MANAonline
Voter Registration start on good note in Mzimba South
By Alexander Tchongwe
Mzimba, November 29, Mana: District Elections Officer for Mzimba South, Chrispin Chakhumbila says voter registration exercise has started smoothly in all the 311 centres across the district.
Speaking in an interview on Friday, Chakhumbila said the exercise is progressing well, saying they are taking proactive measures to address potential challenges.
He said anticipated challenges such as mobility issues in remote areas like Khosolo and Mugungulu, as well as fuel shortages, have not been experienced so far.
“We had concerns about accessing hilly areas and ensuring enough fuel for the exercise. However, we currently have sufficient fuel, and we have deployed strong teams to ensure operations in hard-to-reach areas remain uninterrupted,” said Chakhumbila.
Supervisor for Mzimba LEA Registration Center, Eston Nyirenda reported an encouraging turnout.
“We started in the morning and more than 40 people have already registered. We expect an increase in numbers as the exercise progresses,” said Nyirenda.
One of the registered voters, Jessy Kamanga encouraged others to register so they can exercise their right to elect leaders of their choice during 2025 polls.
Group Village Head (GVH) Amon Moyo said he has been actively mobilizing people in his community to register for the polls.
“We have been holding meetings more than four times a month to remind our people to prepare for registration. Additionally, we have spread messages during religious gatherings, other community meetings, and even at funerals to ensure everyone understands the importance of this exercise,” said Moyo.
The registration exercise, which started on Thursday, will run until December 11, 2024.
World Vision Malawi donates to schools in Chitipa
By Andrew Gondwe
Chitipa, November 29, Mana: In a bid to complement government efforts in promoting quality education in the country, World Vision Malawi (WVM) on Thursday donated US$77, 000 worth of assorted school items to various schools in the area of Senior Chief Kameme in Chitipa District.
The benefiting schools are Nsambo Primary School and Kameme Community Day Secondary School.
WVM District Manager for Karonga and Chitipa districts, Hendrix Kalanje said that Nsambo Primary School benefited 93 desks, 13 desk chairs and nine tables totaling to US$65, 286. 50, while Kameme CDSS received 48 double mattresses at a cost of US$11,832.
Kalanje explained that the total cost of the donation included transportation, clearing and other costs.
He further explained that the donation was made after the organization observed that Nsambo school lacked furniture and Kameme CDSS had no mattresses to accommodate large numbers of learners for quality education.
“We established girl learners at Kameme CDSS were sleeping on bare floor and this was not conducive to their studies,” Kalanje said.
Director of Planning and Development for Chitipa District Council, Smith Mnenula commended WVM for being a good development partner to the district.
Mnenula said that the donation contributed towards improved education standards and students’ academic performance at the two schools.
“Let me urge authorities in these two schools to take care of the properties and use them for the intended purpose for them to last long,” said Mnenula.
Head teacher for Nsambo Primary School, Douglas Siame applauded WVM for the desks which he said will accommodate 272 learners at the school.
Head girl for Kameme CDSS, Eluby Chiona thanked WVM for donating mattresses, saying the mattresses will improve girls’ accommodation hence motivating them to concentrate on their studies.
Blantyre Archdiocese assists families in T/A Lundu
By Vida Msiyo
Blantyre, November 29, Mana: A total of 700 vulnerable households in Traditional Authority Lundu, Blantyre, on Thursday received food and financial assistance from the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) under the Blantyre Archdiocese.
The support, funded by Caritas Korea and Italy, was aimed at easing food shortages in the area as about 200 households received MK100, 000 each to buy food, while 500 households were given 10 kilograms of soya corn blend to help malnourished children.
Speaking during the event, Vicar General, Monsignor Boniface Tamani said the Catholic Church is committed to helping those in need, emphasizing the church’s mission to support the vulnerable especially in times of hardship and ensure no one is left behind.
“We are concerned about the hunger affecting Malawi, with support from Caritas Korea and Italy, we are able to help those in need and this act of giving is also the reason we celebrate the World Day of the Poor, to ensure there is no hunger or violence in families and the country,” said Tamani.
Blantyre District Council Disaster Officer Faith Khamula thanked the church for the gesture, saying T/A Lundu is one of the areas that faces hunger every year. She further said that such support helps ease the burden on the local community and strengthens efforts to combat food insecurity in the district.
“As Blantyre District Council, we are happy to see churches helping; this support will go a long way in assisting the government in its efforts to provide food to those affected by hunger. So the involvement of churches in this effort is crucial in ensuring that the most vulnerable people receive the assistance they need during these challenging times,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Rosemary William, thanked the church for its inclusive approach to helping the needy, saying the support has given her hope during difficult times and she praised the Roman Catholic Church for ensuring that no one, regardless of their background is left behind in the aid distribution.
“What the Roman Catholic has done is a great work, they have helped me and everyone who is poor in this area, not just members of their Church but anyone. So I encourage other religious groups to do the same when helping people to make Malawi a better place,” she added.
The assistance focuses on vulnerable groups such as the elderly, widows and orphans to ease their struggles during hard times.
About 20 houses destroyed by stormy rains in Chitipa
By Aliko Munde
Chitipa, November 29, Mana: At least 20 houses were destroyed on Thursday by stormy rains in the area of Senior Chief Mwenewenya in Chitipa District.
Councillor for Wenya Ward who is also Chairperson for Chitipa District Council, Ronald Kayira, said that the area received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds on Thursday resulting in destruction of some houses.
“Many houses have been destroyed and initial assessment is underway to establish exact households affected in group village heads Mfinda, Sekwa and Kalowe in the area of Senior Chief Mwenewenya,” Kayira said.
Disaster Risk Management Officer for Chitipa District Council, Mphatso Nedson said that his office has received reports from Wenya Area Disaster Risk Management Committee (ADRMC) concerning the disaster that has hit the area.
“Approximately 20 households have been destroyed by stormy rains and Village Disaster Risk Management Committee and ADRMC members are on the ground assessing the magnitude of the damage,” Nedson said.
Usi says government will address current challenges
By Abel Ikiloni
Blantyre, November 29, Mana: Vice President Dr. Michael Usi has urged the people of Chonde in Mulanje to have trust in the government as it works to address various challenges facing Malawians, including hunger.
Usi was speaking on Thursday when he interacted with small-scale business people at Luchenza Trading Centre in Thyolo and Chonde Market in Mulanje District.
He said government remains determined to resolve all the challenges affecting the country, calling on people to exercise patience.
The VP also urged people not to be exploited by politicians to engage in violent political activities.
During the tour, Usi in his personal capacity distributed fertilizers to vulnerable elderly person in Mulanje.
On his way back from Mulanje, he also briefly stopped at Chonde Market and in Blantyre where he interacted with market vendors at Chikapa and Luanda in Machinjiri Township.
Addressing the people, Usi asked people to have trust with the current government because it is trying all it can to deal with the problems people are going through.
In his remarks, chairperson for the Luanda Market, Saidi Tsinkha commended the Vice President for visiting their area.
Strong wind blows off school blocks roofs in Mzimba and Rumphi
By Rose Cross Mahorya and Manasse Nyirenda
Mzuzu, November 29, Mana: Strong wind accompanied by partial rains on Thursday blew off roofs of some houses and school blocks in Mzimba and Rumphi districts.
In Mzimba among other destroyed structures include Baula Primary School which is one of the voter registration centres in Mzimba North East Constituency.
Confirming the incident, District Elections Officer for Mzimba North, Demeria Rocha said the situation led to temporal suspension of the voter registration exercise at the centre but assured the situation is under control.
“Registration will proceed tomorrow. There has been no injury but personal belonging of our officers have been destroyed,” said Rocha.
In a related development, the voter registration exercise at Chinyera in Mzimba East Constituency was disrupted after several officers fell ill with diarrhea, and one officer was referred to Mzuzu Central Hospital for treatment.
According to Medical Officer for Mzimba North District Health Office, Shadreck Mzima Ngwira, health personnel have already been alerted to monitor the situation and establish the cause of the disease.
In a related development, stormy rains, on Thursday damaged classroom blocks at Chiyvaladi and Fyolonga primary schools in Rumphi disrupting teaching and learning.
Primary Education Advisor (PEA) for Mzokoto Education Zone, Tamara Mkandawire said that a block that housed two classes including the school’s deputy head teacher’s house had their roofs blown off.
"We are currently planning on double shift classes to ensure that we continue with teaching and learning. Some classes will be learning in the morning while others later in the day.
We therefore need portable black boards to ensure that classes continue without much challenges as some learners will still be learning outside due to inadequate classes," said Mkandawire.
Miriam Mtumbuka, PEA for Luviri Education Zone in which Fyolonga Primary School is located, said that there is urgent need for rehabilitation of the school block for classes to return to normal.
Chief Education Officer for Rumphi, Emmanuel Mwalirino said that his office is currently assessing the situation.
“We are planning to implement temporary redress measures to ensure that classes are not disrupted for an extended period,” said Mwalirino.
Chiyvaladi and Fyolonga primary schools have enrollment of 450 and 170 learners respectively and no injury has been reported in both cases.
Making farmers food secure with AIP
By Leonard Masauli
Lilongwe, November 28, Mana: Belia Chipeta, 78, from Kajiso Shaba Village in Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba, never believed that the Affordable Input Programme (AIP) truly existed.
Since the programme was established years ago, she had never benefited, which made her feel that only those connected to the Member of Parliament or related to chiefs were privileged to access it.
For decades, her farming journey yielded no significant results. Her household endured hunger year in and year out because she could not afford fertilizer and had to rely on a few kilos sold by vendors, which were never enough.
The years of insufficient harvests left Chipeta struggling to provide enough food for her family, making food security an unattainable dream.
However, everything changed when she learned her name was among the beneficiaries for the 2024-2025 farming season. She felt a surge of joy, knowing she would now farm with renewed hope and peace of mind.
“When I heard that my name had been considered to buy affordable fertilizer, I jumped in disbelief because I knew that my challenges with food security were finally over," said Chipeta.
"Today, I have managed to buy two bags, which will be enough for my garden. I believe this will transform my household from being food insecure to food secure," she added.
Chipeta thanked the government for introducing the programme, saying it is a game-changer for agricultural productivity.
Another beneficiary, Eleaner Kanyimbo from Chilongozi Village in Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe's area in Rumphi district, also commended the AIP saying it has potential to make people food secure and expressed her gratitude for being included in the programme.
"As a beneficiary this year, I feel honoured to be among those buying fertilizer. I am confident I will have enough food next year," said Kanyimbo.
She also appreciated the government’s efforts to ensure fertilizer is available on time and with minimal hurdles.
"I was nervous when I heard about issues like network problems, mismatched names, and other glitches. But all those have been resolved. I believe that by next year, I will not only have enough food but also surplus to sell, which will help pay school fees for my children and buy other household necessities," she added.
From Ekwendeni in Mzimba North, Blessings Twea echoed Kanyimbo's sentiments, emphasizing that the price of fertilizer on the market is unaffordable for many farmers, but AIP has made it possible for them to access it.
"We thank the government for being considerate. There are farmers who are elderly or living with disabilities who cannot afford to raise over MK100,000 for fertilizer. This programme provides a much-needed cushion for such people," said Twea.
Senior Group Village Headwoman Mankhambira from Nkhatabay also expressed her gratitude, saying the programme will significantly improve food security in communities.
"Many people could not harvest enough in the last growing season because they could not afford fertilizer. The AIP will help farmers produce enough, as fertilizer is now within their reach. So far, there have been no problems; people are buying freely," she said.
Programmes Manager for Mzuzu Agricultural Development Division (ADD), Anderson Chikomola, said that this year’s AIP has targeted 101,914 beneficiaries across the four district councils of M'mbelwa, Rumphi, Nkhatabay, and Likoma.
Chikomola said the programme has begun smoothly, with 94 selling points established across the ADD where farmers are already redeeming their inputs.
"We have prioritized hard-to-reach areas so that farmers have ample time to buy fertilizer and seeds before the rains start," he explained.
"Additionally, the programme has a multifaceted approach. Beyond AIP, some farmers are benefiting from NEEF loans and livestock initiatives. We believe this programme will not only ensure food security for farmers but also enable them to sell surplus, creating opportunities for others to benefit," Chikomola added.
Authorities in Balaka hail AIP, urging government to speed up the process
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, November 28, MANA: Authorities in Balaka District have commended government for rolling out 2024/2025 Affordable Input Programme (AIP), expressing hope that farmers will harvest more yields this farming season.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency, one of the farmers from the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kachenga, Yamikani Matope expressed gratitude for being enrolled on the programme citing that previously he could not harvest more yields because of limited fertilizer.
"Last year, I used manure for my farming and I only got five bags but with the fertilizer that I will use this year, I am optimistic to harvest nine to ten bags.
"I am grateful to government because my life will change and I would urge the same government to enroll more people in the upcoming season so that hunger should be history in our area," he added.
Commenting on the development, Group Village Head (GVH) Mtumbwe said the programme will cushion hunger in his area as many people who are on the programme would not manage to afford fertilizers from the vendors.
"A good number of people have benefitted from AIP and we just urge the government to speed up and finalize the process of selling the commodity because people have already planted their crops," he said.
G.H.V Mtumbwe however called for government to streamline the system of enrolling the beneficiaries by involving local leaders and extension workers saying this would eliminate some of the shortfalls within the programme.
Meanwhile, Smallholder Farmers Fertilizers Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) Sales Clerk for Balaka Boma, Frank Maselenga said the cordial relationship among their entity, local leaders, district agriculture office and the central government has allowed the process of selling fertilizer to be successful.
He emphasized that from the three stocks that they had previously at Balaka Boma, farmers were able to purchase both NPK and Urea.
Nkhotakota Small scale farmers thrilled with AIP
By Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, November 28, Mana: Smallholder farmers in Nkhotakota District have expressed gratitude towards government for the timely access to Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) that enables them to purchase fertilizer at a cheaper price ahead of the farming season.
Speaking to Malawi news agency on Thursday, one of the Farmers Zaina Dawali, from Chipala Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Malengachanzi thanked the government for providing fertilizer at an affordable price. She said her family couldn't manage to buy at higher price from other shops.
"This fertilizer will help our crops to grow well and harvest more yield and have more food in our family after harvesting, "said Dawali.
Another Beneficiary Rashid Stambuli from Chilibunu Village Traditional Authority (TA) Mphonde also praised government for the affordable inputs coming on time ahead of the farming season giving farmers enough time to make sure they yield better harvest.
"This will help us to prepare our crops in time and I thank the government we are now buying 2 bags of fertiliser at K30,000." He said.
Village Headman Phagwa from Traditional Authority Malengachazi of the district said people in his community have accessed the fertilizer and he has encouraged them to put more efforts in the farms and not sale the inputs for quick money and suffer later.
Government introduced the Affordable Inputs Program (AIP) in order to help farmers to be food secured and enhance agriculture productivity in the country.
AIP gives hope to subsistence farmers in Dowa
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, November 28, Mana: Some subsistence farmers in Dowa have applauded the Affordable farm Input Program (AIP) saying it has helped in promoting food security amongst the less privileged households.
One of the farmers, Anne Chikhasu from Chileka village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiwere said, most poor households dream of achieving food security through small-scale subsistence farming. She however added that they face challenges due to high market prices of farm inputs.
"For example, without fertilizer, I normally get far less than ten bags on a one acre field, which is not enough to feed my family for the whole year. That means continued cycles of food shortages," she said.
She said now she has been given hope through AIP, where less privileged households are enrolled to access farm inputs at a subsidized price.
Chikhasu who has already purchased two bags of fertilizer at K15,000 each, said this will help her in securing food for her family.
"Thanks to AIP, I have bought one bag of UREA and one bag of NPK. With good rains, I can be assured of harvesting around 30 bags which will be of huge significance in attaining food security for my family until the next growing season.
"As such I am very grateful to have been considered to be included under the program this year because I did not have any hope of sourcing farm inputs," she said.
She however urged government to increase the number of beneficiaries so that the program also reaches more other less privileged households.
Maxwell Mgabi of Kaliba village in T/A Nsakambewa who has also purchased two bags under AIP this year, concurred with Chikhasu saying the program is providing an opportunity for the less privileged to feed themselves.
"But I would like to urge beneficiaries not to sale the farm inputs. Also, that the program strictly targets those who really need assistance because there are many who work hard, but cannot afford the farm inputs on their own," he said.
Director of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources for Dowa Chikumbutso Liwonde, in an interview said the program has started on a good note in the district.
“The program has started well and markets have opened in all selling points, and they have been stocked with both NPK and UREA. Currently we are prioritizing hard to reach areas to minimize logistical issues as the rainy season progresses and rains intensify.
“In the district this year, we have 75,298 beneficiaries under the program. And many of them are excited that the fertilizer prices have been maintained at MK15,000 per 50-kilogram bag," he said.
He added that each constituency in the district has at least two AIP selling points strategically placed, for beneficiaries not to travel very long distances to redeem the inputs.
Chairperson for Dowa District Council Institution Integrity Committee Amigo Wiseman, said as a committee that is tasked to oversee issues of integrity, they are conducting monitoring visits to AIP selling points.
He said their role is to monitor if sales and all procedures at all selling points are being done in accordance with government stipulated guidelines.
“So, during monitoring, we are looking at the availability of farm inputs, checking the availability of all necessary documents like receipts, personnel, and observing the buying processes.
“As of now, we have seen that availability of fertilizer is quite good, the fertilizer is coming in different consignments and farmers are able to buy,” he said.
He however stressed of the need to strengthen security in all selling points to protect both the beneficiaries and traders, and also the farm inputs.
