By Yankho Banda

Lilongwe, June 22, Mana: Banja La Mtsogolo (BLM) has encouraged the youth to use a free call line of 1131 on TNM and Airtel lines to seek and access information about sexual and reproduction health (SRH).

Speaking at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe on Saturday, BLM Contact Centre Lead, Taonga Mtambo, said the service has been extended to Airtel due to high demand, especially among the youth in rural areas, to reach everyone on SRH using free call lines.

BLM first launched the free call lines on TNM.

Mtambo said, because sexual issues are not openly discussed, the line will help the youth and others to confidently and openly talk to health experts on issues concerning SRH.

She encouraged the youth to utilize the 1131 line so that they have an opportunity to talk to health experts.

According to Mtambo, where there is need for a service, the experts will give them guidance on where to go and get help.

Mvunguti Youth Network Treasurer, Ella Tambalaweko, said the 1131 line will help the youth to freely talk about issues affecting them without fear because they will be anonymous.

"This line will save transportation costs that comes when we visit a clinic and not find the services we were looking for," she said.

By Alice Ndunya

Machinga, June 22, Mana: Minister of Labour, Peter Dimba, says continuous mapping and integration of initiatives that protect children against child labour are vital in promoting the well-being of children while stopping the vice to attain the sector’s long term aspirations in line with Sustainable Development Goals.

Dimba made the remarks over the weekend at Madziamera Primary School Ground ,Traditional Authority (TA) Mposa in Machinga where he attended commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour.

The day was held under the theme: Progress is Clear, But There’s More To Do: Let’s Speed Up Efforts!

Dimba said government will continue various interventions to  deal with all forms of child labour, citing awareness campaigns as one way to help putting across messages on the implications of child labour on rights and well being.

“As government, we want to rescue children that are trapped in child labour but that can only be realistic if all stakeholders are aware of what constitutes child labour, how they can help to eliminate child labour, implications that may arise as well as failure to abide by rules and regulations,” he said.

He, therefore, appealed for total commitment by all sectors in ensuring that laws that protect children against child labour are in place and are fully implemented.

“Let’s work together in providing a safer place for children. We should not use our children as tools for financial back-ups.

“It is worrisome that children between the ages of five to 17 here in Machinga are engaged in fishing, especially on Lake Chirwa and other lakes in Malawi,” Dimba said.

Vice President for Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM), Richard Tchereko, assured the nation that the association will continue intensifying efforts to ensure that employers are committed stop child labour by abiding to labour laws and policies while pursuing business goals.

“We will make sure that members are contributing positively through infrastructure building in schools and also by providing scholarships to underprivileged students so that they are not dropping out of school,” he added.

Paramount Chief Kawinga was encouraged by efforts made by sectors in protecting children against child labour and urged chiefs to join the efforts in their respective areas.

“I want to encourage fellow chiefs to take collective measures to stop child labour,” he said.

Kawinga, therefore, called upon fellow chiefs to formulate and enforce by laws that should deal with child labour, saying this will compliment efforts by various stakeholders.

World Day Against Child Labour is commemorated globally on June 12. The day was set aside to raise awareness of child labour and its impact.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, June 21, Mana: Director of Irrigation Operations at Green Belt Authority, Chisomo Kumbuyo, has disclosed that all processes for Phase II of rehabilitation works of Lweya Irrigation Scheme in the area of Senior Chief Malanda in Nkhata Bay are completed to ensure that the scheme is fully functional and serves its purpose.

Kumbuyo disclosed this on Friday during an inspection tour by the Authority, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedicto Chambo, to appreciate the scheme's operations and interact with farmers.

According to Kumbuyo, the rehabilitation works of Phase Two will proceed as planned.

“Lweya Irrigation Scheme is under the Mega Farm Programme, which is one of the projects the Green Belt Authority is implementing. One of our functions is to rehabilitate aging irrigation infrastructure, and Lweya falls under that category.

“As such, part of the K20 billion which government has allocated under the Mega Farms Programme in this financial year will be used to rehabilitate this scheme, as the resources in Phase I could not cover all the works,” he said.

He added that the Authority is in the process of awarding contracts, and that contractors will be handed over the site to commence work by the end of July this year.

“Some of the works in this phase will include construction of secondary and tertiary canals, field drains, access roads, as well as an alternative intake on the other side of the scheme,” he added.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedicto Chambo, said government is committed to increasing irrigable land to make the country food secure.

“As government, we want to make sure that all the schemes under Green Belt Authority are fully functional. We have seen that this scheme has all the facilities, and we want it to be in shape.

“That way, we are increasing the irrigable land in Malawi to ensure that by 2030 we are not dependent on rain-fed farming,” he said.

Chambo therefore urged farmers not to wait for rehabilitation works to be completed but to start preparing their fields so that when the scheme is ready, there should not be a gap but immediate planting of crops.

President for Lweya Water Users Association (WUA), Young Simoni Phiri, said plans to rehabilitate the scheme in Phase II have revived farmers’ hope that they will soon be able to grow crops throughout the year, which has always been their dream.

“We are grateful to government for continued efforts to make our scheme functional, and we are ready to cooperate with the contractor because we know this will empower us economically,” he said.

District Commissioner for Nkhata Bay, David Kayiwonanga Gondwe, urged farmers and the community at large to take ownership of the scheme.

“As a district, we are lucky to have a number of irrigation schemes compared to other districts. We will strive to provide enough extension services as we aim to achieve the country’s food security. As such, I urge you all to take ownership of this scheme and use it to your full potential,” he said.

By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, June 21, Mana: Cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, among youths aged between 10 and 19 in Rumphi District have increased in the past two years.

Rumphi District Hospital figures show that STI cases among girls and boys aged between 10 and 19 years have increased from 211 in 2024 to 228 in 2025, so far.

The number of teenage pregnancies has also ballooned from 444 in 2024 to 644 in 2025, while 131 teens are on antiretroviral therapy, up from 80 in 2024.  

Rumphi District Hospital Youth Friendly Health Services coordinator, Tereza Singoyi, disclosed the figures at Rumphi Youth Resource Centre on Friday when Nzatonse Project brought together various stakeholders to deliberate on sexual and reproductive health challenges the youth face in the district.

Singoyi has attributed the rising numbers to various gaps, including limited number of facilities with trained youth friendly services providers, and hilly terrain, which makes it difficult for the youth seeking the services to access them among others.

“We also have few trained community distribution agents for family planning services such as condoms. We are currently providing outreach services to these areas in order to bridge this gap.

“With our partners support we also have youth mobilizers who are community based who give information about sexual and reproductive health services to their peers,” said Singoyi.

She further said the engagement meeting with youth representatives from various traditional authorities in the district has also brought to their attention the gaps in the provision of SRHS to the youth, and that her office would work on addressing the gaps through partnerships with various stakeholders.

The Coordinator further said Nzatonse Project has also been training peer educators and community mobilizers.

The youth in the district have asked various duty bearers ranging from health, education, social welfare to act on SRHS challenges youths face in accessing the services.

Peer educator from Phoka under Nzatonse Project, Matilda Msiska, said it is scary for the youth to learn about increasing numbers of youths getting infected with STIs, including HIV.

She urged the authorities and various stakeholder to act quickly on the issue and other issues including mental health that leads to suicide cases among the youths from the district and beyond.

District Coordinator for Nzatonse Project in Rumphi, Tumpale Kangere, said through the project they are striving to create a conducive environment for the youth to access sexual and reproductive health services, including mental health services, in order to curb the challenge of unplanned pregnancies, which lead to fistula cases and school dropout among girls.

The Nzatonse project is being implemented by the Livingstonia Synod Health Department, in collaboration with the ACT Alliance, led by Norwegian Church Aid and Dane Church Aid joint country programme, with funding from the German government through KfW.

By Ernest Mfunya

Mangochi, June 21, Mana. President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Saturday said government and the Anglican Church are partners in development hence the need for the two sides to work together in solving challenges facing the country.

Chakwera said this in Mangochi where he attended the Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire (ADUS)’s ordination of three transitional deacons namely, Elias C. Banda, 45, Paul Kampeni, 24, and Roy Mkize, 42.

The President congratulated the three newly ordained deacons and he wished the church and its membership best regards.

He applauded the existing collaboration between the Anglican Church and government in the areas of education and health.

Earlier, Chakwera inspected classroom blocks which were destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Chido at Mpondasi Primary School and he expressed concern with the damage.

"We must come together when we face challenges. The school does not only help Anglican faithful alone; We should therefore ensure that we rebuild what has been damaged,” said Chakwera.

He expressed gratitude to the ADUS for extending invitation to the office of the President, adding that the invitation served as a blessing as the President wraps up his stay in Mangochi.

Bishop of the ADUS, William Mchombo, called on the deacons to serve humanity with humility, and not to serve themselves.

He asked the deacons to always speak the truth in their ministerial work, saying that they have been given a prophetic role to do God's work.

“You have been called to servant leadership and humble service. Bring yourselves to the poor, sick and others,” said Mchombo, expounding the theme of his gospel, ‘Called to a humble service’.

The Bishop further urged the deacons to serve the faithful regardless of the latter’s wealth, and appearance, among others, and to, also, avoid discriminating people in the church. 

He has since appealed to the already ordinated priests to help the newly ordinated Deacons to grow in the Ministry, support them and show them the path to build God's kingdom. 

The three took their call of Canonical Obedience, vowing to pay due and canonical obedience to the bishop of Upper Shire and his successors.

They also made declaration to assent to the Book of Common Prayer and of the ordering of Bishop’s priests and deacons.

Bishop William Mchombo presided over the service which also saw the State President read the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 verse 1 to 13.

Meanwhile, Deacon Elias Banda has been deployed to serve Malindi, while Deacons Roy Mkize and Paul Kampento will serve Mkope and Mpondasi respectively.  

By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, June 21, Mana: Communities in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Kachere in Dedza have been applauded for their efforts in conserving environment, especially trees in places where there was deforestation.

The communities are doing the interventions through a project under the Malawi Environmental and Protection Authority (MEPA).

Speaking on Friday after appreciating the trees that were planted in February, District Commissioner (DC), for Dedza, Thomas Chigwenembe, said it was impressive seeing people of Bango Village taking huge steps in protecting the trees.

“These people are so committed: They have already cleared the places where trees were planted in February this year. We can all see that they have safeguarded the trees and fire cannot destroy the restored forest,” said Chigwenembe.

He continued: “Some people hunt mice and entertain themselves by burning bushes. This is not allowed as it delays efforts of making sure that there is good percentage of tree survival.”

Chief Agriculture Officer for Dedza, Maltida Mtambo, said there is a direct link between environmental conservation and farming hence the need for communities to take active roles in conserving the environment.

“Talking of land degradation, this results in low yields. We also experience climate change such as erratic rains. All have a direct link with agricultural production. We ask the farmers to continue planting and taking care of the trees,” said Mtambo.

Group Village Headman Bango appealed to council authorities to consider the communities by supporting them with an exchange visit to Salima or Mulanje where the project is also being implemented.

“Apart from here (Dedza), this project is also being implemented in Salima and Mulanje. If we can go to one of these districts, we can learn something from our friends, and they can equally learn from us,” said GVH Bango.

By Eranivey Temani

Lilongwe, June 21, Mana: Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has allocated K2.2 billion as a starting point to compensate residents of Area 54 in the area Senior Chief Chitukula in Lilongwe.

The people of Area 54 in Lilongwe are demanding compensation following government’s declaration of the occupied land as prime and earmarked for different government investment infrastructures.

Speaking on Friday during a stakeholders meeting, Commissioner for Estate Management and Valuation, Mickson Chiundira, said the compensation process is set to begin on 27 June 2025.

“We understand that it has been four years, but now they have been assured that the process is set to start and it will involve mapping, and land selection, while the other week will be for compensation,” he said.

Chiundira assured the people that this is just the beginning of the process and that in the near future government will start allocating the land to concerned residents and complete the exercise.

Chairperson for Area 54 residents, Biton Thuyathuya, welcomed the development, acknowledging government's effort to start the process as soon as possible.

 "Government has accepted that it has taken a long time to address the issue, but we are glad that Area 54 residents will now start being compensated and we are hopeful that the whole process will continue until it is done," Thuyathuya said.

He added that the people of the area are happy with the letter, which they have been given as it will act as proof that they indeed met with rightful people and also be able to address other members that were left at their community.

According to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, the total compensation exercise for Area 54 residents is valued at K22 billion.

The Area 54 Residents were set to hold vigils at the Lilongwe District Commissioner’s office starting on Monday, 23 June 2025.

Area 54 in Lilongwe is located opposite Malawi Institute of Management (MIM) along the M1 road to Kamuzu International Airport and it covers 1,050 hectares.

By Blessings Sabiti and Yankho Kalulu

Phalombe June 21, Mana:  Phalombe District Council on Friday urged Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations candidates to prepare very well to excel and put the district on the top of the list of best performers.

District Education Director Representative, Davie Mugwa, made the appeal during a farewell occasion with the students, urging them to remain focus and seek God's intervention during their examination.

“It is my plea to you to beat the previous 95 percent pass rate,” he said, adding that the Council relies on the students’ good performance to put the district on the map.

“I have to be honest with that you, you are our hope and in you we believe that Phalombe District will be one of the best performing districts,” he said.

Phalombe Secondary School Head Teacher, Lovemore Likhumpha, also urged the students not to get over excited.

“Don't feel that you have made it in life, you still have another ladder to climb. You still need to pull your socks up,” said the head teacher, and he further encouraged the students to dedicate their time to thorough preparation.

The outgoing school head girl, Valentine Malapo, acknowledged that most of students feel relaxed after farewell, reminding fellow students the need to remain focused for best academic results.

“Let us not relax, next chapter is for us to go to university or college: There are places waiting for us up there,” she said.

Malapo also advised her fellow students never to rush for marriage after writing examinations, saying there is a lot to be done in life.

“Marriage should not be a priority after writing examination,” she said, citing scenarios of most young people that write MSCE examinations only to get married believing they are mature enough.

Almost 130 Phalombe Secondary School students are ready to write examinations.