By Nyandema Mhango

Lilongwe, 23, June: In an encounter that highlighted both the weaknesses and strengths of Malawi's National Women’s Football Team, known as the Scorchers, the recent friendly match against Ghana proved to be a crucial moment for the coach and his players.

On Saturday, June 21, the Scorchers played against Ghana, ultimately losing the match with a score of 3-1.

Despite the defeat, Coach Lovemore Fazili hailed the game as an enlightening experience. He noted that while the match revealed the challenges facing his squad, it also showcased the resilience and potential within the team.

“I have faith that everything is good with the team, and we are ready to face Angola in October for the Women’s African Cup of Nations Qualifiers,” Fazili stated confidently.

He emphasized his commitment to maintaining the current lineup, particularly the goalkeeper, despite calls for change from various quarters, “Let me say this, I am still keeping the same goalkeeper. Regardless of what others may think, I believe in my team,” he asserted.

However, not everyone shares the coach's optimism. Sports analyst Kim Kamau has criticized the decision to stick with the same goalkeeper, pointing out that the Scorchers have consistently conceded goals throughout their friendly matches.

“The team has been conceding more goals than they are scoring. If that continues, they are not making progress,” Kamau remarked. He advised the coach to consider a change in goalkeeping and to strengthen the defense in preparation for the upcoming match against Angola.

As the Scorchers prepare for their next challenge, they will need to address their recent performance, having lost five out of the six friendly matches they’ve played, winning only one. This record underscores the urgency for improvement as they gear up for the African Cup of Nations. The upcoming match against Angola will be a true test of their resilience and determination to enhance their game.

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, June 23, Mana:  Director of Agriculture Services for Kasungu, Evelyn Chima, says climate change is hindering efforts to make the district realise its potential as one of the country’s agricultural hub.

She was speaking in an interview at the end of a three-day review meeting for Kasungu District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee (DAECC) in Mzimba on Saturday. 

“Kasungu is an agriculture district but its potential is affected by various factors, among them being climate change which has affected crop production and threatened food security at household level.

“Together with all stakeholders in the natural resources conservation and  agricultural, we are joining our efforts to support our farmers with appropriate extension services and technologies so that they can still produce more and remain food secure in the face of unfriendly climatic patterns,” Chima said.

She said the meeting provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss challenges and successes in promoting agriculture for the benefit of farmers in the district which experienced pockets of dry spells and cyclones last growing season.

“Going forward, all we need is to work in collaboration and help the farmers on how they can cope with climate change because that is the major challenge for us,” she said.

DAECC Vice Chairperson, Miriam Zeka, described the meeting as a productive gathering where different organisations provided their input regarding various interventions that they are implementing including conservation and climate smart agriculture.

“It has been an amazing experience and we are looking forward to implementing some of the things we discussed.

“Our main aim was to review different projects that are being implemented in Kasungu District by both government and partners, appreciating the challenges they are facing and the next steps they are going to take moving forward,” Zeka said.

She also noted that climate change has been a challenging subject for the district in that it has affected the achievement of food security.

“We are putting a lot of effort training farmers in practices that can help improve their yield, promoting the adoption of varieties that are resistant to climate extremes so that we achieve economic, food and nutrition security for households,” she said.

The meeting, which reviewed the district's agricultural performance over the past year, stressed the importance of conservation and climate-smart agricultural practices to achieve food and income security which are crucial for the district's development.

By Innocent Manda

Lilongwe, 22 June, Mana: FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers are set to rekindle their fierce rivalry in the 2025 Airtel Top 8 final scheduled for July 12 at Bingu National Stadium.

Silver Strikers booked their ticket to the final after defeating city rivals Civo Service United 2-1 in a tense semifinal clash on Sunday afternoon. Goals from Nickson Mwase and Emmanuel Allan sealed the victory, while Peter Ng’ambi pulled one back for the Servants.

A day earlier, the defending champions Bullets overcame Karonga United 2-1 under the floodlights. Chikumbutso Salima opened the scoring in the 24th minute, but Karonga equalized shortly after the break. Hassan Kajoke’s 64th-minute strike ensured the People’s Team held on to progress.

Silver head coach Peter Mgangira downplayed any need for special motivation ahead of the final.

“They’re already paid for their job, and I don’t think they need extra motivation, every player knows his job. Injuries are no excuse—we prepare for every match with full responsibility,” said Mgangira.

On Saturday, Bullets coach Peter Mponda acknowledged the threat posed by Karonga and praised his side’s mental strength.

“Defensively, we were unconvincing, but in terms of chances, they had more, I’m happy with the result and how we responded under pressure,” said Mponda after the match.

This marks the third time Bullets and Silver will meet in an Airtel Top 8 final. In 2021, Bullets triumphed via penalties after a 1-1 draw. In 2024, they retained the title with a narrow 1-0 win.

By Yankho Banda

Lilongwe, June 22, Mana: Banja La Mtsogolo (BLM) has encouraged the youth to use a free call line of 1131 on TNM and Airtel lines to seek and access information about sexual and reproduction health (SRH).

Speaking at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe on Saturday, BLM Contact Centre Lead, Taonga Mtambo, said the service has been extended to Airtel due to high demand, especially among the youth in rural areas, to reach everyone on SRH using free call lines.

BLM first launched the free call lines on TNM.

Mtambo said, because sexual issues are not openly discussed, the line will help the youth and others to confidently and openly talk to health experts on issues concerning SRH.

She encouraged the youth to utilize the 1131 line so that they have an opportunity to talk to health experts.

According to Mtambo, where there is need for a service, the experts will give them guidance on where to go and get help.

Mvunguti Youth Network Treasurer, Ella Tambalaweko, said the 1131 line will help the youth to freely talk about issues affecting them without fear because they will be anonymous.

"This line will save transportation costs that comes when we visit a clinic and not find the services we were looking for," she said.

By Alice Ndunya

Machinga, June 22, Mana: Minister of Labour, Peter Dimba, says continuous mapping and integration of initiatives that protect children against child labour are vital in promoting the well-being of children while stopping the vice to attain the sector’s long term aspirations in line with Sustainable Development Goals.

Dimba made the remarks over the weekend at Madziamera Primary School Ground ,Traditional Authority (TA) Mposa in Machinga where he attended commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour.

The day was held under the theme: Progress is Clear, But There’s More To Do: Let’s Speed Up Efforts!

Dimba said government will continue various interventions to  deal with all forms of child labour, citing awareness campaigns as one way to help putting across messages on the implications of child labour on rights and well being.

“As government, we want to rescue children that are trapped in child labour but that can only be realistic if all stakeholders are aware of what constitutes child labour, how they can help to eliminate child labour, implications that may arise as well as failure to abide by rules and regulations,” he said.

He, therefore, appealed for total commitment by all sectors in ensuring that laws that protect children against child labour are in place and are fully implemented.

“Let’s work together in providing a safer place for children. We should not use our children as tools for financial back-ups.

“It is worrisome that children between the ages of five to 17 here in Machinga are engaged in fishing, especially on Lake Chirwa and other lakes in Malawi,” Dimba said.

Vice President for Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM), Richard Tchereko, assured the nation that the association will continue intensifying efforts to ensure that employers are committed stop child labour by abiding to labour laws and policies while pursuing business goals.

“We will make sure that members are contributing positively through infrastructure building in schools and also by providing scholarships to underprivileged students so that they are not dropping out of school,” he added.

Paramount Chief Kawinga was encouraged by efforts made by sectors in protecting children against child labour and urged chiefs to join the efforts in their respective areas.

“I want to encourage fellow chiefs to take collective measures to stop child labour,” he said.

Kawinga, therefore, called upon fellow chiefs to formulate and enforce by laws that should deal with child labour, saying this will compliment efforts by various stakeholders.

World Day Against Child Labour is commemorated globally on June 12. The day was set aside to raise awareness of child labour and its impact.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, June 21, Mana: Director of Irrigation Operations at Green Belt Authority, Chisomo Kumbuyo, has disclosed that all processes for Phase II of rehabilitation works of Lweya Irrigation Scheme in the area of Senior Chief Malanda in Nkhata Bay are completed to ensure that the scheme is fully functional and serves its purpose.

Kumbuyo disclosed this on Friday during an inspection tour by the Authority, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedicto Chambo, to appreciate the scheme's operations and interact with farmers.

According to Kumbuyo, the rehabilitation works of Phase Two will proceed as planned.

“Lweya Irrigation Scheme is under the Mega Farm Programme, which is one of the projects the Green Belt Authority is implementing. One of our functions is to rehabilitate aging irrigation infrastructure, and Lweya falls under that category.

“As such, part of the K20 billion which government has allocated under the Mega Farms Programme in this financial year will be used to rehabilitate this scheme, as the resources in Phase I could not cover all the works,” he said.

He added that the Authority is in the process of awarding contracts, and that contractors will be handed over the site to commence work by the end of July this year.

“Some of the works in this phase will include construction of secondary and tertiary canals, field drains, access roads, as well as an alternative intake on the other side of the scheme,” he added.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedicto Chambo, said government is committed to increasing irrigable land to make the country food secure.

“As government, we want to make sure that all the schemes under Green Belt Authority are fully functional. We have seen that this scheme has all the facilities, and we want it to be in shape.

“That way, we are increasing the irrigable land in Malawi to ensure that by 2030 we are not dependent on rain-fed farming,” he said.

Chambo therefore urged farmers not to wait for rehabilitation works to be completed but to start preparing their fields so that when the scheme is ready, there should not be a gap but immediate planting of crops.

President for Lweya Water Users Association (WUA), Young Simoni Phiri, said plans to rehabilitate the scheme in Phase II have revived farmers’ hope that they will soon be able to grow crops throughout the year, which has always been their dream.

“We are grateful to government for continued efforts to make our scheme functional, and we are ready to cooperate with the contractor because we know this will empower us economically,” he said.

District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, David Kayiwonanga Gondwe, urged farmers and the community at large to take ownership of the scheme.

“As a district, we are lucky to have a number of irrigation schemes compared to other districts. We will strive to provide enough extension services as we aim to achieve the country’s food security. As such, I urge you all to take ownership of this scheme and use it to your full potential,” he said.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, June 21, Mana: Cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, among youths aged between 10 and 19 in Rumphi District have increased in the past two years.

Rumphi District Hospital figures show that STI cases among girls and boys aged between 10 and 19 years have increased from 211 in 2024 to 228 in 2025, so far.

The number of teenage pregnancies has also ballooned from 444 in 2024 to 644 in 2025, while 131 teens are on antiretroviral therapy, up from 80 in 2024.  

Rumphi District Hospital Youth Friendly Health Services coordinator, Tereza Singoyi, disclosed the figures at Rumphi Youth Resource Centre on Friday when Nzatonse Project brought together various stakeholders to deliberate on sexual and reproductive health challenges the youth face in the district.

Singoyi has attributed the rising numbers to various gaps, including limited number of facilities with trained youth friendly services providers, and hilly terrain, which makes it difficult for the youth seeking the services to access them among others.

“We also have few trained community distribution agents for family planning services such as condoms. We are currently providing outreach services to these areas in order to bridge this gap.

“With our partners support we also have youth mobilizers who are community based who give information about sexual and reproductive health services to their peers,” said Singoyi.

She further said the engagement meeting with youth representatives from various traditional authorities in the district has also brought to their attention the gaps in the provision of SRHS to the youth, and that her office would work on addressing the gaps through partnerships with various stakeholders.

The Coordinator further said Nzatonse Project has also been training peer educators and community mobilizers.

The youth in the district have asked various duty bearers ranging from health, education, social welfare to act on SRHS challenges youths face in accessing the services.

Peer educator from Phoka under Nzatonse Project, Matilda Msiska, said it is scary for the youth to learn about increasing numbers of youths getting infected with STIs, including HIV.

She urged the authorities and various stakeholder to act quickly on the issue and other issues including mental health that leads to suicide cases among the youths from the district and beyond.

District Coordinator for Nzatonse Project in Rumphi, Tumpale Kangere, said through the project they are striving to create a conducive environment for the youth to access sexual and reproductive health services, including mental health services, in order to curb the challenge of unplanned pregnancies, which lead to fistula cases and school dropout among girls.

The Nzatonse project is being implemented by the Livingstonia Synod Health Department, in collaboration with the ACT Alliance, led by Norwegian Church Aid and Dane Church Aid joint country programme, with funding from the German government through KfW.