By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, March 20, Mana: Principal Nutrition, HIV and AIDS Officer for Likoma, Yamikani Makondi, says HIV prevalence rate for the district has risen from 7.3 percent last year to 7.6 percent this year, describing is as alarming. 

Speaking during an HIV stakeholders’ meeting in the district on Wednesday, Makondi said Likoma District has become the second highest in the northern region after Mzuzu City which has 9.7 percent HIV prevalence rate.

He said the stakeholders’ meeting was organized to come up with solutions to reverse the trend.

“Some of the factors contributing to high prevalence rate in the district include influx of commercial sex workers and tendency by fish mongers to stay long in fishing areas, leaving their families behind and engaging themselves in sexual acts,” Makondi said.

Makondi said the stakeholders had come up with various interventions to help in reversing the situation, such as engaging fisheries associations, faith based organizations, and community based organizations and youth networks in upscaling condom distribution, among others.

Public Relations Officer for National AIDS Commission (NAC), Karen Msiska, said Likoma, being an island district, has a buzz of activities that involves people from different places that visit for a number of reasons, including tourism.

“As these people intermingle, they share some behaviours, some of which are drivers for HIV transmission. We target such areas with interventions that focus on both prevention and treatment, including condom programming as well as social and behaviour change communication programmes,” Msiska said.

He advised people to use combined HIV prevention interventions, such as condom use, voluntary medical male circumcision, early diagnosis and treatment for sexual transmitted infections and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).  

By Chisomo Kmabandanga

Nkhata Bay, March 20, Mana: Nkhata Bay chiefs have lauded Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) for enhancing participation in community work through its sub-projects where participants work under community contribution for free.

Speaking on Tuesday during a media tour, Senior Chief Timbiri said the programme has helped change the mindset of community members, as they are now able to participate in various community development projects.

“In our communities, we have a number of problems that need locally generated solutions. It has become hard for us as chiefs to mobilize community members to take part in various community works since we are in a democratic era.

“However, CS-EPWP has made community members able to participate in community work throughout the five days where participants and non-participants of the programme are asked to do community contribution work," Timbiri said.

The chief added: “Community members under Kavuzi catchment have done river bank protection by planting trees along Kavuzi River in my area. There is also a vertiver grass nursery for the community.

“In the second cycle under Mpamba catchment, community members did maintenance of toilets in communities’ public schools, things that were not happening before. This is the same in all other catchments across the district."

Echoing Timbiri’s sentiments, Traditional Authority M’bwana hailed the programme, saying it has led to a number of community roads being rehabilitated in his area under Sasasa catchment in Usisya.

In his remarks, District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, Rodgers Newa, said he was happy to see that communities are able to embrace all components of the programme, saying this will help in the programme’s sustainability.

One of the community members, Gloria Banda, said she will continue taking part in the programme’s activities and other community work because she now understands that community members have a great role to play in the development of their areas.

CS-EPWP is a government initiative under Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project implemented by National Local Government Finance Committee with financial support from Multi-Donor Trust Fund and World Bank.

By Amos Phiri Chigwa

Mchinji, March 20, Mana: Police in Mchinji have arrested eight students for the offence of damaging school property at Kamwanya Community Day Secondary School (CDSS).

Mchinji Police Public Relations Officer Limbani Mpinganjira confirmed the arrest, following riots against administration's disciplinary action towards some students who were expelled from the school weeks ago for misconduct.

"On 17th March, 2024, the irate students mobilized themselves and damaged school structures, window glasses and petrol-bombed the school library.

All the damaged property is valued at an approximate amount of K25,000,000," Mpinganjira said.

Meanwhile, police are still investigating to trace and arrest other suspects on the same.

The suspects will appear before the court to answer charges of arson and malicious damage.

Police identified the arrested students as Mark James, Kelvin Clement, Dalikeni Greciano, Roderick Thokozani, and John Chakwera, all aged 18, and Happy Masepo, aged 19, and two others.

By Blackson Mkupatira

Chiradzulu, March 20, Mana: Newly elected Chiradzulu District Youth Network chairperson Brighton Halala has urged fellow young people to join forces and work collaboratively with other partners to address challenges which most youths in the district face.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency on Tuesday after his election, Halala said currently young people in the district are facing challenges, citing rise in teenage pregnancies, child marriages, school dropout, and unemployment.

He added that all the challenges have huge impact on socioeconomic well-being of many young people in the district.

Halala, therefore, said it was important for the young people to come together to addressing the challenges so that they should create a conducive environment, adding that such an environment would make the young people thrive and contribute to Malawi's Vision 2063.

"Let me also express my gratitude to my fellow youths for entrusting me to lead the youth network. I promise to work with the young people and the council plus other development partners to advance the aspirations of young people in the district," he said.

Outgoing chairperson, Anusa Gerald, urged the newly elected leaders to priorities inclusiveness and coordination among youths and to attract support from various stakeholders.

"We have young people living with HIV and various disabilities. It is important to involve them in developmental activities taking place in the district," he advised.

Chiradzulu District Council Youth Officer Shameem Chabwera said the network provides young people a platform where they can share ideas and appreciate each other's roles and responsibilities on how to reach out to their fellow youths in communities.

She, therefore, urged the newly elected committee to familiarize itself with the National Youth Policy of 2023-2028, saying this will help committee members to unleash the much needed approach for meaningful youth participation in development.

"As a council, we are ready to work with them to uplift young people in the district in all aspects of life," Chabwera added.

Chiradzulu District Council organized the elections where, in addition to Halala, Bertha Wilson was elected as vice chairperson, Deborah Njala as treasurer, and Chrispin Wyson as Secretary, among other positions.

By Sylvester Kumwenda

March 19, 2024

If you would literally take how a conversation between a man and his wife would be based on Paul Subili and Rod Valamanja's song “Taononga dziko,” it would sound something like this:

“Bambo a Ju, we do not have relish today,” the wife tells her husband. “But” he takes a pause thinking of how to respond. “I do not have any money on me today,” he replies.

A brief silence vents. Eyes lock.

“What are we going to do,” she asks,” seemingly worried for a moment.

“Do not worry my dear. I know what to do. Just get that big pot cleaned, I am going to the forest now”. The dialogue would end with the wife heading towards the kitchen, smiling, knowing the family will eat meat that day.

Of course, in many areas, that would be decades ago when forests and mountains like Chisudzi hill in Goma village in Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa, were in their prime, blossoming with natural vegetation.

Unfortunately for Kennedy Kambani, chairperson of Tovi catchment, he did not get to see the glory Chisudzi hill once bathed in. He only witnessed its degradation.

“It was a sorry and deplorable site. You could barely believe the stories from our parents that preceding the 80s, this mountain was full of life,” he says.

Full of life, Kambani says the mountain once boasted of rich natural resources like indigenous trees, bushes, grass, creating a natural habitat for wildlife.

To the surrounding communities, it was not only a source of beautiful scenery, but the trees also provided fresh air, protection from strong winds, and prevented soil erosion.

People, he said, would go to the mountain to source mushroom, wildlife, and fruits.  When in abundance, these were also a source of income for communities.

However, the curse of the mountain was not to be a spiritual one but rather, man-made.

“Since the beginning of the early 90s, there were uncontrolled levels of wanton cutting down of the trees for firewood and charcoal that the mountain almost lost all its trees.

“As a result, during rainy seasons, there used to be high levels of running water from the mountain which affected cultivation of crops on the peripherals of the mountain as crops could easily get washed away.

“Also, soil erosion was high, washing away nutrients. There was low water infiltration resulting into little moisture to sustain natural regeneration of trees,” he said.

This he added also raised high risks of flash floods as there was little vegetation to reduce water velocities during rainy seasons.

However, realizing the dangers this environmental degradation posed, people started thinking of how they could reverse the situation.

“A few years ago, there was one donor funded project, which was followed by another project under Public Works Program, which all aimed at reforestation of the hill.

“But we started recording huge changes with the coming in of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works program (CS-EPWP),” he said.

The CSEPWP is a component under Malawi governments Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).

It is funded by the World Bank and the Multi Donor Trust Fund and facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee in all the 28 district councils in the country.

Its main aim is to empower communities in land conversation activities.

Kambani said in 2022, they had 12 projects under the CS-EPWP aimed at restoring some of the degraded environment within the catchment. During the period they constructed 3600 contour ridges, 5470 check dams, 4920 infiltration pits.

They also had a nursery of 15000 seedlings, planted 14000 trees of which 11000 survived.

“But one hotspot for us was this hill, so we intensified planting trees across the hill, constructed infiltration pits harvest rainwater to maintain soil moisture.

“As we speak a good part of the hill is now covered with trees which was last seen decades ago,” he says.

Secretary for the group Kenneth Thunde said since inception of the program, over 50000 trees have been planted under the project within the catchment area. He said community participation has been crucial in making sure tree survival rate is high.

“Within the project, there is a component which requires participants to work on a contributory basis for 10 days of which we always do with dedication.

“But we also encourage each other that whatever we do is for our own and future generations benefit. So, protection of the trees does not end when a cycle is completed. Anyone is always on guard. And we established bylaws to punish violators,” he said.

Thunde adds that in 5 years, they envision the hill will be fully reforested.

Amongst other sub projects to be implemented in the third cycle include construction of 2365 infiltration pits, 31 kilometres of swales, and 31 kilometres of contour marker ridges.

Anjela Chauluka, one of the members of the catchment says implementation of projects had been successful because of cooperation amongst members.

Dowa district land resource conservation officer Tarmerson Mhone said it was encouraging to note that there is mind-set change amongst communities in land conversation activities.

Participants he said receive K28800 upon completion of a cycle but said despite the financial incentives, people are partaking in the project because of the knowledge they are getting.

“Participants are also learning of various ways they can protect their environment. For example, how contour bands can reduce running water and soil loses for soil productivity, how swales can improve drainage, the importance of infiltration pits in water harvesting and moisture retention.

“Through the CS-EPWP, people are getting to realize that any act of environmental degradation be it cutting down of a single tree will have consequences and that it is important to protect the environment,” said Mhone.

Mhone added saying with the knowledge being imparted to the communities, he was hopeful that if the project would in the future come to an end, communities would still appreciate the need to conserve the environment.

He then commended CS-EPWP participants, communities, and stakeholders in the district for collaboration in ensuring gains being recorded under the project are sustained.

Bakaya Yohane Mtsitsi is the Acting District Forestry officer for Dowa whose office coordinates all forestry related activates in the district.

He commended the CS-EPWP for the afforestation initiatives within the project and said his office is committed to ensure high tree survival in all programs including the CS-EPWP.

“We encourage communities and help them in formulation of committees which will be governing the protection of trees, and how they can select leaders with good qualities and interests in this. The committees establish by-laws which suit them as regards tree protection.

“We also work with the Area and Village Development Committees in disseminating messages on tree protection. But we also have extension workers across the district who provide readily available technical guidance and assistance to communities wherever necessary,” said Mtsitsi.

For Kambani, he hopes he will tell a different story to his grandchildren unlike the one he heard from his elders.

“I hope the only story to tell my grandchildren is how through the CS-EPWP we managed to bring back to life Chisudzi hill and how we stood up to end environmental degradation in our community,” said Kambani.

By Solister Mogha

Zomba, March 19, Mana: Zomba District Council through the Malawi Watershed Management Programme (Mwasip) has procured a motorbike for its extension worker as part of easing mobility challenges facing many extension workers in the district.

This is the third motorbike purchased for an extension worker and plans are underway to buy more in the coming years.

Speaking on Tuesday during the handover ceremony of the K6 million Yamaha YTZ 125 model, District Commissioner for Zomba, Reighnard Chavula said extension workers have numerous tasks to perform, most of which, demand their mobility.

Chavula observed that lack of transport has contributed to challenges in provision of extension services in the country, describing the new bike as a boost to the council.

"Practically extension services depend on availability of transport. This therefore means without mobility; we cannot deliver as expected. As a council we have many extension workers who do not have motorbikes and this is a big challenge," she said.

Chavula added: " But with support from our partners, we shall surely address this challenge."

Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources for Zomba District Council, Linda Mphande said there are about 40 extension workers who need motorbikes.

Mphande, however, appealed for more support for improved extension workers.

"Our extension workers are in dire need of transport. Mobility is key in extension services because without monitoring and supervision by extension workers, we would be doing nothing," she said.

Limbani Thangata an extension worker from Chingale Extension Planning Area and recipient of the new motorbike said the motorcycle would help him reach more areas easily.

"I am excited to receive this motorbike, my area is vast and its terrain requires one to have reliable transport," he said. He thanked the council for the consideration.