By Monica Banda

Mchinji, March 12, Mana: The Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) District Project Facilitator for Mchinji, Thandie Sukali, has expressed satisfaction with the community's efforts in conserving degraded land in their catchment areas.

In an interview with MANA on Monday, Sukali commended catchment members for their diligent work in implementing conservation measures under the public works programme during a media tour to some of the catchments.

"I have witnessed the dedication of the participants in constructing structures like contour bands, and semi secular bands which will effectively reduce soil erosion and soil degradation in the catchments areas,” said Sukali.

She highlighted the significance of implementing measures to mitigate water runoff, which often leads to soil erosion and the loss of fertile soils.

Yohane Nyirenda, Chairperson of Kamphoro catchment area in Traditional Authority (TA) Kapunula, echoed Sukali's sentiments, emphasising the positive impact of constructing structures like contour ridges, check dams, and half-moons in preventing soil erosion.

"These measures help to retain water in the soil by enhancing infiltration and also safeguards our crops from being washed away as the speed of water is reduced,” Nyirenda explained.

The participants in the programme are given K28,800 as wages at the end of the 24-day cycle.

Diveliyasi Phiri, another member of the catchment, attested to the transformative impact of the programme on her community.

"The income from the programme has also enabled us to establish village banks and loans, facilitating access to essential resources such as fertilizer and education for our children."

Phiri expressed gratitude to the government for implementing the programme and emphasized the newfound awareness of environmental conservation within the community.

"Previously, environmental degradation was rampant, but now, with the CSEPWP, we are committed to conserving our environment and ensuring sustainable livelihoods," Phiri remarked.

CSEPWP aims at improving the quality of life in targeted communities, and has already targeted over 19,362 individuals, providing essential income and fostering environmental stewardship.

The government programme is a component of Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Programme (SSRLP) funded by the World Bank and Social Protection Multi Donor Trust Fund.

By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, March 12, Mana: Blantyre District Council has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with development partners that implement various projects in the district to ensure proper service delivery to the rural communities.

Blantyre District Commissioner, Alex Mdooko urged the development partners to come up with interventions that will complement the council’s efforts in dealing with illiteracy levels, poverty and other social challenges that compromises livelihood.

The DC made the call on Monday at Blantyre District Council chamber during the District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting where the council also signed the MOU.

He observed many climate change effects that brought about disasters and other livelihood challenges require proper collaboration and development partner’s interventions.

“Be flexible in intervening in the current dry spell situation, farming families are desperate and looking for various interventions from both the council and non-state actors that should solve their food and basic needs for survival,” he said

He said the council will welcome strategies from partners to address issues ranging from illiteracy, disease prevention to climate change induced situations such as prolonged dry spells currently affecting food crop production among farming families in the district.

“We should come up with projects that will help to alleviate problems people are going through. We should fight low literacy levels in our district since the percentage of problems are as a result of illiteracy,’ added Mdooko.

Executive Director for Tsogolo la Ana, Lucy Maunde said signing of MOU with the council provides full mandate and commitments towards the development of the district.

She said Tsogolo la Ana was ready and willing to work with the council in addressing challenges that the communities are experiencing.

“We will work together with much effort to improve communities’ living standards. We are ready to move forward and respond to climate change effects as well as different situations that affect the district.

 To deal with illiteracy levels, she added that Tsogolo la Ana will provide desks, staffroom chairs, and books as a way of improving child education on top of constructing primary schools in Blantyre rural.

Some of the development partners that attended the DEC meeting and witnessed the MOU signing included Kachere Progressive Women, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Tsogolo la Ana, One Acre Fund, Macro Impact and other government sectors.

By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, March 11, Mana: As one way of conserving the environment and protecting natural resources at Kuti Wildlife Reserve in Salima District, Assemblies of God Care has underscored the importance of stakeholders and community members to collaborate in implementing interventions.

Speaking during an interface meeting that took place over the weekend at Kuti Wildlife Reserve, Assemblies of God Care Programs Manager Davis Mtoseni said the meeting was organized to address the chaos that Kuti management has been having with the surrounding communities that led to rampant deforestation.

“As Assemblies of God Care, we are satisfied and thankful that the meeting has been fruitful. The resolutions made have impacted us as an organization because we want the relationship between communities around and Kuti management to be stronger.

“The meeting has come on time to calm down the chaos that has been between human and wildlife situation over the years, and the resolutions made will help us to move forward,” he said.

Mtoseni further said their goal is to conserve and protect what is available and restore what has been lost, citing that natural resources help people achieve various interventions easily.

Concurring with Mtoseni, Acting Director of Natural Resources and Environment, Adam Jason, said it is important to take care of the wildlife reserve which has benefits to present and future generations.

“This meeting is a very beneficial one because it will help us conserve what is left in our wildlife reserve as we know that Kuti is under threat of extinction because people are cutting down trees illegally and without following any procedure,” he said.

In his remarks, Senior Chief Kalonga expressed joy that his communities have been welcomed again in the reserve and he promised to work together with the Kuti management.  

“We reviewed the situation of Kuti to prevent the continuation of the careless cutting down of trees in the reserve. The problem arose when the Kuti management did not want us to participate in the activities that they were doing.

“The eviction of the chiefs that happened opened doors for people to start destroying the reserve. But as of today, with the new management in place, we are sure that our involvement will restore the glory that we have lost in the past years,” he said.

Kuti Wildlife Reserve Manager Allan Ellof said the reserve offers tourism attraction, adding that, going forward, he will be involving the surrounding communities to work hand in hand with them to prevent future chaos.

“We will talk directly to the people in the communities not using intermediaries because we believe communication is the strong driver to make us work with each other. We want to have a fruitful relationship with the communities by providing them with new forms of energy,” he said. 

The meeting accommodated all stakeholders responsible for facilitating the conservation agenda of the wildlife reserve, which is experiencing rampant deforestation.

Assemblies of God Care, through the Malawi Conserve Project, which is being implemented around the wildlife reserve, sponsored the meeting.

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, March 11, Mana: Good Neighbors Malawi has donated assorted drugs worth K1 billion to Kasungu District Health Office (DHO) to help fight health emergencies in the district.

Receiving the donation on Monday, Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda said the medicines have come at the right time when the country is fighting several diseases on various fronts, including the recent outbreak of pink eye.

“This is a well thought donation. As government, we are very thankful to Good Neighbors because this is a big donation and the drugs are those that we commonly used to treat various ailments.

“We also applaud the NGO for giving us good drugs with long shelf-life, unlike some organizations who are fond of donating medicines that are close to expiring.

“Government is not a dumping site and we appeal to all other organizations to emulate what Good Neighbors Malawi has done,” Chiponda said.

She then warned health workers against selling the drugs, advising the workers to ensure that even the facilities located in far rural areas benefit from the consignment.

Good Neighbors Malawi Country Director Gyo Jin Joo said the donation is one of the many health sector interventions the NGO has been conducting since 2008 when it began its operations in the country.

She said: “Through our integrated approach to development, we have in the past provided medical equipment, supported the campaign against cholera and Covid 19 and built hospitals.

“We requested for a list of drugs that Malawi needs and this is what we have donated today. And as we make this donation, let me say that we will continue to do this so that we contribute significantly towards reducing diseases in the country.”

According to Jin Joo, the drugs were sourced from Good Neighbors USA for the Ministry of Health, specifically Kasungu District Hospital and other facilities within the district.

While thanking the NGO for the donation, Senior Chief Kaomba appealed to traditional leaders in the district to lead in promoting health and hygiene in their localities in order to prevent the many ailments that have affected the country.

Among others, the donated drugs include anti-fungals, antiparasitic, antihypertensives, antacids and anti-infectives, such as amoxicillin, metronizadole, albendazole, captopril and others.

Apart from health sector interventions, Good Neighbors Malawi also provides individual sponsorship to school children, drills boreholes to contribute towards water, sanitation and hygiene and carries out other livelihood interventions.

By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, March 11, Mana: Nkhotakota District Council has called for help towards survivors of the recent flash floods that hit the district in the past weeks killing six and displacing over 14,000 people.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), Acting Disaster Risk Management Officer for Nkhotakota District Council, George Zibophe, said the Council is waiting for the inter-agency assessment report which was carried out last week to provide the final status in terms of impacts and needs.

Zibophe said people in camps still need continued help to ease their stay in the camps.

“Efforts to provide assistance to the affected population in camps are ongoing as there are a lot of pressing needs,” said Zibophe.

He appealed for assistance with urgent needs for maize flour, relish, sugar, cooking oil, shelter materials like family tents, plastic sheets, hygiene items like soap and reusable sanitary pads amongst others.

The district has so far set up 12 camps in various areas of traditional authorities Mphonde, Malengachanzi and Kanyenda in Dwangwa area which was hit the hardest by the floods.

In the past weeks, government and various development partners such as Red Cross, Embassy of Iceland, Umunthu plus, members of parliament and private citizens have sent different types of assistance to the affected people. 

A preliminary report from the Council indicated that a total of 9,378 people were sheltered in the camps with 4,121 males and 5,257 females and 1,972 under five children.

By Innocent Chunga & Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, March 10, Mana: Parliamentarian for Nkhotakota North Constituency, Henry Chimunthu Banda, on Saturday took humanitarian support from Germans, through the Malawi-Hilfe Schwindegg organization, to assist flood survivors at Chauma Island and Kachere Beach in the area of Senior Chief Kanyenda in the district.

Speaking at Chauma Primary School on the Island, Chimunthu Banda assured people that he will continue supporting them with necessary aid.

He said government will pump in more support and address other challenges that people are facing in the areas.

He said President Dr Lazarus Chakwera is aware of most of the challenges faced and is hopeful they will be addressed.

Chimunthu Banda, who spent over an hour on Lake Malawi to reach out to the affected people said, hundreds of people were affected but some are still in disaster-prone areas which prompted him to carry out the distribution exercise.

"After realizing that some flood survivors are still on the island, I started contacting well-wishers and various organizations to source food and non-food items to assist them," said Banda.

County Director and Project Manager for Malawi-Hilfe Schwindegg, Deosi Kumcheza, assured the flood survivors in the area of the organization’s commitment to ensure that all people affected by the recent flash floods receive the required assistance from the organization, government and other partners.

Village Headman Semion Kanyenda, described the support as timely, calling on well-wishers as well as the government to pump in more support for the survivors.

With support from people from Germany through Malawi-Hilf Schwindegg, Chimunthu Banda distributed food and non-food items including maize flour, soya pieces, salt, soap, cooking oil, and peanut butter to the flood survivors.

According to a preliminary report produced by Nkhotakota District Council, the flash floods have left over 14,000 people displaced, about 10,000 in camps, six have died and two are missing in Dwangwa in the area of Senior Chief Kanyenda in the district.