By Mary Makhiringa

Balaka, June 3, Mana: There was jubilation and excitement on Saturday at St. Peter’s Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Balaka when the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) launched the construction of an Information and Technology Communication (ICT) lab at the institution.

Teachers, parents and students alike from the school and surrounding areas of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Matola in Balaka North Constituency gathered at the school to witness the historic occasion marking the start of new life in the area.

MACRA has embarked on the Connect-a-school project whereby 75 ICT laboratories will be constructed in 9,000 schools across the country with each district receiving two during the first phase.

Speaking during the launch, Member of Parliament for Balaka North, Tony Ngalande hailed the initiative, saying it would increase the confidence of learners at the school and enrich them with computer skills.

“As a leader, my duty is to encourage possible investors as well as developers to come forward and help us as MACRA has done. This ICT lab will help in bridging the ICT gap that our leaners especially those coming from the rural areas have.

“We are now seeing the Malawi 2063 taking shape as the world is going digital, having an ICT lab in this rural area is a positive step forward as you know if you cannot operate a computer you are considered to be way behind,” he said.

Ngalande assured the community that he would always be available during the implementing period of the project so that the structure meets the required standard considering that the facility was meant for the learners who would take over from him development of the area.

MACRA Broadcasting Service Manager, Matilda Bande said the project was funded by Universal Service Fund whose aim was to have equal access to information services.

“Schools irrespective of where they are ought to access internet services and they have the much needed facilities, we are coming from the background of tele-centres which targeted the community in general and did not work.

“In these ICT labs, we are targeting the pupils so that we grow the generation that will know how to use the internet that is why we would like to reach out to them while they are young so that when we bring back the tele-centres in future we will now have a catchment,” she said.

Bande disclosed that each school will be given 20 computers for a start and within the project, each school will have 60 computers with free internet provision for three years.

Head Teacher of St. Peter's CDSS, Sister Regina Komicho noted that the project apart from imparting computer skills to learners, would help in enhancing learning and teaching of different subjects as leaners would be free to search for information on the internet.

“Let me register my profound gratitude to the Ministry of Education for considering our school to be in the first phase of this project, this means a lot as we have now seen that our school is regarded,” she added.

By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, June 1, Mana: Lilongwe based non-governmental organization, Point of Progress, is set to launch an agricultural project dubbed Transformative Livelihood Improvement through Management of Ecosystems (Tilime) in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kabudula in Lilongwe.

The project which will be funded by IM Swedish Development Partner Southern Africa seeks to empower youth from TA Kabudula with farming skills and resources for them to venture into agri-business and become economically independent.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Friday, Point of Progress Head of Programmes, Innocent Luesha, said they decided to implement the project in TA Kabudula after their survey revealed that youths in the area lack empowerment.  

“Our baseline survey indicated that TA Kabudula is lacking a number of interventions in youth economic empowerment hence our decision to implement the project in the area,” he said.

The survey also indicated that Tilime project would produce positive results in TA Kabudula in fostering economic transformation among the youth in the area.

Luesha said his organization is focused to provide various agricultural interventions among the youth including irrigation and mechanization, value addition, market access as well as policy advocacy in relation to climate change and agriculture.

Currently, Point of Progress has engaged Lilongwe District Council and Ministry of Agriculture to support in the implementation of the project.

Lilongwe West Agriculture Officer, Joseph Mtengezo, commended Point of Progress for its mission to rollout the project.

“Tilime Project will be helpful in providing a forum for the youth from TA Kabudula to learn agriculture as it comes in to assist in the production of crops,” Mtengezo explained.

He asked Point of Progress to expand the project to other districts so that it benefits more youths in the country.

By Emily M’mangisa  

Zomba, June 1, Mana: Failure to absorb expressive arts, history of different ethnic groups and understanding of cultural diversity by learners compelled educationists, parents and traditional leaders at Matiti Primary School in Zomba into action to host a cultural day.

The day was held on Friday under the theme; Our Culture, Our Pride.

Matiti Primary School Head Teacher, Leah Pahuwa, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) in an interview that learners have been fairing badly on subjects which could easily be related to daily life.

She said the school sat down with all stakeholders and resolved to organize a cultural day as one way of imparting cultural knowledge that can easily be applied in the classroom.

“We thought of organizing this activity so that learners should know and remember their culture and tradition and apply the same during examinations. With this knowledge, I am sure they can do well,” she said.

Chief Education Officer for Zomba Rural, Medson Mbilizi, concurred with Pahuwa saying the cultural day will rejuvenate the understanding of culture and tradition among learners.

He observed that there was moral decay among most learners due to diversion from moral values.

“We hope to have citizens that are morally sound. This generation has completely lost moral values hence the state of moral decay is incomprehensible,” he said.

He expressed hope that the learners will embrace the cultural day to uphold cultural, traditional values and identity, adding that learners have to be identified by characteristics of their ethnic group.

Group Village Head (GVH) Makungula appealed to parents to take a leading role in ensuring that learners are abreast with their culture and traditions as teachers are there to supplement parent’s efforts in raising children into responsible citizens while maintaining moral and cultural values. 

“Any country is identified by its culture and tradition; we risk losing the identity of language if this generation won’t take interest in what their fore-fathers believed in,” said the GVH.

Hilda Tambala, a Standard Five learner at the school and comes from Rumphi District, who showcased a variety of different food items described the event as relevant saying it will assist her and fellow learners to relate with what teachers teach in class.

The day showcased traditional dances such as manganje, tchopa, ngoma, gule wankulu and malipenga among others while makaka, kalongonda, kondowole, mikate, thobwa were some of the local food items that caused the audience to salivate.

Recently, Kingdom Builder Academy in Zomba also held a cultural day.

By Leah Malimbasa

Chikwawa, June 1, Mana: Chikwawa Police Station has arrested six individuals for allegedly stealing irrigation equipment from Illovo Nchalo Estate.

Chikwawa Police Station Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Dickson Matemba, said the six were arrested earlier this week when police intercepted Yohane Sakala, 28, at Thabwa Roadblock with 150 metres of electric cable.

“The suspect confessed to stealing the cable and identified five accomplices: Enock Mtefula, 20; Mverani Sakala, 22; Thokozani Maxwell, 27; Robert Bwanali, 24 and Hamilton Machika, 43,” he said.

According to Matemba, the stolen equipment valued at K4.3 million was taken from fields 412, 413, and 419

The suspects will appear in court soon to face theft charges.

Meanwhile, Chikwawa Police in cooperation with Mitole Police Mobile Services officers have intensified security measures to prevent further vandalism and theft of Illovo irrigation equipment.

By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, June 1, Mana: Salima District Council has developed a Community Led Action against Malnutrition (COLAAM) strategy to combat the rising cases of malnutrition the district is facing.

Speaking during a District Nutrition Coordination Committee meeting with various partners implementing nutrition interventions in the district, Acting Director for Community and Social Services, Chifundo Manong’a, highlighted the importance of the strategy in addressing acute malnutrition.

He expressed optimism that the strategy will be adopted and implemented by all stakeholders to deal with nutritional challenges the country is facing.

“We have been monitoring indicators like death rate for children admitted with acute to severe malnutrition. Unfortunately, numbers are increasing amidst partners and government frontline workers implementing interventions,” he said. 

Manong’a emphasized that the strategy will bridge the knowledge gap that exists in communities by ensuring that households are utilizing the same knowledge disseminated at a community level.

“Most of nutrition interventions are displayed at community level but there is no adoption at household level. This strategy will make communities aware of malnutrition because there is poor understanding concerning malnutrition and poor health seeking behaviors amongst communities to act on malnutrition,” he said.

Chairperson for Civil Society Nutrition Alliance (CSONA) Salima Chapter, Joseph Kandiyesa, said prioritizing nutrition will assist in combating malnutrition effectively in the district.

"We have to change our mindset about nutritional issues, we have to take nutrition seriously by allocating sufficient resources to address this critical issue," he said.

In their 2024 Nutrition Budget Research Brief, CSONA indicated that there is an increase in the rate of nutritional related deaths due to acute malnutrition which is at 18 percent on average.

“In order to combat the numbers, the district council should prioritize and allocate more funds to the nutrition sector and the health sector should develop and implement new strategies in combating acute malnutrition at community level,” said Kandiyesa.

The nutrition unit, in collaboration with partners, analyzes data they collect and brings it back to communities for them to appreciate the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition and those who have died of it for their own actions.

COLAAM, which is action pact strategy, has been nodded in favor of its implementation by various stakeholders and partners as such CSONA, Feed the Children, Care Malawi, Hunger Project, World Vision, GIZ, frontline workers and community leaders to influence mindset change for the communities to adopt.