By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa

Lilongwe, April 23, Mana: An international Non-Governmental Organization, CARE, has called for urgent collaborative effort among donors and other actors to help avert looming humanitarian suffering caused by climate change and El Nino induced weather conditions in some Southern African countries which has resulted into drought.

The call was made on Monday during a virtual media briefing with participants from Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, among others.

This comes in the wake of a record breaking dry spell lasting over 30 days, which is scorching eight countries in southern Africa namely, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Speaking during the briefing, CARE Zambia Country Director Chikwe Mbweeda described the current drought as not just a climate shock, but a human crisis and demanded for an immediate action.

“This crisis has disproportionately affected women and girls. We know that in such situations they will eat the least and the last because this is what happens in the household.

“They would travel long distances in search of water and food which to some extent exposes them to sexual and gender based violence,” she said.

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Agricultural Research Council of Southern Africa, Litha Magingxa, observed that if people don’t know what climate change looks like, they can start by looking at what is happening in Southern Africa.

“A very interesting phenomenon that we are experiencing in Southern Africa is the occurrence of drought in some parts of the country, while we are dealing with floods in other parts and also the frequency of these,” he said.

Alice Kachere, a rural women representative, called for urgent action by the various humanitarian agencies, observing women are suffering.

CARE Southern Africa Regional Director Matthew Pickard described the situation as dire and demanding an urgent and coordinated action to avert a catastrophe.

“We need action now, today, it can’t wait. We are living in a crisis that is very clear from what our speakers have said, and each of us has a role to play in supporting vulnerable families in this time of greatest need,” he said.

Speaking in an interview, CARE Malawi Country Director, Pamela Kuwali, said the media briefing was organized to give an update on the humanitarian situation in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, provide a regional implication of the drought as well as an overview of the humanitarian response and the impact of the drought on women.

She appealed for proper planning and collaboration among all players in dealing with climate change related shocks, observing these will continue to happen.

To address the escalating crisis, CARE is launching a comprehensive response plan focused on providing assistance which will include food and revenue generation, among others, to vulnerable groups, according to a statement released by the organization.

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster in 23 out of the 28 districts of the country affected by El Nino conditions where an expected two million people are in dire need of food aid.

By Martin Chiwanda

Machinga, April 23, Mana: In 1995, baby Patuma was born at Lifani Bridge in Machinga while her mother, Edna Saizi, was waiting for water in Lifani River to recede on her way to seek medical attention at Machinjiri Health Centre in Zomba.

Saizi says the river has a great history to her family as she delivered her first born right at the bank of the river, as the make shift bridge, she recalls, was washed away in 1994.

“Lifani Bridge has a great history to our family. I delivered my first born child right at the bridge when we failed to cross to access health services. If it was a boy, I could have named my baby ‘Lifani’ so that it remains in our family history,” says Saizi from Matache Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mposa in Machinga.

It is not only Saizi who tells about the unforgettable challenges encountered for not having a good constructed bridge across the Lifani River. The communities too, from T/As Mposa and Machinjiri in the district, were the worst affected.

The communities could hardly connect and seek different social services from each other.

“Whenever it rained, we were disconnected. On top of failure to seek medical attention, children were failing to go to school and, of course, some lives were lost in the river on attempt to cross the high speeding waters,” Saizi adds.

However, all this is now history, following the construction of a new Lifani Bridge that connects the two T/As, thanks to Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project.

Saizi applauds government for constructing the bridge, saying it will save lives and enhance socio-economic activities in the area.

Aubrey Jaya, also from Matache Village in the same area of T/A Mposa, says people had difficulties to cross the river from either side during rainy season.

Jaya says children have been failing to attend classes during the rainy season, as they could not cross the river due to huge volumes of water.

“Apart from children failing to attend classes, we also as adults fail to do business, as we could not cross the river due to unavailability of a bridge.

“You may wish to know that the only nearby health facility in this area accessible by the community is that of Machinjiri. So, it means that when Lifani River is swollen, no one hardly accesses health services, denying us our right to good health.

“Therefore, the construction of the Lifani Bridge by GESD Project will address mobility challenges we have been facing in this area,” says Jaya.

Happiness Dinesi of Mposa concurred with Jaya, saying safe motherhood has always been compromised as most of the pregnant women have been delivering on their way to the hospital while awaiting waters in Lifani River to recede in order to cross safely.

Dinesi says women are now happy as the construction of the bridge across the Lifani River is at an advanced stage.

“We must commend government through GESD for the construction of the Lifani Bridge. As women, we have had more challenges. Most of us have delivered on our way to the hospital during rainy season as we had to wait for the river to recede and cross it.

“Even our colleagues with disabilities have been finding it hard to cross the river. To that extent, some children of that status have failed to go to school and, subsequently, dropped out.

“We are very thankful for the bridge construction. The bridge will be looked after so that it lives longer serving us,” Dinesi said.

T/A Mposa says construction of the bridge has addressed the main challenge his subjects have been encountering over the years.

Lifani Bridge lies between Lake Chilwa area at Mposa in Machinga and Songani in Zomba, connecting the two districts, following the construction of a 35-metre long bridge across the river.

GESD aims to strengthen core national and local governance institutions to improve efficiency, equity and accountability of the public resources for devolved services.

By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, April 23, Mana: Police in Dedza District have arrested 28-year-old Solomon Simango of Kanduna Village in Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in the district on suspicion that he killed his wife.

According to Dedza Police Station publicist Beatrice Jefita, it is reported that Simango and his wife were drinking beer on Sunday at a certain place where they started arguing about the wife talking to other men.

Jefita said the quarrel continued until they got home where the husband started beating his wife.

“Suspiciously, during morning hours of Monday, the wife was found lifeless in their house by the villagers.

“The angry villagers mobilized themselves to pounce on the suspect but police came in quickly and rescued him from the angry mob,” said Jefita.

She said the body was taken to Dedza District Hospital, pending postmortem examination while the suspect is expected to appear in court soon to answer a murder charge levelled against him.

The deceased hailed from Thom Village in Traditional Authority Kasumbu in Dedza District.

Meanwhile, police in the district have urged residents to report family issues to the Victim Support Unit or any police formation for counselling.

By George Mponda

Karonga, April 22, Mana: Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has launched FIFA Women's Football Campaign in Karonga with an aim to attract more female players to the game.

Speaking on Sunday during the launch at Karonga Community Centre Ground, FAM's Women's Football Manager, Blandina Mdebwe said they want to encourage participation in women’s football at grassroots level.

"Shortly, we will launch Under 14 and Under 16 Women's Football Leagues in Karonga and we will use these platforms to scout new players for Luwinga Inclusive Academy which is going to be the first full residential football academy in Malawi.

“Girls will benefit from this program because it will allow them to play in a safe, funny and non-competitive environment where they will also develop life skills and form new friendships," said Mdebwe.

In her remarks, Vice President of National Women's Football Association, Tsalakunja Chimanga said reaching districts with this campaign will help identify players who can improve womens football in Malawi.

"Football is a very lucrative career which has the ability to change peoples lives. By scouting players in districts like Karonga, we might find talented players who can help our national team at the same time changing their lives for the better," Chimanga said.

During the launch, FAM also brought along women’s football ambassadors, Asimenye Simwaka, Linda Kasenda and Maggie Chombo.

In her remarks, Simwaka, a national team football player who is also from Karonga said launching a league in the district will expose more girls to football.

"I just want to urge the girls to work hard in school, be disciplined and listen to their coaches inorder for them to make strides in their careers just like Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga," Simwaka said.

On her part, Donalisa Nyondo who plays for Karonga Stars said the leagues will motivate alot of girls to start playing women's football.

By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, April 22, Mana: Playing trade at Lozi Trading Centre in the area of Traditional Authority Mwadzama, 10 kilometres North of Nkhotakota Boma, has not only been an awful experience during the rainy season but also a deadly activity as business activities are carried out in the edges of the all-time tied-up M5 Road.

Accommodating over 400 vendors, the market continues to welcome several people from different parts of Nkhotakota and surrounding districts, who are establishing diverse forms of business, all responding positively due to Lozi’s geographical and economic opportunities.

Mumuniya Suwedi, who sells tomatoes at the market, said that due to the lack of a proper market facility, he has been operating under the scorching sun and along the road due to lack of space, a situation he said poses a challenge to his sales, quality, and life span of his tomatoes.

“Lack of proper market facility and space has been a great barrier to my business as you know that tomatoes are highly perishable and lose quality quickly. Operating without a permanent place in this market is a challenge and has contributed to the diminishing status of my business,” Suwedi laments.

Chairperson of Lozi Market, Chinkhwazala Mndota, echoes Suwedi’s sentiments adding that it has always been a difficult scenario to collect revenue from vendors at the market as most of them were operating without sheltered benches.

“It has been very hard as chairperson to encourage vendors to be paying a daily market levy because of the situation here. Most vendors including fresh fish traders have been complaining of consistent losses as a result of unfavourable business environment at the market site,” Mndota says.

However, a sigh of relief has emerged following the completion of construction works of a K26.9 million modern market shed at Lozi Trading Centre by the Nkhotakota District Council under the District Development Fund (DDF).

The council received funds from the government of Malawi for the implementation of earmarked developmental projects in the district.

Nkhotakota District Council's Director of Planning and Development, Davis Kavalo, expresses optimism that the completion of the project will bolster economic activities at the market.

“We have finalized everything at the site and handed over the facility to the vendors for the operations to commence. We expect that business activities are going to improve and contribute to economic growth among the small-scale business persons,” says Kavalo.

The Government of Malawi funds local councils to assist them in the development of required infrastructures at the district level to enhance public responsiveness and service delivery to communities.