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Minister Urges Malawians to embrace technology, hails Chinese government
By Priscilla Phiri
October 24, Lilongwe, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale has called on Malawians to adopt new agricultural technologies to tackle climate change challenges and ensure food security.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of the third phase of China AID for Agricultural Technical Cooperation in Malawi, Thursday, at the Natural Resources Campus in Likuni, Lilongwe, Kawale emphasised the urgency of adapting to climate change.
Kawale highlighted that the Ministry of Agriculture, which aims to fulfill Malawi’s Vision 2063 with focus on Agriculture, Tourism, and Mining (ATM) strategy, is collaborating with the People’s Republic of China to develop innovative crop production methods, with a strong emphasis on research.
“Today, we have received a facility that the People’s Republic of China constructed for us to use as a Ministry, along with equipment that will be used at this station and the mega farm unit to help increase food production in different crops,” he explained.
He further mentioned that the equipment and infrastructure received from China will be put to good use to benefit Malawians.
“Our goal is to make sure that we have more people coming here to be trained and get the technologies developed here into the hands of farmers to increase production in their fields.
By increasing production over time, we will end hunger and generate income at the household level, which will help stimulate the economy as we focus on input substitution and forex generation through the crops grown by our farmers,” he said.
Kawale also expressed his gratitude to the People’s Republic of China and pledged to upgrade the facility to a state of excellence that other countries can learn from.
Counsellor in charge of Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Chinese Embassy, Zhang Chunfa, described the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Project as one that has significantly enhanced Malawi’s agricultural technology, increased crop yields, and improved employment and income for Malawians.
“This is a beneficial project that truly serves the people. Both China and Malawi are committed to continuing this collaboration and deepening agricultural cooperation,” said Zhang.
“I hope the Malawian side will take good care of the technical research materials, maintain the agricultural facilities and equipment, and ensure that the offices and living accommodations for the Chinese experts are well kept so that the next phase of the project can proceed smoothly,” he said.
The Agricultural Technical Cooperation Project is a landmark in agricultural cooperation between China and Malawi.
Over approximately nine years, three phases of the project have been implemented, yielding long-term benefits and recognition from both the Malawian government and its people.
In the past three and a half years, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the third phase project team has achieved remarkable outcomes, successfully conducting research, demonstration, and promotion of agricultural technologies on crops like vegetables, maize, rice, and fruit trees.
It also trained many agricultural technicians, provided machinery and equipment, and set up new facilities. These include a breeding centre, a tissue culture lab, 10 temperature-controlled greenhouses, and an agricultural machinery exhibition hall.
All of these have now been handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Rumphi shines with 100 percent repayments in NEEF loans
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, October 24, Mana: Rumphi district has topped National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) loan repayment in the country with 100 percent loan repayment rate.
NEEF Chief Executive Officer, Humphrey Mdyetseni, made the announcement during a stakeholders consultative meeting with chiefs, area development committees (ADCs) leaders and council officials at Rumphi Boma Wednesday.
While expressing his satisfaction with loans repayment in the district he urged people who access the loans in the district to apply for bigger amounts that can transform their communities through businesses that provide employment opportunities for others.
District Commissioner for Rumphi, Emmanuel Bulukutu, who is also a beneficiary of the loans urged the youth in the district to apply for the loans and invest the money in businesses that lead to their financial independence.
"Without the participation of the youths in economic activities the country cannot develop. If the youth are economically empowered we will achieve Malawi 2063 earlier," said Bulukutu.
One of the NEEF loans beneficiaries Victoria Kalua says she started accessing NEEF loans in 2022 which she invested in farming and tailoring.
She said she now owns a house and is also able to pay for her children's tuition fees with one in college and two who are in secondary school.
In an interview on Wednesday, NEEF Regional Manager for the North, Amos Phiri said Rumphi has done well in loan repayments due to support they get from traditional leaders and also ADCs who help them identify credible clients and also during collections when due.
He added that NEEF has softened access to loan for the youth in order to allow them to access it an invest in various businesses of their choice.
"We have various loan portfolios that can easily be accessed by the youth such Vuukani Mmatope which does not require collateral.
"Additionally, in some cases the youth can also access loans through collaterals provided by parents, friends and relations," said Phiri.
Rumphi District Youth Network Chairperson, Dennis Mkandawire said he will share information in various youth groupings to enable them access the loans and transform their lives,
At least K4 billion has been disbursed in Rumphi cumulatively.
Cumo disburses K540 million in Chitipa
By Aliko Munde
Chitipa, October 24, Mana: Cumo Microfinance Limited says it has disbursed loans amounting to K540 million to 299 groups in Chitipa District since 2023.
Project Coordinator for Cumo Microfinance Limited, Anne Nyongopa, disclosed this Wednesday after visiting CIP 255-Madalitso group in Namachinga Village in Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa district.
Nyongopa said she is excited that group members are economically empowered through loans they get from the institution.
“We are happy to see that group members are doing businesses which have transformed their livelihoods. For this to be achieved we are grateful to FARMSE for supporting us as we are working together,” Nyongopa said.
She said apart from giving loans to the groups, Cumo has also conducted capacity building training to group members in business management, adding that they also offer insurance cover to members and other products.
Assistant District Community Development Officer for Chitipa, Bandileko Mwaulambia Nyondo, thanked the institution for disbursing the loan to groups in Chitipa district.
“We are encouraging group members to continue working hard to empower yourselves and your families,” Nyondo said.
Chairperson for CIP 255-Madalitso Group, Willex Chanya, saluted Cumo Microfinance for boosting their businesses.
Chanya said that they are benefiting a lot from Cumo and other community members are now willing to form their groups to benefit from the Cumo's products.
“Every member gets K100, 000 with 16 percent interest, which is affordable compared to other financial lending institutions.
“As a group we have now agreed to contribute K30, 000 each member to buy goats. Apart from Village Savings and Loan group, we also want to diversify our business by starting goat farming so that in the near future we should acquire a maize mill” Chanya said.
NGO in beef value chain project in Chitipa
By Andrew Gondwe
Chitipa, October 24, Mana: A local Non- Governmental Organisation, SPRODETA has introduced a two-year Beef Value Chain (BVC) Project, which targets to reach 6,350 cattle farmers in Chisenga and Lufita Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Chitipa district.
Project Coordinator for SPRODETA, Daniel Nyirenda, expressed optimism that smallholder beef producers in the two EPAs will generate more income through the project which is being financed by Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) to the tune of K200 million.
Nyirenda disclosed this Wednesday in Chitipa during a project briefing to District Executive Committee (DEC) members in the district.
Nyirenda said the project aims at increasing beef production among smallholder beef producers in the district.
"As SPRODETA, we expect improved economic status of beef producers in the district as 6,350 direct beneficiaries have been targeted to be involved in the BVC Project," Nyirenda said.
Nyirenda added that through the project, they will also promote an increase access to profitable markets and improved environment for commercialisation of beef among smallholder beef producers in the district.
He said: "We expect strengthened capacity building of smallholder beef producers in relation to climate friendly beef husbandry practices, creation of demand and promoting the adoption of Artificial Insemination (AI) services among beef producers will also be available.”
Principal Agriculture Officer for Chitipa District Council, Steve Msopole said the coming in of BVC Project will help to transform beef production in the district to make it more productive and become highly commercialised.
Msopole added that the project is going to address challenges that most beef farmers may have been facing due to funding issues.
He assured that the council is committed to work in collaboration with SPRODETA as a service provider adding that government officers responsible for animal health and livestock production are already in the areas where SPRODETA is going to implement the project.
The project started in August, 2024 and it will phase out in August, 2026
Kambale health Post to be operational by December – Minister
By Salome Gangire
Neno, October 24, Mana: Government has said Kambale Health Post and three other facilities built in hard-to-reach areas will be operational by December 2024.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda was speaking Wednesday after inspecting Kambale Health Post in Neno District.
Chiponda reaffirmed government’s commitment to improving access to healthcare in remote areas particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
“Almost all the work is done and now we are focusing on bringing in equipment. Within two months, the health post will start offering services such as immunization, under-five clinics and other essential healthcare services,” said Chiponda.
She added that Kambale Health Post along with the three others was constructed with financial support from the Global Fund as part of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s initiative to build 900 health posts across the country in underserved areas, aiming at reducing the distances that communities travel to access healthcare.
Chiponda said the facility includes a health post and two staff houses; therefore, encouraged partners involved in constructing health facilities to also include staff houses ensuring that healthcare personnel can live nearby and serve the communities better.
“We are grateful to partners like the Global Fund which supported the construction of 55 health posts. Other posts are funded by the Malawi Government and other partners like Malawi Red Cross Society and GTI,” she added.
She, therefore, called on more partners from the private sector to come forward and help government improve healthcare services and accessibility for all communities.
Addressing requests from the community to add a maternity wing to the health post, Chiponda urged local residents to protect the facility from encroachment, saying the Ministry would engage partners to explore the possibility of upgrading the health post to a health centre in the future.
Village Head Chimchembere expressed gratitude to the government for the new health post, noting that his subjects had been walking long distances to Neno District Hospital for medical assistance.
Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Enoch Ndalama also commended the government for establishing the health posts, stating that they would significantly improve healthcare access for communities that had to travel more kilometers to reach a hospital.
He confirmed that the District Health Office is ready to deploy staff to the new facility.
Other health posts which have been constructed in hard-to-reach areas include Gonthi, Golden and Feremu.
The minister also inspected Matandani Health Centre.
NGO donates food items to families in Balaka
By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka, October 23, Mana: At least 1000 families from Sub Traditional Authority Nyanyala will afford three means a day following the donation of relief items by Design Outreach, an international Christian organization.
This is the second time that the NGO donates various food items to the area following their last similar donation in July.
Operations Manager for Design Outreach Titus Nnesa said as a Christian organization they always want to share the love of God to others.
Said Nnesa: “Knowing that man is made up of the body and the soul, we decided, with our partners from the United States of America (USA) to make this food donation realizing that for a person to function well and decide to go to church, he or she must have food first.
“This is our second time coming to this area because we would like to leave an impact. That is why we thought of coming back with a similar donation as we know by now the people must have finished the previous donation.”
Disaster Risk Management Assistant Officer for Balaka, Iness Chawinga, said the district is currently facing severe food shortages with 51 802 families living without any food day in day out.
“We are so grateful to Design Outreach for the kind gesture shown in Nyanyala especially that they thought of coming back to do another donation after their previous one in July. This will go a long way in curbing the various challenges these community members are facing because of lack of food,” she said.
Sub Traditional Authority Nyanyala thanked Design Outreach for considering his area out of the many that have similar challenges.
“When they first came here in July with a similar donation, they made it clear that God willing they shall come back with yet another. As days accumulated to months, I thought they will never come again considering that other areas have similar challenges.
“Seeing them today is a blessing and may the name of our Lord be praised for the love and consistence that these friends of ours have on us,” he said.
During the donation, each household received a 20-kilogram bag of maize flour, two kilograms soya flour, two kilogram beans, ten packets of soya pieces, one kilogram of salt and one liter of cooking oil, all valued at k52 Million.
All beneficiaries were taken through a spiritual session in which the word of the Lord was shared with emphasis on hope and repentance.
DCCMS engage stakeholders on rainy season for Blantyre
By Pempho Nkhoma and Benedicto Maguda
Blantyre, October 24, Mana: Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) on Wednesday engaged different sectors in Blantyre District to disseminate information about 2024-2025 rainy seasons forecasting of the district.
Deputy Director for Observation and Forecasting at DCCMS, Charles Vanya, said the forecast report indicated that Blantyre is expected to receive normal rainfall from October to December while in January the district will receive above normal rainfall.
“This season we are going to be affected by La Nina which is likely to bring a lot of rains. So different sectors within the district need to plan ahead in preparing for the coming of the rainy season,” he said.
Vanya emphasized on the importance of the meeting saying that the forecast that they had issued that Blantyre will receive normal to above normal rainfall from January to April implied that there will be a lot of rains in the district.
“We are going to have a lot of rains which may lead to waterlogging in low areas. At the same time, we have also mentioned that there may be dry spell of over a week which means some areas may be affected with have relatively dry crops,” Vanya added.
Deputy Director for Disaster Preparedness at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA), Fedson Chikuse, commended DCCMS for engaging them saying that the forecast will be useful in disaster preparedness.
“The information that they have shared is very important because it will give us a chance to prepare. For example, they said this year’s rainfall will be normal to above normal which obviously indicates that we will have issues about floods in the district,” he said.
Chief Agriculture Extension Officer at Blantyre ADD, Gertrude Kumwenda said that most farmers in the district depend on rainfall and the forecast will be useful.
“Most of the farmers here are smallholder farmers and they depend on rain feed agriculture. Therefore, this information will assist them to make informed decision when choosing the right variety of crop, they will grow to make sure that they have bumper harvest this year,” she said.
The 2024-25 rainy season for Blantyre District is expected to last for about 120 to 135 days.
Neno Council pins hope on GESD projects
By Wellington Sibale
Neno, October 24, Mana: Neno District Council is pinning its hope on Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project to improve the standards of the social services in the district.
The council's chairperson, James Chiphaliwali, said this, Wednesday, during a joint monitoring exercise of GESD projects by the Civil Society Organizations and council officials.
Neno District Council is implementing three GESD projects worth K380 million in the 2023/2024 financial year, namely, construction of Chidokowe Classroom Block and staff house in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mlauli, Rehabilitation of Nadzanga Classroom Block in T/A Chekucheku and construction of Mbemba Waste Yard in T/A Symon.
"Construction of classroom blocks will reduce the number of learners who learn under trees and when these classroom blocks are ready for use, we will also avoid injuries caused by natural disasters,” said Chiphaliwali.
He said shortage of teacher houses is a great challenge that makes teachers reluctant to come to the district which negatively affects the quality of education and hopes that the houses will motivate them.
Chiphaliwali therefore appealed to the communities to avoid vandalism of various development projects taking place in the district.
Lisungwi Ward Councilor, Mark Ngwangwa concurred with Chiphaliwali saying that the initiative will change the face of social services in the district.
"The waste yard which is being constructed will help reduce cases of the cholera pandemic in Neno. As a community, we will benefit more from this project," he said.
Ngwangwa pledged to work together with the council and the contractors in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness of the projects.
Chairperson for Civil Society Organizations in Neno, Russel Msiska commended the council for the significant progress made in implementing developmental projects under GESD.
He said successful implementation of the project will enhance education and sanitation infrastructure in the district.
GESD is a Government of Malawi initiative with support from the World Bank aimed at strengthening institutional performance of Local Authorities (LAs), their responsiveness to citizens and management of resources for effective service delivery.
Stakeholders call for stronger support for creative industry
By Beatrice Bangula
Blantyre, October 24, Mana: Stakeholders in the creative industry have called for increased government support and collaboration to drive sustainable development through arts.
Chairperson for the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA), Rev. Chimwemwe Mhango made the call Wednesday during the opening of a two-day conference on Chitoliro Music and Arts in Blantyre.
Mhango emphasized the need for government’s involvement in fostering initiatives that support the creative industry.
“Government and stakeholders need to make policies and programmes that focus on capacity building and investment in a serious way,” he said.
He stressed the importance of collaborations between artists, investors and policymakers to promote growth in the sector.
On his part, Director of Chitoliro Productions and Urban Music People (UMP) Festival, Ken Zizwa Limwame underscored the significance of the conference.
“This conference brings artists together to evaluate our gaps and learn from each other. We have participants from different countries, which will have a lasting impact on our local industry,” said Limwame.
He added that there is need for formal institutions dedicated to arts education in Malawi.
“Art can be inborn but we still need schools to teach techniques and foster creativity which in turn will improve the quality of artistic work produced,” he said.
The conference aims at exploring the pivotal role of the creative industry in driving sustainable development under the theme: “evolutionary exploration of creative industries’ role for sustainable development.”
CAVWOC fights deforestation in Chiradzulu
By Tisunge Mlenga
Chiradzulu, October 24, Mana: Centre for Alternatives for Victimized Women and Children (CAVWOC) has embarked on sensitization campaigns in Chiradzulu District to raise awareness on the dangers of wanton cutting down of trees.
Speaking to Malawi News Agency (Mana), Tuesday, CAVWOC District Facilitator for Chiradzulu, John Sumani, expressed concern over the alarming rise in deforestation due to charcoal trade which has become a primary source of income for many people in the district.
"We organized this roadshow to sensitize the public on the importance of preserving our forests.
"Cutting down trees for charcoal is not only damaging the environment but also accelerating climate change, which is why our campaign focuses on 'climate justice,'" he said.
Sumani linked the recent increase in natural disasters, such as Cyclone Freddy, to rampant deforestation, urging community members to adopt sustainable practices.
"Our goal is to encourage tree planting and proper forest management while discouraging the harmful practices that lead to droughts, floods and low agricultural yields," he added.
He appealed to residents to explore alternative sources of income, such as small-scale businesses, instead of relying on charcoal production.
"CAVWOC is promoting the formation of Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups to help locals save money, invest in businesses and pay for essential needs like school fees,” Sumani said.
Chiradzulu District Council Disaster Risk Management Officer, Patrick Mulinga commended CAVWOC for the initiative, saying mindset change is crucial to addressing deforestation and its impact.
"Raising awareness about the importance of tree planting and care is vital for mitigating the effects of climate change," Mulinga said, adding that the campaign also involves engaging local leaders to help spread the message.
