By Leah Malimbasa and Willy Kadewere

Chikwawa, October 9, Mana:  Social Protection for Gender Equality and Resilience (SP-GEAR) project, currently being implemented in Chikwawa District show promising results as both men and women actively participate in the project’s social-economic development interventions.

Chikwawa District Council, Gender Officer, Victoria Nkasala, told Malawi News Agency (Mana) Tuesday that  SP-’GEAR project aims to economically empower the most vulnerable women and girls and that it has already begun showing significant impact through activities such as Village Saving and Loans (VSLs).

The interventions were designed to build economic resilience of women and girls while addressing existing gender inequalities in the district, according to the Gender Officer.

“Through the SP-GEAR project, we are not only empowering women but also encouraging men to participate actively in economic interventions such as VSLs, where they have traditionally faced resistance. This project is addressing those barriers,” Nkasala said.

She further explained that the project is tackling gender imbalances in decision-making at household level, division of labour, apart from access and control over resources.

“The SP-GEAR project emphasizes on issues of power imbalances within households, ensuring that both genders have equal opportunities to contribute to and benefit from economic activities, she added.

As part of the implementation, Chikwawa District Council has identified over 200 gender champions tasked to advocate for the economic empowerment of women and encouraging community-wide participation in the development processes.

Hastings Malenga, a gender champion from Group Village Head, Chikhambi in Traditional Authority Kasisi, said the champions’ efforts are focused on ensuring that women engage in small-scale businesses.

“We are also working closely with men to make sure they play their part in addressing gender inequalities that still exist in our communities,” he said.

The SP-GEAR project, also known as Amai Titukuke, is running for three years with a funding commitment of $26.5 million (about K46 billion) from UNICEF, the European Union, and the Governments of Ireland and Malawi.

Apart from Chikwawa, the project is being implemented in Mzimba, Ntcheu, Balaka, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, and Zomba.

By Ernest Mfunya

Mangochi, October 10, Mana: Mangochi District Fisheries Office has urged communities in the district to adhere to fishing rules and regulations as the district is observing closed fishing season in Upper Shire River and on Lake Malombe.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, Assistant Fisheries Officer, Kelvin Mkwinda said closed fishing season in the Upper Shire River and on Lake Malombe started from October 1and will finish on December 31 this year.

He said the closed fishing season is crucial to the fisheries industry as it enables fish species to breed, for sustainable fisheries within the ecosystem.

“The closed fishing season is a process and not a one-time initiative. It enables fish to breed and thrive, contributing to sustainable biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of fishing communities.

“The season was mainly instituted to protect the Chambo species but we also recognized the significance of the other species which helps in boosting the economic growth of the country and development of our communities, as such, we are urging communities in Mangochi to adhere to this,” he added..

Mkwinda said use of banned mono-filament nets and other illegal gear along the shores is also prohibited during the closed fishing season.

“Fishing activities done close to the beach or the shore is prohibited in the ecosystem. However, off shore type of fishing is allowed for example those that use Chilimira gears which catch fish like usipa and other small fish, hand line, mono and gill nets of good mesh,"  the Assistant Fisheries Officer added.

He therefore encouraged community leaders and structures such as Beach Village Committees (BVCs) Fisheries Associations (FA) and other stakeholders to be in the fore front sensitising people in the district on importance of managing fisheries resources.

Speaking in a separate interview, Chairperson for Malombe FA, Molson Thomas, said a lot of people fail to understand the reason behind the fishing closed season hence the need to for concerted efforts in order to enlighten communities on importance of sustainable management of fish species on Lake Malombe and Upper Shire. .

“"As Malombe FA, one of our tasks is to ensure that fishers and communities are aware of the rules and regulations that the department put in place. We also make sure that guidelines are being followed.

We however lack resources for effective enforcement such that we need collaboration with other stakeholders to protect fish in the lake," said Thomas.

Mangochi has three water bodies namely; Upper Shire River and Lake Malombe and Lake Malawi.

Closed fishing season on Lake Malawi is observed from November 1 to December 31st each year.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, October 10, Mana: Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe says empowering the youth, women and people with disabilities is critical towards the attainment of Malawi 2063.

Chikulamayembe was speaking Wednesday at his headquarters at Bolero in Rumphi when he interacted with representatives of Oxfam Malawi, Women Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC) and Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) who are lobbying for inclusive and participatory democracy.

He said women are more compassionate and just as thorough as men and can even do better when handling different tasks.

Chikulamayembe added that the organizations’ visit to him was in line with the 2024 Gonapamuhanya Cultural Ceremony’s theme which emphasized on empowering women and youth for development.

“Our theme for this year’s cultural ceremony was centred on a similar subject and its organizing chairperson was also a woman. Umthetho organising chairperson was also a woman (yourself Mrs Kaliya) and both of you performed excellently.

We need more women and youth in leadership positions for the country to transform. I will be sharing this message with my chiefs and others from outside Rumphi to support women, people with disabilities and young people in the upcoming General Elections,” said Chikulamayembe.

He also urged women to support each other for them to excel in politics at different levels.

Executive Director for Oxfam Malawi, Linga Mihowa said the organizations visited Chikulamayembe to request him help in lobbying for a conducive environment for women, youth and people with disabilities who are interested in running for various political offices during the elections.

She further said that the initiative is supported by European Union will also engage political parties to accommodate the interests of such groups during primary elections.

Mihowa said the organizations will provide cash transfer to support electoral monitoring, observation, mobilization of youth groups and other electoral related requirement, once such marginalised people are endorsed as candidates whether on independent or political tickets.

By Maston Kaiya

Ntcheu, October 9, Mana: Principal Gender Officer for Ntcheu District Council Phaless Chizule has commended Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP GEAR) also known as "Amai Titukuke" programme for removing social and economic challenges, which affect women in the district.

Chizule made the remarks on Monday during a sensitization meeting at Masitimale Village in the area of Senior Chief Kwataine in Ntcheu district.

"The programme is very relevant to communities as it is addressing the social and economic challenges which in most cases affect women who are the primary caregivers to their children," said Chizule.

She highlighted that the programme is expected to contribute towards livelihood resilience and poverty reduction.

Chizule further added that it is expected that once the household livelihood is enhanced, women will be able to participate fully on issues that affect them and their children.

Ntcheu District Social Welfare Officer who is also the district’s Desk Officer for Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) Catherine Ngoleka said SP Gear beneficiaries are the same people who are benefitting from SCTP who are currently totaling 14,354 in the district.

"Since Ntcheu is using E-payment mode of payment, beneficiaries receive the funds through FDH Bank," said Ngoleka.

One of the beneficiaries, Ivy Kanyemba who joined the SCTP in 2019 said she has managed to build an iron sheet house and is able to pay school fees for her two daughters at Ntcheu Secondary School and Ntcheu Community Day Secondary Schools.

"My life has improved, I can support myself and my children," said Kanyemba.

Meanwhile, district council officials are currently conducting sensitization meetings and beneficiary product training so that the beneficiaries can easily access their funds.

SP-GEAR is a three-year project which was officially launched in April 2024 with financial support from UNICEF, the European Union and Ireland.

By Mirrium Fumulani

Balaka, October 9, Mana: Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD) has embarked on a new project; Resilience Enhancement for Anticipated Community Hazards (REACH) at Traditional Authority Nkaya in Balaka District to improve food availability and accessibility to households in the area.

CARD Project Assistant, Idah Ngwena, said on Tuesday during stakeholders meeting in Balaka that the project targets 400 households, 160 male headed and 240 female headed at Nkaya.

She added that the initiative came in response to challenges that people encountered in 2023 when the district was affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which led to loss of property and crops.

“All Traditional Authorities in Balaka were affected and it is against this background that CARD thought of responding this way to address some of the problems in Traditional Authority Nkaya,

“The project will provide bunches of sweet potato vines, cassava cuttings and 10 local chickens (one rooster, nine hens) to each household,” Ngwena said and further disclosed that REACH includes the distribution of high-quality seeds that are resilient to local climate condition.

She therefore advised farmers at Nkaya to grow the high quality seeds, saying such seeds will give best results in terms of yield.

 “The organization is also providing drilling and lining materials for shallow wells which will enable farmers to access groundwater more efficiently, reducing their dependence on unpredictable rainfall.

“The mobile solar irrigation kits are a game-changer to many farmers, allowing them to irrigate their fields without relying on fossil fuels,” she added.

Among others, the REACH also incorporated training sessions to orient farmers on best farming practices, ensuring they maximize benefits of the project support.

CARD started implementing the project in September 2024 and will end in September 2025 at a cost of K20 million.

To ensure proper coordination in beneficiary selection, implementation and monitoring of the project, CARD will implement the project in partnership with the Department of Disaster Risk Management (DoDMA) as a key partner.

By Happy Milanzie

Lilongwe, October 9, Mana: Minister of Mining, Monica Chang’anamuno, has urged Malawians to invest in stock markets to harvest abundant as the government is talking about inclusive worth creation.

She made the remarks in Lilongwe when Illovo Sugar Company and Minority Shareholders Association of Listed Companies (MISALICO) organized civil servants capital markets financial literacy.

Chang'anamuno said Malawians can create their worth through shareholding because it is one of channels that they can use to make money.

Malawians are being encouraged to buy shares with a minimum amount of K50 per share.

"This is a good ideology for pulling the lives of citizens into prosperity as the channel is a bit cheaper for residents and everyone has accessibility to invest in stock market," she said.

Chang'anamuno highlighted that the coming in of these opportunities must rise up civil servants including some individual workers that are interested to invest in stock market.

She urged people to invest in mining industry saying about two companies have already registered and many others are coming to do business in the country.

"It is impressive that companies are putting opportunities on the table and selling shares publicly. We believe that Malawians will invest in stock market to attain prosperity," Chang'anamuno said.

Secretary for MASALICO, Frank Hawara, was excited to see companies calling upon Malawians for the import aspect of making money.

"In past years it was difficult for companies to publicly urge citizens to invest and do business with them. So, this must energize minds of Malawians now that the doors are open for everyone," he said.

Harawa said there is need to reach Malawians in rural areas saying everyone can afford to buy shares.

By Davie Phiri & Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, October 9, Mana: District Commissioner for Nkhotakota, Ben Matengeni Tohno, has commended NBS Bank for donating Public Address Equipment to the council saying it will improve deliberations that are usually held in the Council Chamber.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on Monday at the district council chamber, Tohno said proper communication and sound delivery within the chamber were challenges, as they did not have functional Sound System equipment.

He said the donation would rapidly improve the district's communication gap in announcing and broadcasting information.

“Our jobs are vital in reaching out and rendering all necessary information to the public and as such it is important to have attained such up-to-date equipment which will help improve all challenges being met in the district,” said Tohno.

Tohno commended NBS Bank for supporting the people of Nkhotakota with the first-of-its-kind equipment at the district level to improve service delivery at the local council.

NBS Bank Head of Cluster for Centre and North, Dr Justin Chikaonda, said the bank is a partner of the local councils and will keep supporting in many forms as part of their corporate social responsibility to the communities.

Director of Finance for Nkhotakota District Council, Khumbo Masankhula, thanked NBS Bank and encouraged them to also render aid in other sectors to uplift the lives of the people in Nkhotakota noting partners like NBS bank are a blessing.

NBS bank donated equipment to the tune of K8 million to the council.

By Charlie Ligomeka

Machinga, October 9, Mana:  Communities that are participating in the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-PWP) in Machinga said natural tree regeneration is the sure way of restoring lost vegetative cover in most areas that suffered deforestation due to irresponsible human activities.

The communities said this during a tour this week organized by District Community Development Office and District Forestry Office to some of the catchment.

Natural regeneration takes place in many catchments in Machinga among them middle and lower Lingoni with five hotspots namely: Ntibidi, Mputeya, Namichimba, Mayera and Nzimaya where 876 people are engaged in catchment conservation.

Chanyungu Mposa Catchment is another area with 1,223 participating communities also under the CS-PWP.

A farmer from Chanyumgu Catchment, Nnani Hotspot at Traditional Authority (TA) Mposa, Lovemore Chingwaru, said land degradation is one of serious problems that needs to be addressed with community involvement to ensure sustainability.

Chingwaru who comes from Group Village Head Ntambalika, TA Mposa said running water from mountains caused a lot of soil erosion such that this resulted into low harvest among farmers down the mountains.

"We experienced low harvests in recent years because we had a lot of running water from the hill, which washed away top soils.

“Tree regeneration and other land resource activities will help us to save the remaining soil from erosion. By doing this, l’m sure we will have an increased percentage of harvests in the next rainy season,” he said.

Another farmer, Thokozani Mloka, who is also chairperson of middle and lower Lingoni catchment, said communities were able to understand the importance of participating in the CS-PWP, which mobilize communities to participate in tree regeneration to restoring the lost vegetative cover in most areas that had vast forests.

Mloka observed that trees reduce the impact of raindrops on soil as the soil is well protected under forest cover.

"We will not worry of run offs once we have good forest cover. Trees will reduce the speed of water," she said. 

Extension Worker at Middle and Lower Lingoni Catchment in Ntibidi hotspot, Clifford Nkhomba was happy to see communities actively participating in CS-PWP activities.

He observed that the communities were able to understand and appreciate effects of climate change on livelihood in recent years.

“It is really convincing to see people actively participating in restoring their forests through tree regeneration. I think communities now understand relation between deforestation and land degradation following recent rainy season when we had a lot of running off," he said.

Nkhomba, therefore, advised communities to embrace tree regeneration and other sustainable land resource management activities on their own even if CS-PWP phases out.

District Community Development Officer for Machinga, Thokozani Supayo, appealed to communities in the district’s catchments to fully participate in restoring the forests.

He, therefore, encouraged CS-PWP participating communities to adopt climate smart land resources management activities and other best environmental conservation practices to improve soil fertility for improved food production.

Apart from tree regeneration, CS-PWP participating communities in various catchments also participate in other interventions such as stone bands construction, digging swales and manure making to control water flow and improve soil fertility.

The CS-PWP interventions are funded by the World Bank and Multi-donor Trust Fund.

The CS-PWP is under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Projects.