By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, March 12, Mana: Blantyre District Council has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with development partners that implement various projects in the district to ensure proper service delivery to the rural communities.

Blantyre District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko urged the development partners to come up with interventions that will complement the council’s efforts in dealing with illiteracy levels, poverty and other social challenges that compromises livelihood.

The DC made the call on Monday at Blantyre District Council chamber during the District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting where the council also signed the MOU.

He observed many climate change effects that brought about disasters and other livelihood challenges require proper collaboration and development partner’s interventions.

“Be flexible in intervening in the current dry spell situation, farming families are desperate and looking for various interventions from both the council and non-state actors that should solve their food and basic needs for survival,” he said

He said the council will welcome strategies from partners to address issues ranging from illiteracy, disease prevention to climate change induced situations such as prolonged dry spells currently affecting food crop production among farming families in the district.

“We should come up with projects that will help to alleviate problems people are going through. We should fight low literacy levels in our district since the percentage of problems are as a result of illiteracy,’ added Mdooko.

Executive Director for Tsogolo la Ana, Lucy Maunde said signing of MOU with the council provides full mandate and commitments towards the development of the district.

She said Tsogolo la Ana was ready and willing to work with the council in addressing challenges that the communities are experiencing.

“We will work together with much effort to improve communities’ living standards. We are ready to move forward and respond to climate change effects as well as different situations that affect the district.

 To deal with illiteracy levels, she added that Tsogolo la Ana will provide desks, staffroom chairs, and books as a way of improving child education on top of constructing primary schools in Blantyre rural.

Some of the development partners that attended the DEC meeting and witnessed the MOU signing included Kachere Progressive Women, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Tsogolo la Ana, One Acre Fund, Macro Impact and other government sectors.