MANAonline
Youths join fight against GBV
By Agatha Kadzinje
Blantyre, December 3, Mana: As Malawi and the rest of the world joins 16 Days of Activism to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV), youths in Malawi have taken the initiative to fight for equality.
Executive Director of the Concerned Youth Organization (CYO), Harvey Chimaliro, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday that young people should actively participate in raising awareness about GBV and support victims using resources available to them.
“There are various ways in which we, as youth, can reach out to people facing physical and emotional abuse from their spouses or guardians. Since youths are active in the media space, activism should also be conducted online,” he said.
Chimaliro disclosed that CYO is partaking in the campaign in two ways; direct community engagement and online media campaigns through sharing messages aligned with the themes of the 16 Days of Activism, following both the Malawi government and global themes.
“As CYO, we are committed to addressing GBV issues and advocating for survivors by providing support and helping them recover from trauma,” he said.
Chimaliro expressed hope that after the campaign, Malawians will uphold the knowledge gained to foster a society where dignity and respect for all are prioritized.
He added that youth-led initiatives will shape a generation better equipped to combat GBV as they grow into leadership roles.
Chimaliro urged other organizations and stakeholders to continue their efforts beyond the 16 Days of Activism, as GBV is a year-round issue.
CYO is part of the organizing team for 16 Days of Activism commemoration for Mchinji District on December 9, where they will showcase their initiatives to raise GBV awareness.
In a separate interview, Blantyre District Council Youth Officer Peter Mizedya told MANA that, as the largest demographic in Malawi, youths must be involved in addressing GBV which, he said, affect the country's development.
Mizedya added that youths in Blantyre District are engaged in civic education on GBV through their youth clubs.
However, he pointed out challenges such as many abusers holding positions of power, making it difficult to address cases.
He expressed concern that youths often lack funds to support their initiatives.
He advocated for stakeholders to empower youths with basic skills to handle GBV cases effectively.
Mizedya disclosed that the district council is working with organizations such as DAPP, the Young Women’s Christian Association, and the Project of Malaria, which implements SASA, a programme developed to be used by youths to prevent violence against women and girls in communities.
He emphasized that GBV awareness initiatives must continue beyond the campaign and offenders be held accountable, and that every Malawian citizen must take part in ending GBV.
First Lady Madam Monica Chakwera officially launched 16 Days of Activism Against GBV campaign on November 25 in Phalombe.
This year’s theme is "United to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Malawi: Towards Beijing +30."
The campaign runs from November 25 to December 10, 2024.
Vocal Brothers to launch Mauwo album
By Ruth Kumwenda
Blantyre, December 3, Mana: Acapella singers, Vocals Brothers from Michiru Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Blantyre will launch their first album titled; Mauwo at the church’s campsite at Chilomoni on December 8, 2024.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, Vocal Brothers leader, Joel Banda, said the album came about after being inspired by how God has been on their side since the start of the group.
Vocal Brothers is a gospel group established in 2017 under Michiru SDA Church to preach the word through acapella music.
Banda said the group looks forward to the launch of the album and called on people in and out of Chilomoni Township to patronize the event, saying the audience will be inspired by acapella music.
“We are well prepared to inspire the audience with inclusiveness. Let people come in large numbers to enjoy and praise the Lord almighty through music,” he said.
Mauwo album is comprised of 10 songs including; Chiyembekezo, We shall rise, Mauwo, Idzani ndi mdalitso and Dzina, among others.
Tetezeni-Florence Massea, Thom Family, Shout of Praise and Mixed Voices Reunion, among other supporting artists, will perform at the launch.
Florence Massea expressed gratitude for being one of the performers and assured the audience of reviving rhythm and vocals plus an energetic performance.
“I am well prepared and looking forward to the audience who will come to give us support. Let’s come and enjoy the album,” said Massea.
The Vocal Brothers is a male vocal group of young people set to minister the gospel through music.
Nasfam applauded for improving farmers' livelihoods
By Richard Kagunda
Kasungu, December 3, Mana: Smallholder farmers in Kasungu District have applauded the National Smallholder Farmers' Association of Malawi (Nasfam) for equipping them with agricultural expertise that has played a significant role in improving their livelihoods.
In separate interviews, farmers from various Group Action Committees said their economic statuses have changed because of improved agricultural production realized by implementing modern farming approaches learnt through training conducted by the association.
Charles Tembo from Wimbe Group Action Committee said cultivation of diversified crops, irrigation and climate agriculture approaches have helped farmers in the area to increase production and consider farming as a business.
“We have benefited a lot from Nasfam, especially on how to approach farming. For long, we have been subsistence farmers, cultivating crops in a business-as-usual approach.
“This time, no; we are serious, taking farming as a business and hence getting into both crops and animal production while applying modern farming techniques,” he said.
Tembo, who became a member of Nasfam in 2006, appealed to fellow farmers not to rely on a single crop but to venture into other crops and animals to increase income and improve their economic status.
Another farmer Brian Jere of Lusoto Group Action Committee who does seed multiplication, cultivation of tobacco and soya beans said in the face of climate change, farmers must adopt irrigation to supplement rain-fed agriculture and ensure that they have multiple harvests in a year.
On his part, Nasfam Association Business Manager for Kasungu, Edwin Chiona, was impressed with the progress that most farmers have made under the guidance of Nasfam.
Chiona noted that climate change has been a major challenge that has hindered some farmers from succeeding saying Nasfam has put in place measures to mitigate the effects by promoting tree planting and rainwater harvesting.
Apart from providing the training, Nasfam also supported the farmers with goats distributed on pass-on arrangement.
Government impressed with Titukulane RFSA
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, December 3, Mana: Vice President Dr Michael Usi has commended Titukulane Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) project saying it has played a crucial role in promoting resilient agriculture, reducing vulnerability to shocks and ensuring sustainable natural resource management.
He made the remarks Tuesday during the Closeout and Learning event held at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
Usi said the collaboration with donor partners has helped to achieve the development goal of Titukulane and realisation of Agenda 2063.
“Titukulane project has demonstrated a significant approach of environmental conservation as it has shifted from reactive to proactive approach,” he said.
He appreciated donor partners for their unwavering support to the project saying it has brought change in the targeted communities.
Country Director for CARE International Malawi, Pamela Kuwali, said 600 Malawians especially women and girls have benefited from the project since 2019.
“As Care Malawi, we are happy with how the project has been implemented. We aimed at improving the livelihood of women and girls in communities of which we have achieved,” she said.
Kuwali further said although the project has ended they are committed to continue working in areas where they have already established the project to inform and improve local communities in the country.
United States Agency for International Development ( USAID) representative, Natalie Thunberg, said the project has impacted a lot of people in Zomba and Mangochi respectively as the primary goal of achieving sustainable, equitable and resilient food and nutrition security for ultra-poor and chronically vulnerable households has been achieved.
The project was initiated in 2019 as a five-year resilience and food security activity funded by USAID to the tune of of US$75 million.
The project has been implemented by CARE International Malawi in partnership with Emmanuel International, IFPRI, NASFAM, Save the Children and WaterAid.
The ceremony was held under theme “Building Resilient Communities: Lessons from Titukulane.
Dedza DRMC urged to prudently use EOC
By Steve Chirombo
Dedza, December 3, Mana: Disaster Risk Management (DRM) committee under Dedza District Council has been urged to make the best use of the Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) in the district.
Deputy Director Responsible for Preparedness in the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA), Fedson Chikuse, made the call Monday during the training with members of the committee.
According to Chikuse, the training had four key components; to enable members use the facility, to understand its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), how to care for the facility and also to remind one another issues of disasters in 2024/2025 season following a seasonal forecast of normal to above normal rains.
“We also wanted to remind members that this year we may have disasters in Dedza and, therefore, they need to be ready. We encouraged them to strengthen the cluster system so that they have better coordination of humanitarian activities,” said Chikuse.
He said Dedza is one of the disaster-prone districts because one side of it is in the lower area.
“And also, since we are going to have a lot of rains, we want to remind people of Dedza to keep their houses strong, look out for the advisories which are normally announced through radios or other media and make use of the information,” he pointed out.
Project Coordinator for the Modernized Climate Information and Early Warning Systems (M-CLIMES) Project, Ted Nyekanyaka, said it is their aim, with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to ensure districts that experience more disasters have spaces where district stakeholders would come together to discuss, plan and respond to various disasters.
“So, Dedza was one of our target districts where we installed this fabricated EOC. However, since we installed it, the DRMC was not trained on the SOPs of the structure and also on how to take care of it,” said Nyekanyeka
He said it was impressive to note that Dedza DRMC has representatives from various departments and offices describing the session as successful.
“I would like to encourage the district team, especially the DRMC, to ensure that there is safety for this structure as you see we do have materials here and also inside. In addition to that we want this centre to be where disaster work should be well coordinated,” he added.
Director of Planning and Development for Dedza District Council, Macpherson Mwakhwawa, described the training as timely saying rainy season is fast approaching.
“So, like in the previous years, Dedza is among districts that are faced with rainy-induced disasters such as strong winds that have blown off roofs, and in certain circumstances houses have collapsed due to heavy rains as well as flooding. So, the orientation is valuable because it provided us with relevant information on how we can make use of the EOC to prepare ourselves for disasters,” said Mwakhwawa.
He said the council, together with other players, will make sure that the facility is taken care of for it to stay long in the provision of necessary environment for management of disasters in the district.
ACB to review corruption laws, lifestyle audits
By Martha Rukunya
Lilongwe, December 3, Mana: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has announced its intention to review laws aimed at combating corruption, including the introduction of lifestyle audits for public servants and other individuals.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe on Tuesday, ACB Acting Director, Hillary Chilomba, highlighted how some government officials conceal their wealth by registering assets under names of relatives.
"Many government officials appear poor when investigated but in reality, billions of funds are being hidden under the names of their family members. This strategy makes it difficult to trace the true owners of the wealth," Chilomba explained.
The new measures aim to empower the Bureau to investigate any individual, regardless of their employment status, if their lifestyle and declared income do not align.
He added that the Bureau is expanding its focus to include individuals outside government employment.
“You see someone setting up a company and amassing immense wealth within a very short period. This is suspicious, and we need to investigate such individuals, even if they are not public servants,” said Chilomba.
Chilomba called for stronger enforcement mechanisms stressing that corruption is a national problem that undermines development.
According to Chilomba, lifestyle audits will ensure accountability and deter individuals from using dubious means to accumulate wealth. The law must apply equally to all, whether they work in the public or private sector.
“Our ultimate goal is to root out corruption in all its forms and recover public resources that have been diverted through illegal means,” he said.
The Bureau is also working on securing additional legal tools to strengthen its investigations, including partnerships with international financial institutions to track offshore accounts and assets.
The review comes after the Bureau submitted the draft lifestyle audits manual to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) where it was advised to review Section 32 (Possession of unexplained property) of the Corrupt Practices Act so that it incorporates what is contained in the lifestyle audit manual to include both public and private officers.
Spatial plans key in mitigating climatic shocks
By Fostina Mkandawire
Salima, December 3, Mana: Ministry of Lands, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, has launched spatial plans for developments under the Regional Climate Resilience Program (RCRP) aimed at addressing climate change related shocks.
Spatial plans are documents that outline how to develop and use space in a given area. They are created by the public and private sectors to guide the distribution of people and activities in a region or municipality.
Speaking during the launch in Salima on Monday, RCRP Deputy Coordinator, who is also Deputy Director in the Ministry of Local Government, Flemmings Nyirenda, urged district councils to prioritize implementing the plans and ensuring community compliance.
"The initiative is falling under Sub-Component 2.2 focusing on district-led resilience; building proper adherence to these spatial plans will help mitigate climate impacts and reduce damage caused by disasters," he said.
Nyirenda emphasized the importance of guiding communities on how to utilize land, pointing out that many people have settled or built infrastructure in areas prone to climate shocks such as flooding, leaving them vulnerable to devastating losses.
"This is a critical step in helping communities understand the risks associated with improper land use. By following these spatial plans, we can prevent losses of property and build resilience against climate impacts,” said Nyirenda.
Commissioner for Physical Planning in the Ministry of Lands, Robins Lukasi, said the programme aims to address challenges brought by climate change, such as flooding and strong winds, which have severely affected communities across Malawi in recent years.
“By training district councils to develop and implement spatial plans, the programme seeks to promote safe and sustainable land use practices," he said.
He said it is important that whenever people are developing in various urban areas, even in rural areas, they should be guided by plans that would take into account issues of disaster and climate change.
Salima District Commissioner, James Mwenda, commended the training saying council officials will be well equipped with skills to manage and enforce the plans.
The initiative is being piloted in seven districts, with plans to cover the rest of the country next financial year.
Immigration officers advised to take sporting activities as a career
By Bishop Witmos
Mangochi, December 3, Mana: Minister of Homeland Security, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, has urged men and women in uniform under the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services to take sporting activities as a profession.
He was speaking over the weekend at Fisheries College during a Director General’s (DG’s) trophy sports tournament.
Ng’oma said like the Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Service; Department of Immigration is capable of having football and netball teams that can compete with other national teams in the super league.
“I am excited to see soldiers under the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services doing sporting activities to keep themselves physically fit.
“From the tournament, we have seen so many talents from the officers, and because of that, we would want them to join national teams so that they are able to compete with clubs in the super league,” said Ng’oma.
The DG’s trophy stalled for some years and on Sunday attracted all four regions, as well as the department’s headquarters.
Acting DG for Immigration, Fletcher Nyirenda, commended government and other sponsors such as Old Mutual and Standard Bank for supporting the trophy.
Nyirenda said apart from keeping officers physically fit, the tournament will also provide platform for officers to interact.
“We are happy now that the trophy is back and that we have government’s full support. This is a good platform where our officers come together to interact and socialize thereby creating a conducive platform for seniors to share ideas with their juniors,” said Nyirenda.
Over 300 immigration officers across the country participated in the trophy, which had games like tag of war, volleyball, basketball, football and netball.
Business tycoon Dzombe hails local organization, calls for hard work
By Elia Chibwe
Lilongwe, December 2, MANA: Business tycoon Napoleon Dzombe and Senior Chief Kayembe have hailed the establishment of Friends of Kayembe Association (FOKA) in Kayembe community as the genesis of changing people’s mindset and a tool for making people to embrace hardworking spirit in their respective area of occupation to become self-reliant.
Speaking during the meeting of FOKA Tidziwane at Lingadzi Inn in Lilongwe, Dzombe highlighted the need of knowledge and hardworking spirit for one to be successful.
He said people are performing well in various organizations, companies and government entities but they fail to have their own innovations based on the skills and knowledge they gained and develop hard working spirit in those particular innovations.
"The word of God tells us that a person will eat his sweat until he enters the grave which means that if a person does not work hard then he will be against the word of God, but those who want to eat they have to work hard. So let's encourage each other that if we want success then let's work hard.”
"Knowledge and hardworking must go together. And let's work hard in our own work if we want to succeed. I have seen tobacco farmers, they leave their homes and stay with someone on contract basis, then they yield quality leaf and yield many tobacco bales which they fail to produce on their own," Dzombe said.
He further hailed FOKA Association saying it will play a great role in developing Kayembe community for ensuring oneness and unity
"Steel sharpens steel, the same with the people, if you want to do great things, you should come together to share ideas with the goal of making what you want to do possible. Any big project requires a lot of people to come together, so the team is very important," he added.
Senior Chief Kayembe said FOKA Association will assist to change the way of thinking as they get knowledge from educated people from FOKA Association.
"I welcomed the FOKA organization to my area knowing that there are different people working in different jobs in this Association. This will help to change the way of thinking of these people when they are receiving knowledge from these educated persons.
"Many people in rural areas have a hard time thinking. So these people have been helped to work hard. In the village there are problems of hunger, transportation, bridges but if we come together it will help us to be self-reliant," she said.
Chairperson for FOKA Association, Martin Majomeka, commended the meeting, saying it's objective has been achieved as they witnessed large number of people participating.
"We called for this meeting just to know each other as sons and daughters of Traditional Authority Kayembe and we believe that this opportunity has been achieved. We noted through lively participation from all members," Majomeka said.
He further highlighted several projects they want to implement, urging team working spirit to achieve those activities.
According to Majomeka, FOKA was enstablished in 2023 to promote socio-economic development of Kayembe community, promote child education, reduce environment degradation among others.
Power to Youth donates K7m bicycles to Machinga governance structures
By Martin Chiwanda
Machinga, December 2, Mana: In a move to address mobility challenges faced by Machinga District local governance structures that support the rights of the youth, Power to Youth, through AMREF has donated bicycles valued at K7.780 million.
The structures that have since benefited from the donation are the Men Engages, youth networks, chiefs’ forums and victim support units from traditional authorities Kapoloma, Sale and Mizinga.
Presenting the bicycles, Power to Youth Country Coordinator, Thandi Mphwiyo said the donation is in response to a plea from the structures on mobility.
Mphwiyo said the structures have had mobility challenges when making follow-ups on cases in their respective areas hence the donation to ease the challenge.
“We are very sure that the donation will contribute in terms of following up on cases. The groups have been doing enough on the ground but they could have done more and am sure that with this support, they will continue working effectively,” she said.
She challenged the duty bearers to safeguard the rights of the girl child saying, anyone who impregnates a girl under the age of 18 need to face the law.
“Let me put it clear that anyone under 18 is a child. Therefore, whoever impregnates a girl under 18 has to face the law,” she emphasized.
Traditional Authority Sale chiefs’ forum secretary, Innocent Bamusi, applauded Power to Youth for the donation.
Bamusi said the bicycles will improve the ability of the governance structures to respond swiftly to cases of violence, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas where mobility has been a major challenge.
“The bicycles we have received will facilitate rapid interventions. We have been walking long distances to follow up cases. This has not been easy. We are very thankful for the support,” said Bamusi.
Machinga District Youth Officer, Hope Mwafulirwa, commended Power to Youth for the support and promised to make sure that the bicycles were used for the intended purpose.
The Power to Youth Consortium's mission is to empower adolescent girls and young women from underserved communities by ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making processes concerning harmful practices, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and tackling unintended pregnancies.
