Trading Centre which they plan to build a business shop in near future.

"We have a warehouse which we built and World Vision assisted us with iron sheets. We also built a structure which we turned into a sunflower cooking oil processing mini-factory," he explains.

Fiskani Bakali, Chairperson for procurement Sub Committee says apart from processing cooking oil from sunflowers, they also aim to reduce vending of farm produce in their area.

Bakali says most farmers in their area have been duped by vendors by buying from farmers at lower than the farm gate price.

“We are here to help reverse that and our vision is to add value to all the farm produce we collect from our members even from non-members,” Bakali narrates.

"We have plans to buy a bigger sunflower cooking oil pressing machine because the one we currently have produces 100 litres of cooking oil a day. So we have overwhelming demand for our product and also non-members who come to process their sunflower. That is why we need machines with higher volume," she adds.

Bakali further says they also plan to start adding value to maize into maize flour so that maize in Chitipa is not exported to other countries adding that they also plan to add value to soybeans and groundnuts.

“We need approximately K500 million to fulfil our dream of adding value to all our farm produce,” she says.

On funding grants, Bakali says twice they applied to AGCOM and they were not successful. She says reasons given from AGCOM are not satisfactory on their applications being rejected.

A 2013 study by Costa Hofisi and Martha Chizima titled; “The Sustainability of Donor Funded Projects in Malawi” states that if sustainability is to be achieved in donor funded projects it is important that the design of all development intervention in smallholder communities articulate how they would work with and/or build capacities of local governance and service structures that ensure effective delivery and sustainability of project benefits.

To achieve this, the report says, working in partnerships and/or collaboration with local authorities is not an option but a must in rural community development interventions.

Programmes Manager for World Vision Malawi (WVM) for Karonga and Chitipa Districts, Hendrix Kalanje says it remains a challenge to see projects being sustained after donor withdrawal.

Kalanje says seeing the cooperative still running, 14 years after World Vision transitioned, is not only very encouraging but also motivating to the organization.

“The ability of project recipients to continue operating their projects after World Vision transitioned gives us the confidence that the community and local partners were actively involved in the development of the programme vision and priorities leading to the ownership of the interventions that World Vision implemented in the area. It also implies that community partners value the cooperative,” Kalanje says.

He says as an organization, they see that the sustainability drivers that were integrated and mainstreamed in their programme interventions were effective.

Kalanje adds that the programme beneficiaries were actively involved in the decision-making processes of the programme design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages, leading to ownership of the interventions.

“It is clear that the community members understood their vision and aspirations and were steadfast in working with World Vision as a partner in addressing developmental challenges that impeded the realization of their vision. Asset based development is a good option because it improves what is already existing rather than introducing new ones,” he explains.

Kalanje discloses that in many of the area programmes World Vision has worked, sustaining project interventions has been a challenge saying that the organization sees pockets of communities that have been able to sustain interventions.

The experience points to the fact that in many cases, projects only thrive during the presence of funder organisations and benefactors. Soon after the involved organisations leave, projects crumble.

Kalanje says community ownership through volunteerism and participation is a fundamental aspect that pushes donor-funded projects to achieve sustainability. He further says in many cases, there is lack of community ownership of project interventions, which compromises sustainability.

“At the onset, organisations should be able to engage community partners effectively throughout the programme life, provide asset-based capacity building to the community structures for sustainability. Organisations should also invest in mapping potential local partners and enhancing their capacities in readiness for the transition period,” Kalanje says.