By Rose Cross Mahorya

Mzuzu, February 4, Mana: Mother Care Groups (MCGs) in Mzuzu City and Mzimba North have been applauded for demystifying immunizations.

The care groups are supported by Health Systems Strengthening Program (HSSP) which is run by Ministry of Health with Support from GAVI and the Vaccine Alliance.

Speaking Saturday after visiting Chikundula MCG in Mzuzu City, District Health Environmental Officer for Mzimba North, Kennedy Kaonga, said the groups are playing a vital role in providing vaccine and health related talks within their areas.

“Our office used to face challenges in promoting high rate of vaccine uptake because of misconceptions and myths surrounding vaccines.

“There was a lot of resistance against vaccines, including Covid-19 vaccine. However, with the establishment of the MCGs, percentage of children getting vaccinated has increased,” said Kaonga.

He added that MCGs, in other areas, have also advocated for refrigerators for storage of vaccines, constructed houses for health surveillance assistants and under five clinic structures.

Chairperson for Chikundula MCG, Christina Chiumia, commended Ministry of Health and Malawi Health Equity Network, the project’s implementing partner, for the group’s capacity building in advocating for communities’ adherence to vaccines.

“We are grateful for the knowledge imparted in us because, even if the project period expires, we will continue sharing the knowledge with others for the sustainability of these gains,” said Chiumia.

The HSSP aims at empowering communities to monitor community health care service delivery and advocate for health related resources and services.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, February 4, Mana: Government, through the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA), has embarked on distribution of relief maize to hunger stricken households in Nkhata Bay District.

Speaking Saturday at Makumbo during a maize distribution exercise, District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, Rodgers Newa, said about 10,222 households in the district are expected to receive the assistance for two months.

“A few months ago, government pledged to provide relief maize to hunger stricken, vulnerable and needy households. We are here today witnessing the fulfilment of that promise.

“Each targeted household is expected to receive two 50 kilogramme bags of maize from January to February, 2024. We were expected to start the exercise early January but we delayed due to some challenges,” said Newa.

He said, to ensure that all targeted households are reached, the exercise will first target all hard to reach areas such as Usisya, Thoto and Makumbo.

Group Village Head Mbalambala under Traditional Authority (TA) Zilakoma said the maize will go a long way in promoting good health among people in the area.

One of the beneficiaries, Maria Banda, of Mtaza Village commended government for the timely support and fulfilment of its promise.

The food distribution exercise is a response to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report which estimated that about 4.4 million people across the country will likely not meet their annual food requirement during the 2023/2024 consumption period.

By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, February 3, Mana: Communities in Salima have hailed the maize distribution initiative in the district as a good solution to their food insufficiency as the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), through Salima District Council Disaster Risk Management Office, continues rescuing people from hunger.

Speaking at Mgwirizano Primary School, in the area of Senior Chief Pemba, Disaster Risk Management Officer for Salima, Gloria Chinangwa, said the distribution exercise is going well as there is neither duplication of beneficiaries nor corruption.

“The activity has been moving well. We have managed to distribute the maize we were allocated to various Centre’s in the district. However, we are still remaining with other Centre’s which we are yet to reach out to because we have been receiving one or two trucks a day which is delaying the exercise to sustain the number of people that are yet to receive.

“Sometimes, we are also receiving people that are not beneficiaries and this is affecting us as we have to handle their issues instead of focusing on the exercise. However, we have just received reports that many districts have completed the exercise which will put us at an advantage to start receiving more trucks that will cover many Centre’s,” Chinangwa said.

In his remarks, Group Village Headman Pemba said the relief items will benefit his people because most of them were experiencing acute hunger.

“The maize we have received will save my people from hunger that our area is experiencing. We are grateful for the initiative,” Pemba said.

A beneficiary from the area of Senior Chief Pemba, Charles Frank, said the maize will solve food insufficiency challenges his family was facing.

“We are grateful for the gesture. Now we will focus on finding other necessities more than we used to do to find only food,” he said.

Another beneficiary from Nungwana Village, Finess Mustafa, concurred with Frank that relief maize will help her family have enough food throughout the month of February.

“We used to sleep on empty stomachs if I didn’t find any casual work that would give us money to buy a cup of maize for the day. This had a negative impact on my children because they were not going to school,” she said.

So far, DoDMA has reached out to more than 7,000 households in Senior Chiefs Maganga, Kambwiri, Pemba and Salima.

By Shaffie Bakali

Mangochi, February 3, Mana: Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Liana Chapota Kakhobwe has said tree planting exercise is vital in securing healthy rain cycle, which leads to sustainable water resources.

Kakhobwe made the remarks Thursday during the tree planting exercise at Lingamasa Catchment Area in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chowe in Mangochi District.

The tree planting ceremony was organized by National Water Resource Authority (NWRA), through the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP), with funding from the World Bank.

Kakhobwe urged communities across Mangochi to embrace the tree planting exercise, saying the exercise is not intended for catchment areas only.

“In order for the impact of this exercise to be seen, it needs sustainability efforts. As such, this should not be done at catchment areas only but I encourage you all to continue with it at individual level, thus planting trees in your respective homes so that we can have whole year vegetative cover,” she said.

She added that the exercise is in response to the plea that was made by President Lazarus Chakwera during the launch of tree planting exercise in Phalombe.

In his remarks, NWRA board chairperson Engineer James Mambulu said his organization is committed to conserve environment and water with the aim of ensuring access to clean water to the citizens.

Mambulu therefore expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project, saying with the support from the Ministry of Water and other stakeholders, the project is progressing well in 19 catchment areas across the country.

Senior Chief Chowe has since hailed government and NWRA for the provision of resources, such as funds and motorcycles.

Chowe then assured the stakeholders that his subordinates will work tirelessly to ensure the funds are used efficiently.

During the ceremony, NWRA distributed funds amounting to over K3 million for the implementation of reforestation exercise to Lingamasa of Mangochi as well as Lower Livilizi of Balaka catchment management committees.

The authority has also distributed 10,000 tree seedlings to the same catchment management committees, including donating four motorcycles as a way of easing transportation of catchment advisors.

By Leah Malimbasa

Chikwawa, February 3, Mana: Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and African Development Bank (AfDB) have inaugurated an Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) in Chikwawa to enhance emergency and disaster response.

Speaking during the inauguration AfDB Country Programme Officer, Furaha Bishota, said the centre is funded by a US$23 million grant through Post-Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project.

“Through this project, another EOC will be constructed in Mulanje and Emergency Evacuation Centres (EECs) have already been constructed in Phalombe and Nsanje as a demonstration of the Bank’s continued commitment towards disaster management,” said Bishota.

The project has also supported drilling of 50 boreholes, rehabilitated 35 fish ponds and is in the process of constructing a solar powered water supply system and 4 public sanitary facilities to further enhance the district’s accessibility to potable water and improved sanitary facilities as well as enhance the communities’ livelihood activities.

Bishota said the Bank expects that the facility will help in improving stakeholders’ coordination in disaster management in the district.

She, therefore, urged the District Council to sustainably utilise the facility.

“With the El Nino, seasonal forecast for the 2023/2024, which will require greater stakeholder coordination to reduce effects, the Bank believes that the centre will play a fundamental role,” she said.

In his remarks, District Commissioner for Chikwawa, Nardin Kamba, commended the Bank and DoDMA for the infrastructure.

She concurred with Bishota that the infrastructure will go a long way in helping the Council and stakeholders to coordinate disaster management affairs better.

“The EOC has given Chikwawa a face-lift and has solved office space problems,” he said.

Kamba said, apart from office space and conference room, the EOC also has a spacious storeroom which will be used to store relief items for the district when hit by disasters.

He promised that the Council will take good care of the structure through proper operation and putting in place maintenance mechanisms.

According to DoDMA Director of Preparedness and Response, Rev. Moses Chimphepo, the EOC can also be used by experts on official matters.

“Chikwawa did not have such a facility; now they can easily communicate with us faster using video conferencing at national level and transmit reports,” said Chimphepo.

By Golden Kang’oma

Salima, February 3, Mana: Vendors at Kaphatenga Market in Salima have resolved their grievances with Salima District Council and have agreed to resume paying market fees as the Council has constructed a toilet at the facility.

For some time, vendors at the market have boycotted paying market fees saying the Council was failing to construct a toilet and other sanitary services.

Speaking to Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Friday, Salima District Council Chairperson, Chifungo Katoweka, said the Council has now constructed the toilet at the market to ensure that there is hygiene.

“We are not only looking at the fees that we collect at the market but also the well-being of the people doing business at the premises. So, after receiving concerns from the vendors, we discussed with them on how we could address the challenges,” said Katoweka.

He hailed the vendors for being patient for a long period and for resuming paying market fees saying that is the only way the market can grow.

Kaphatenga Market Vendors Chairperson, Kingsley Kachitsa, said the facility has come at a right time when vendors and customers were helpless.

“We are glad that the Council has heard our concerns. We were at risk of waterborne diseases, especially during rainy season, but with this facility such diseases will be prevented,” he said.

Kachitsa promised the Council that they will no longer boycott paying market fees and has, therefore, appealed to the Council to ensure that all necessary services are provided at the market.

He said the vendors are expecting more development projects from the Council.

By Margret Praise Kalua

Nkhata Bay, February 2, Mana: Officer in Charge for Nkhata Bay Police, Isaac Norman, has urged traditional leaders in the district to promote cordial relationships between community members and police in order to maintain peace and stability.

Norman was speaking on Friday during an interface meeting with over 150 chiefs in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kabunduli in the district.

He said traditional leaders need to work hand in hand with law enforcers for security interventions to bear positive fruits.

“We are very certain that you know your people and understand that they have different characters.

“Others are good while others are criminals. A good leader must not harbour criminals in their area," he said.

Norman further urged chiefs to follow proper procedures when handling issues in their areas like land wrangles.

On his part, TA Kabunduli assured the police that he will do everything possible to make sure that there is always peace in his area.

The chief also asked his subordinates to abide by the law and to always be supportive and collaborative with police to tackle crime in the area.