MANAonline
HSIS key to strengthening vaccine and immunization
By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, February 16, Mana: Executive Director for Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), George Jobe, has expressed gratitude over the Healthy System and Immunization Strengthening (HSIS) project, saying collaborative efforts between Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) and Mother Care Groups has improved vaccine coverage among children in Malawi.
Jobe expressed his gratitude on Friday during a meeting with the HSAs at Ndirande Kachere CCAP, which was held to strengthen linkage between HSAs and Mother Care Groups on top of learning HSAs achievements in the course of HSIS project implementation.
Speaking during the meeting, Jobe said the status of vaccine coverage in under five children has greatly improved with almost 98% because of the support from HSAs and Mother Care Groups.
He added that through HSIS project, MHEN trains the care groups about advocacy in order to address challenges associated with the vaccines in the community.
“Refusing vaccines has reduced greatly, coverage has improved greatly, especially in the areas where there are Mother Care Groups. It is therefore important to have care groups because community members can easily understand issues of vaccines,” said Jobe.
He then disclosed that Blantyre was the lowest district in vaccine uptake among nine districts before the implementation of the project in 2017, as it was recorded quantitatively to have 40% vaccine coverage, adding that as of 2024, vaccine coverage has greatly improved to almost 98%.
HSIS is a project being implemented by MHEN in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Chitipa, Mzuzu, Kasungu, Dowa, Ntchisi, and Mzimba with funds from Global Alliance Vaccine Immunization (GAVI), running from 2018 to 2025.
In her remarks, Zingwangwa HSA Supervisor Florence Nasava said at first their facility's vaccine coverage was below 60% but working hand in hand with Mother Care Groups has helped the facility to reach out to almost 100% of mothers in their community to participate in children clinics and vaccine uptake due to advocacy on child vaccination and immunization.
“In past years, our vaccine coverage was at lowest as most community members had myths and misconceptions on vaccine. The project has really helped to alert people on the importance of children's vaccine and immunization and this has helped to improve attendance at under five children clinics up to 100%,” said Nasava.
She therefore expressed gratitude over the decision to hold HSAs and Mother Care Groups meeting, saying the meeting was ideal as it strengthened working relationship between the two.
Nasava also called MHEN and other organizations to support Mother Care Groups with resources, such as push bicycles for easy mobility and uniforms for identity in the course of their voluntary work.
K1.6 billion road network in Mzuzu almost complete
By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, February 16, Mana: Construction of a K1.631 billion road network at Katoto 2, a place expected to be developed into a commercial area for Mzuzu City Council (MCC), will be completed by the end February 2024.
Speaking Friday when he visited the project site, Director of Estates Management and Valuation in the Ministry of Lands, Mickson Chiundira, said the ministry embarked on the project in 2021 to improve accessibility to the area before business operators commence construction of buildings.
“This 2.7 kilometre road network construction project was necessitated by the need for extra space for shops and offices among others and I am glad that construction works are at an advanced stage, as a greater part of it has been completed.
“Our ministry works on several infrastructure development project but mostly people relate it with plots’ allocation, which for us is an end product of several infrastructure components, such as street or road construction for improved access to yet to be developed land,” said Chiundira.
Commenting on the development, Civil Engineer for Pamodzi Consulting Limited, Jacob Waluza, said the road network comprises nine access streets of different lengths and the company paid utmost care and attention to all design details by following all the necessary standards to ensure quality work.
“We did this to ensure that we deliver quality and value for money road network, a road which will last long and utilize public taxes money as is required,” said Waluza.
According to Public Relations Officer for MCC, Mcdonald Gondwe, the project will improve the city’s scenery.
“This area is earmarked for new central business district for the city, hence the need for proper streets for easy connectivity,” said Gondwe.
Agriculture investment, key in transforming the nation – Kawale
By James Kanyenda
Lilongwe, February 16, Mana: Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale says collaboration between government and private sector in agriculture investment remains key in attaining the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) whose one of its three pillars is agriculture productivity and commercialization.
Kawale made the remarks Friday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe during the Malawi Agriculture Investment Forum organized by Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) in conjunction with Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Under FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative, Malawi submitted four proposals at a global platform during the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Rome, Italy to have investments in Fish Processing Facility and Feed Mill, Commercialization of Banana Production and Processing, Dairy Production and Decentralized Rice Aggregation and Processing Centre.
The investments are expected to directly and indirectly benefit thousands of Malawians.
Kawale said the initiative fits well with the agenda of the Ministry of Agriculture which calls for agriculture commercialization.
“This is consistent with the National Agriculture Policy (NAP) and the National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP), which seek to transform and commercialize the agriculture sector to achieve food, nutrition and income security.
“Our agenda today is to empower agriculture sector players to attract sector investment and explore opportunities for capital investments in various value chains developed under the Hand-in-Hand Initiative,” he said.
He added that Ministry of Agriculture recognizes that for successful implementation of the initiative, both government and the private sector need to take a leading role in mobilizing resources and providing technical support so that together they move Malawi to be a wealthy and self-reliant nation.
Speaking earlier, Assistant FAO Country Representative to Malawi, Dr George Phiri, said the Hand-in-Hand Initiative seeks to eradicate poverty and hunger to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 respectively using more advanced tools, apart from contributing towards wealth and job creation, as well as industrialization.
MITC Chief Executive Officer Paul Kwengwere said MITC has already secured export markets for products realized from the Hand-in-Hand initiative.
He however called the investors to sustain the market, adding there is high demand for Malawian products across the globe.
The forum gathered policy makers, financiers and investors who brainstormed in the four investment areas.
NGORA hails NGO for promoting education
By Wanangwa Tembo
Kasungu, February 16, Mana: Non-Governmental Organizations Regulatory Authority (NGORA) Executive Director Edward Banda has applauded Good Neighbors Malawi for complementing government’s effort in service delivery through construction of secondary schools in Kasungu District.
Banda was speaking at Sankhula Community Day Secondary School in Kasungu on Friday during an inspection of the international charity’s projects as part of NGORA’s activities in the regulation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
He said: “As NGORA, we are very impressed with the investment that Good Neighbors Malawi is making in the country, specifically what we have seen here in Kasungu today, responding to education needs.
“We have seen very good structures for community day secondary schools. This is commendable work by partners, as you know there is increased demand for education services.”
Banda also hailed the NGO’s efforts in helping farmers to enhance their production and generate more income through agriculture initiatives, village loans and savings groups.
“So the community must build on this support so that the initiatives are sustained. We must integrate sustainability and ownership from the beginning because the support will not be there forever.
“For NGOs, we appeal to them to be honest. They must report what they do and not what they are not doing. Where there are elements of dishonesty, there are penalties attached but that is not our intention. They are government’s partners so we expect them to assist in quality service delivery,” he said.
Country Director for Good Neighbors Malawi, Gyo Jin Joo, said the visits by NGORA are important in that they will enhance collaboration which will ensure that the works of NGOs are aligned with government’s priorities.
“Our work includes provision of individual sponsorship to kids. So we go to those communities where the kids reside and provide schools, hospitals, water and other projects like income generation, advocacy and livelihood.
“We also come in for emergencies when need arises. Ideally we want to see development in these communities. We want to see that the children grow into persons that can contribute towards the development of their communities,” she said.
Apart from secondary schools, Good Neighbors Malawi has also constructed health Centre’s and libraries and drilled several boreholes in Kasungu through its integrated service delivery approach in the development of a child.
Ministry applauds MTEEP for quality education
By Blackson Mkupatira
Chiradzulu, February 16, Mana: Ministry of Education has commended the Malawi Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Project (MTEEP) for its positive impact on education quality in Chiradzulu district where the project is currently being implemented since 2021.
Speaking on Thursday during cash award ceremony of best-performing teachers under the project, the Director of the Directorate of Teaching Education and Development (DTED), Dr. Zizwa Msukuma, said MTEEP has registered significant improvements in learning outcomes across primary and secondary schools in the district since the project was introduced.
"We launched this project in collaboration with UNICEF to promote best practices here in Chiradzulu because learners were performing poorly and there was a high school drop-out rate.
“Now we have seen a lot of progress as both learning and teaching outcomes have improved and school drop-out rate has decreased," he said.
Msukuma expressed optimism that quality of education will continue to rise in the district as more teachers and communities show commitment to adopt effective practices through continuous professional development and community engagement.
"We have seen teachers that have performed well and are being recognised for their exceptional work and commitment which has led to improved quality of education in the district," he said.
On her part, UNICEF Education Specialist Milandu Mwale expressed satisfaction with how the project was being implemented and hailed the Ministry of Education, Chiradzulu District Council, and Chiradzulu Teacher Training College (TTC) for their collaboration in promoting quality education through capacity building of teachers, students, and lecturers.
Chiradzulu District Council Chief Education Officer Gertrude Maliko said MTEEP has built capacity of teachers and empowered them with the knowledge and skills to self-evaluate and identify areas requiring improvement for improved teaching and learning outcomes.
"Seeing positive impact of the project, the council has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chiradzulu TTC to ensure that the district continues to benefit even after the project phases out," she said, as best performing teachers carried home cash, ranging from K100,000 to K70,000.
Rose Makondesa, a special needs education teacher at Chiradzulu Secondary School, who was amongst the seven outstanding primary and secondary school teachers to be awarded at the ceremony, thanked government for recognising her hard work and dedication.
She said using the knowledge and skills she gained from the training, the teacher retained 25 students who dropped out of school because of school fees by lobbying for support on top of hiring a sign language interpreter, among others, to promote inclusiveness so that every child with physical or socio-economic challenges get involved in the learning process.
So far, over 2,000 teachers, 235 student teachers, and 40 lecturers have been trained by the Ministry of Education with support from UNICEF Switzerland in Chiradzulu under MTEEP.
NCIC to plant 10,000 trees this year
By Linda Likomwa
Phalombe, February 16, Mana: National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) plans to plant 10,000 trees across Malawi this year to raise awareness to all players in the construction industry that trees are key in the industry.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday during tree planting exercise at Chimbiri Primary School in Phalombe, NCIC Chief Executive Officer Engineer George Khonje said each year NCIC participates in tree planting within the forestry season, adding that the industry mostly depends on wooden materials.
“Most of the damages done on trees are a result of construction work and we developed a special policy that looks at how to manage environmental issues during construction. Each year we partner with different stakeholders to plant and take care of trees so that the environment is taken care of,” Khonje said.
He added that in recent years, the country has been hit by natural disasters because most of the natural vegetation has been destroyed.
Khonje said NCIC selected Phalombe this year for the tree planting exercise due to the disasters that the district experienced, adding that the tree planting was also part of community awareness to bring back the lost vegetation cover.
Speaking earlier, Director of Administration for Phalombe District Council, Bakali Maulidi, thanked NCIC for deciding to plant trees in Phalombe, saying this was relevant because people in the district have been experiencing series of natural calamities that are related to environmental degradation.
He added that Phalombe District Council consider planting and caring of tree seedlings as crucial, such that the council put in place measures and strategies that would ensure that all the trees planted should grow to their full potential.
Traditional Authority Kaledzera pledged to work with his subjects and all stakeholders to ensure that all the 4,000 tree seedlings planted in his area are cared for high survival rate.
Chimbiri Primary School Headteacher Christopher Tambwalingondo also thanked NCIC for deciding to plant trees at his school, saying the 4,000 trees will adequately cover bare land around the school.
“Each time there are strong winds, classroom roofs are blown off because there are no trees to block the wind. The school will work with chiefs and surrounding members of the community to take care of the trees,” he said, and expressed hope that fruit trees that have been planted will also be useful in food supplement within the school meals programme.
NCIC is also expected to plant trees in central and northern regions.
CCJP predicts increased participation of women in 2025 elections.
By Innocent Chunga & Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, February 15, Mana: Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) is hopeful that more women shall contest for various positions in the 2025 general elections.
Speaking during the District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting in Nkhotakota on Thursday, Head of Programs for CCJP Lilongwe Diocese, Mwai Sandram, expressed concern that Malawi still lags behind in promoting women participation in politics compared to its neighboring countries.
He said the project, which CCJP is introducing in the district to enhance participation of women in the 2025 elections, will support women and voters with awareness and advocacy interventions.
"Women are always on the forefront in voting in elections since 1994. Those that have potential to partake in various positions in political parties should be given an opportunity to compete,” said Sandram.
Nkhotakota District Council Acting Director of Community and Social Services, Alick Munthali, called on relevant authorities and stakeholders to join hands in assisting women to speak on issues affecting them and their communities.
He said the project has come at the right time to increase women representation in political leadership positions in different parts of the district.
Munthali has since urged the body to adopt use of the newly established names of constituencies in the district, for better understanding among community members in preparation for the elections.
According to a CCJP report, women representation in the National Assembly stands at 23 percent which is low compared to other countries such as Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
Currently, Nkhotakota has no female member of parliament in all five constituencies and has one female ward councilor out of ten.
CCJP will implement the pilot phase of the project in Dwangwa Constituency (formally Nkhotakota North East) in Nkhotakota with a total of K12 million from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Bridge construction excites Lilongwe people
By Andrew Mkonda
Lilongwe, February 16, Mana: People of Traditional Authority (TA) Kalumbu in Lilongwe District have expressed excitement with the construction of a bridge on Mlinda River connecting Nthesa and Funachina villages in Lilongwe South East constituency.
Speaking during a media tour, Ntenthera Ward Councilor Davison Mangani said the bridge has eased mobility challenges of the people from the two areas.
“We are thankful to government for this development. Good road network enhances socioeconomic development of an area. This bridge will now give people access to social services such as schools, hospitals and agricultural markets,” he said.
Mangani, therefore, urged communities surrounding the bridge to enhance protection of Mlinda River catchment area by, among other things, avoiding cultivating along river banks.
Head teacher for Mataka II Primary School, Chris Chawanda, said in the past learners were unable to attend classes during rainy season because they couldn’t cross the river.
“We lost two learners when they were trying to cross the river during rainy season. We thank government for constructing this bridge which has also reduced absenteeism,” he said.
One of the Kabaza motorcycle in the area, Noel Maseko, applauded government for constructing the bridge saying it has assisted in boosting their business as they are now running their business without much challenges.
“It was boring when we reach here; customers were told to cross the river on their own and meet them on the other side which was time consuming,” he said.
Maseko said the new bridge has also assisted farmers to be connected to agricultural markets at Kamphata and even in Lilongwe central markets thereby reducing poverty levels.
The K24 million Mlinda bridge was constructed through the Governance for Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) project implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee with funding from the World Bank.
Strategy to engage communities in protecting natural resources
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, February 15, Mana: As one way of protecting natural resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change has developed a new strategy which involves local communities to end deforestation in the country.
Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Dr Michael Usi, made the remarks during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Thursday.
In the new strategy government has partnered with chiefs and villagers to ensure that the environment is not destroyed.
“It is sad to see people destroying natural resources. Many who cut down trees to produce charcoal do not stay in the community. As such, we want to work with the community to protect natural resources.
“Only people with permit or licenses are allowed to operate,” said Usi.
He expressed concern that people are destroying game reserves, forests and national parks as such working with communities will help in addressing the malpractice.
Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule, highlighted the importance of protecting natural resources saying it is one way of generating revenue.
“People from outside the country come to Malawi to visit such places and if we are not caring for them it will be a loss to the country.
“As government, we are ready to work with the communities because the 25 percent we get from natural resources is given back to the communities. If the resources are destroyed, the communities will not be able to get the fee back,” said Kamtukule.
She therefore urged people who are surrounded with Natural Resources to make sure that they support the government in ending malpractices of destroying Natural Resources.
Karonga District Council warns contractors against shoddy work
By George Mponda
Karonga, February 15, Mana: Karonga District Council has warned contractors working on various projects in the district that they risk being blacklisted if they execute substandard work.
Karonga District Council Acting Director of Public Works, Yamikani Bokosi, sounded the warning Thursday after touring projects under Constituency Development Fund (CDF), Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF), District Development Fund (DDF), Health Rehabilitation and Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD).
"Substandard works are retrogressive to the council’s vision of improving livelihoods of it's residents as they drain the council's already limited funds by allocating resources to the same projects," said Bokosi.
He warned that contractors delivering substandard works will be asked to redo the work so that they hand over a structure in good usable state or else they will no longer be considered for future engagements.
“When contractors are given a job to do, we expect them to deliver quality work on time. This prevents government from spending resources on the same projects when other areas need the same," he explained.
Chairperson for Karonga District Council’s Works Service Committee, Councilor Isaac Kalambo said it was sad to note that some contractors abandoned projects without justifiable reasons.
"We also had a contractor who did a poor job on Nyungwe Area Development Commitee offices and we have since blacklisted that company from our projects," Kalambo said.
Kalambo said they will sit down with the Council secretariat to ensure that payments should not be made to contractors who perform below what is required of them.
