MANAonline
Expert seeks to address stress and mental health issues
By Esther Ndhlozi
Mzuzu, August 7, Mana: Mental Health Specialist, Chiyambi Guwela Sande is set to host an online Stress Management and Meditation Training workshop from 10th to 24th August 2024, in response to the growing concern of stress and mental health in the country.
The workshop aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to manage stress and promote mental wellbeing.
According to Sande, many people in Malawi are struggling to cope with stress due to lack of knowledge on how to handle it and where to seek professional help. Therefore, this online platform based workshop seeks to reach out to each and every individual regardless of the geographical area.
“We would like everyone to get help through this workshop regardless of their distance in order to promote a mental and emotional wellbeing,” said Sande.
Sande added that our Malawian culture and social standards are perpetuating stress and emotional instability, leading to a rise in suicidal cases.
“The societal pressure on people to supress emotions and not having adequate access to help in times of need is one of the significant contributors to this crisis.
“For instance, the cultural and societal expectations for men to always be strong and not cry when faced with challenges leaves them without emotional support outlets,” added Sande.
In his remarks, one of the invited speakers at the workshop, Adorn Banda who is also a meditation coach said people who will attend this workshop will benefit in so many ways like getting an increase in self-awareness, gaining insights in the causes that trigger emotional distress and gain easy to use techniques to manage their thoughts which will equip them to face challenges and be productive.
He further alluded that the workshop will help fight the misconception that peace and happiness in life come from favourable conditions in the world.
“We would like to use this workshop to clear the misconception that happiness and peace in life comes from favourable conditions in life. However, the workshop will strive to help people see clearly that peace and happiness are a result having healthy thoughts and emotions,” said Banda.
Banda has further encouraged people to attend the upcoming workshop, saying it is a vital investment in their mental health and it will equip individuals with tools to overcome mental struggles, paving a way for a much healthier and happier life.
“I encourage people not to be hesitant in attending this workshop that aims to provide skills of mind management and development which in a long run will help people enjoy their life to their maximum potential,” Banda added.
Commenting on the matter, Lusubilo Msukwa who is one of the candidates attending the workshop expressed her excitement over the upcoming workshop saying it will help her find a safe space in reducing her emotional stress and fight the pressure from society which usually depicts that young people should not be facing problems.
“I am so thrilled to be part of this year’s mental health work shop because it will provide a safe platform for me to fight my emotions and benefit in so many ways.
“I would like to commend the organizers of this workshop because they have considered me and my fellow youths taking in consideration that our society usually expects us not to be going through stress and saying that we are too young to be having depression,” said Msukwa.
The Stress Management and Meditation Training workshop is set to commence on 10 August and will run until August 24. Online sessions will be held daily at 7:30 pm via Google Meet. Registration is open via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 088811103409 and 0991157448. A fee of 5,000 Malawi Kwacha is required to secure participation.
Social media distracting women from breastfeeding
By Richard Kagunda
Kasungu, August 7, Mana: Kasungu District Council says the coming in of modern technology such as social media is distracting women from properly breastfeeding their infants, a tendency it says is leading to poor child development.
Chairperson for the council, Mwambilaso Mbedza, made the observation on Tuesday during the district’s commemoration of World Breast Feeding Week activities at Chinkhoma Primary School in Kasungu.
Mbedza said as women spend long hours entertaining themselves on social media and television, they forget their duty to properly attend their infants who need regular breastfeeding.
“A baby is supposed to be breastfed at least eight times a day but most women do not do this as they spend long hours on social media.
“This tendency is contributing to poor growth of infants and has lasting effects on their health as a person grows into adulthood,” she said.
Mbedza said there is a need to raise awareness of the importance of regular breastfeeding, observing that some women fail to follow breastfeeding prescriptions out of ignorance.
On her part, the Senior Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Kasungu District Health Office, Phebby Lodzeni Nyondo said it is worrisome to learn that some mothers do not regard breastfeeding as an important ingredient towards child growth.
“Most mothers regard breastfeeding as a disturbance. We urge them to make sure that their babies are breastfed properly on daily basis,” she said.
Nyondo also appealed to men to take a leading role in reminding and supporting their lactating wives to breastfeed their babies.
The world observes Breastfeeding Week every year in the first week of August to remind mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and promote an enabling environment that helps women to breastfeed and share information on strategies and benefits.
While breastfeeding is regarded as the most effective means to ensure child health and survival, the World Health Organisation reports that fewer than half of the infants under six months old are exclusively breastfed.
This year’s breastfeeding week is being observed under the theme ‘Minimising the gap’.
Bridge construction launch excites community
By Eranivey Temani
Lilongwe, August 7, Mana: People of Mtambwa village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Khongoni in Lilongwe have expressed excitement over the construction launch of a modern bridge worth over MK109 million.
Speaking on Tuesday during the launch of the bridge under Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Projects, Senior Chief Khongoni thanked government for the facility saying it will ease mobility challenges that people in the area are facing.
“I am extremely happy with this development, since the bridge that was here got damaged some years ago,” she said.
“This is a great development for the business people around the area as the coming bridge will enable people to easily transport their goods to and from the town,” she added.
Khongoni then advised her subjects to be at the forefront in making sure that the bridge is of high quality and that it is completed within the agreed time.
“I will advise the Area Development Committee to step up their effort and make sure that this project should be completed,” she said.
Lilongwe District Council Vice Chairperson, Dominic Banda has since called for unity among people and the contractor for the smooth implementation of the project.
GESD projects are implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC), with funding from the World Bank.
Organization set to commercialize potatoes
By Martha Simchimba
Lilongwe, July 7, Mana: International Potato Centre says it is geared to commercialize potatoes and promote consumption at the household level in the country.
The organization’s Research Technician, Thokozani Mvula was speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday during the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee meeting saying they intend to achieve that through a Market-Led Transformation of the root and tuber crops subsector in Malawi where they will increase private sector participation in value chains among others.
“Among others, the project seeks to reduce imports of potatoes from outside the country. In the meantime, we are getting more potatoes from outside and yet we have a very good land where we can grow more potatoes,” he said.
Food and Nutrition Officer for Lilongwe East Agriculture Office, Chikondi Magombo said the district will benefit more from the project by increasing consumption at household level.
"I want to appreciate people in the country because they have started learning that roots and tuber crops are useful for improved nutrition in family diets which can also assist in reducing malnutrition," she said.
The project which will run for four years with financial support from Ireland Embassy is targeting 60,000 households.
Currently, the project is being implemented in eight districts of Dowa, Dedza, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Mzimba, Ntchisi and Ntcheu.
Councils challenged to promote Persons with Disabilities Act
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, August 7, Mana: Director General for Malawi Council for Disabilities Affairs (MACODA), George Chiusiwa has urged local councils in the country to take a leading role in advocating and promoting newly enacted Persons with Disability Act, 2024.
Chiusiwa made the remarks on Tuesday in Nkhata-Bay during an Orientation of the new Act to Nkhata Bay District Council officials and other stakeholders, organized by The Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, facilitated by UNDP together with Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
Chiusiwa said they are engaging duty bearers in local councils in the country so that they should understand better the content in the new Act and their obligation in promoting the welfare of persons with disabilities.
"Local authority officials need to acquire knowledge and information in as far as this new law is concerned so that they easily safeguard the lives of persons with disabilities under the new law," said Chiusiwa.
Chiusiwa challenged councils to construct infrastructure that can ably accommodate persons with disabilities.
"It is also important that public institutions are provided with resources to make proper adjustment to pieces of infrastructures in order to ensure that persons with disabilities access services,” he added.
Chairperson for Nkhata Bay Disability Forum, McDwelings Nkhoma said the new Act is significant in spearheading improvement to their social-economic welfare as among other things it is advocating for empowerment to persons with disabilities.
Nyalonje calls for more investment in child education
By James Mwale
Ntchisi, August 7, Mana: Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje has urged stakeholders to work jointly and invest in child education saying this is the only way of eliminating poverty.
She was speaking on Tuesday at Mbuyedziko primary school ground, in the area of Senior Chief Kalumo, in Ntchisi district, where she presided over this year’s commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour.
She said denying children their right to education and engaging them in works that exceed their age limit is increasing levels of poverty and that concerted interventions from all stakeholders are key to ending the malpractice.
“Let us work together to do away with all practices that hinder our children from enjoying their right to access education,” said NyaLonje who added: “Let us love all the children and no country has ever developed without education.”
She further said allowing children their right to education resonates with President Lazarus Chakwera’s dream for a new Malawi, which can be achieved through educated minds.
In his welcome remarks, Senior Chief Kalumo conceded that child labour which has mostly been accelerated by poverty is negatively impacting his area and the district at large.
“We always appreciate the government’s interventions, in collaboration with the Civil Society against this backward practice,” he said.
Engaging children in tobacco farms and herding cattle are among child labour practices in the district.
This year’s commemoration was held under the theme “Let’s Act On Our Commitment to End Child Labour”
MRA to use drones in tracking smugglers
By Yamikani Sabola
Mzuzu, August 6, Mana: Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has disclosed plans to introduce the use of drones along the country’s borders to detect smuggling activities.
MRA’s Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Dorothy Mataya said during a media training on new tax measures in Mzuzu on Tuesday that the drones will be patrolling the borderlines to facilitate tracking and apprehension of smugglers.
She said smuggling of goods is very rampant due to the country’s porous borderlines.
Mataya said the Authority is therefore intensifying efforts in curbing the malpractice.
“Other countries are increasingly utilizing drones in border security and prevention of smuggling and we want to do the same. The flexibility and ability of drones to cover vast areas quickly make them valuable tools for border surveillance,” Mataya said.
She reiterated that MRA is fixing tax stamps on goods that pass through the border after the importer duly pays customs.
Mataya then appealed to the general public to only buy goods that have tax stamps on them as one way of promoting businesses that are contributing to the country’s tax net.
She said the media training was conducted to ensure that the journalists are given correct information on tax issues so that they can be able to articulate them to the masses the right way.
“We need you as media to go out and tell the public the advantages of paying taxes on all imported goods and how it affects the development of the country. People should understand that if they are into smuggling or are helping others to smuggle, development suffers,” she said.
One of the journalists, Ephraim Banda commended MRA for the training, saying the information shared during the workshop was very vital.
He however asked the Authority to extend the trainings to district based journalists including those from community radio stations.
Premier Bet cashier arrested for squandering K18m through betting
By Sellah Chunda
Lilongwe, August 06, Mana: Lilongwe Police has arrested a 25-year-old, Rodney Kandulu for theft of MK18 million, money he squandered through playing multiple Premier Bet Navigator game, on Sunday, August 4, 2024.
Rodney Kandulu hails from Bismark Village, Traditional Authority Kapeni in Blantyre District.
Inspector Hastings chigalu said on the said date at around 09:00 hours, the suspect, being one of the cashiers at Area 3 office, collected the said amount and started using the revenue to play Navigator betting game in order to generate his own profits without his company knowing.
Upon being audited at around 12:00 hours, it is when he was found with a shortage of the said amount.
A thorough grilling, and going through his cellphone, established that he used the money to play Premier Bet Navigator game in which he placed multiple bets of MK1 million minimum, and MK4.5 million maximum, for several times totaling to MK18 million.
Later, Area 3 police detectives were called in and arrested the suspect.
During interrogation he voluntarily admitted to squander the cash through betting, and said he regretted to have done such a thing, saying he cannot afford to pay back such a huge sum of money.
Kandulu is expected to appear in court soon to answer a case of Theft by Servant.
Parliament committees endorse MRA’s tax stamp
By Tikondane Vega
Lilongwe, August 6, Mana: Public Accounts Committee of Parliament says it fully supports Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) idea to fully use tax stamp as a tool to eliminate goods smuggling into the country.
Chairperson of the committee, Mark Botomani said this on Tuesday in Lilongwe after inspecting MRA Warehouse and unchartered routes that smugglers use.
Botomani said now that the committee has hands-on experience on how people smuggle goods into Malawi, there is no problem for MRA to use tax stamps on products saying doing so could also be protecting other business people.
“After our inspecting today we have noticed that smuggling is a huge problem and the only solution to prevent it is by bringing different mechanisms like tax stamps. No country can run without taxes and MRA needs our support.
“Likely, the stamping issue has the potential to reduce smuggling and that’s the only solution since the government is losing a lot of money through smuggling of goods. That’s invading tax. However, MRA should continue sensitizing the public on the matter,” said Botomani.
On his part, MRA’s Commissioner General, John Bizwick said the goal behind tax stamp is to protect and safeguard local industries and consumers from unfair competition posed by illicit, smuggled, and counterfeit excisable products.
He said the idea also seeks to ensure that consumers are not exposed to unbranded and potentially hazardous imports, which could be detrimental to health.
“The local industry will be saved from unfair competition of smuggled products because only legitimate products will have the stamp, and only legitimate products will find their way onto the market.
“Because of smuggling, the market share of products that have been produced in Malawi has been impacted negatively. By bringing in tax stamps, local industry will be saved from the competition of smuggled products,” he explained.
The stamp endorsement is coming just a day after another committee of industry, trade and tourism led by Paul Nkhoma did the same on Monday after doing an inspection.
Tax stamps are stamped on products to show that the manufacturers have met tax obligations but also to show that the products are fit for human consumption.
First Lady's cancer initiative takes screening to Rumphi
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, August 6, Mana: First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign has launched a four-day screening for cancer and sexually transmitted infections at Jeka village in Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe in Rumphi district.
In an interview on Monday, principal social welfare officer at State House, Grace Kalanda said the initiative aims at encouraging women to test for breast cancer routinely in order to detect and treat it early to save their lives.
She added that the initiative was launched in 2023 and at least 700 women in State Residences have been screened for breast cancer and three who tested positive are undergoing treatment.
She further said that their target is to screen at least 500 people in Rumphi.
Director of Health and Social Services for Rumphi District Council, Dr. Arnold Jumbe said about six percent of women who undergo cervical cancer screening in Rumphi test positive.
He therefore urged women to go for cervical and breast cancer screening.
Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe said he was happy that the initiative was launched in his area and urged State House team to take it across the country so that more women can benefit from the initiative.
One of the women who came for screening, Ida Nkhata, 28 from Jeka village in the same area said she was happy to access such services within her village.
She also called upon women to utilize the screening services in her village and test for breast and cervical cancer.
The First Lady's initiative focuses on breast cancer while Rumphi District Health Office has included cervical cancer and STI to the screening campaign.
Statistics indicate that at least 600 women die from breast cancer yearly while 4,000 test positive for cervical cancer out of which at least 2,000 die every year in Malawi.
The screening campaign will run from 5th August to 9th.
