By George Mponda

Karonga, October 15, Mana: Member of Parliament (MP) for Karonga Central Constituency, Leonard Mwalwanda, says proper utilization of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has potential to bring modern structures in rural areas.

Speaking with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Monday at Mlare Primary School where a K15, 000,000 headteacher’s house was constructed using CDF, Mwalwanda commended government for CDF which, he said, has transformed rural areas.

He, therefore, called upon leaders to make diligent use of the funds in order to improve people’s lives.

“If some constituencies are lagging behind in development it is due to bad leadership. Government is giving us enough resources for development of our constituencies which is very commendable,” he said.

He appealed to community members to be active in demanding development projects they want.

According to Mwalwanda, having a good working relationship amongst MPs, ward councillors and the community is vital for the successful implementation of CDF projects.

Headteacher for Mlare Primary School, Golden Mwenelupembe, said construction of teachers houses is a motivating factor which will improve results.

"Most teachers live in dire conditions, but with the construction of houses such as the one I am living in now, we will strive to give back to the community by ensuring learners get quality education and good results," Mwenelupembe said.

School Management Committee Chairperson, Mapunda Mwalwanda, said a lot of MPs had been in the area but most of them never used CDF to construct modern structures.

"We helped bringing sand, water and clearing the land where this house was built. As you can see, this is a very beautiful house which is a great improvement at our school,” he said.

Each constituency is allocated K200,000,000 for implementation of various projects.