MANAonline
Almost 14 thousand Mwanza households assured to receive maize
By Brian Wasili.
Mwanza, September 21, Mana: A total of 13,950 households which have been affected by hunger in Mwanza District have been assured to benefit from the 2024/25 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme which government is distributing to hunger-affected households.
The assurance was made by Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Owen Chomanika MP who was guest of honour at the district launch of the programme at Phanda School in the area of Senior Chief Nthache (Mwanza West Constituency) in Mwanza District on Friday.
“It is the government’s commitment to ensure that this programme is rolled out to all districts of the country so that every household affected by hunger is given food,” said Chomanika.
The Minister said that districts of Mwanza, Blantyre and Neno are the top three worst affected by the hunger situation in the country due to various reasons such as El-Nino, which resulted in a dry spell in some areas therefore the government could not wait until the situation got out of control.
The maize distribution exercise is a response to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee 2024/25 report which projected that about 5.7 million people in the country would require food aid between October 2024 and March 2025, citing delayed onset of rains, prolonged dry spells and high cost of agricultural input as some key contributing factors.
Under the programme each targeted household is expected to receive 50 kilograms bag of maize per month up to March 2025.
In Mwanza, of the total of 62,777 people that need food support 13,950 households have been targeted for the programme, translating to 5,185 from Traditional Authority (TA) Nthache while 6,108 and 2,657 families are in TAs Kanduku and Govati respectively.
Chairperson for Mwanza District Council Bellon Kasambwe commended the government for considering distributing the maize a month earlier (September) than anticipated when many households in the district are suffering from hunger.
He urged all those who received the maize not to sell or exchange it for beer because doing so would frustrate government’s effort to fight hunger in the district.
Member of Parliament for Mwanza West Constituency, Joyce Chitsulo thanked government for rolling out the programme saying it will address food shortage among some of the affected households in her area and asked for more support from stakeholders to reach out to the rest of the people in need of the food aid across the district.
“It is not that people in my constituency did not grow the staple food but because the rains did not come as expected over the past two consecutive growing seasons,” said Chitsulo
A beneficiary, Joyce Golasi, 62, from Nguteya Village in the area said she has lived on eating mangoes therefore the maize will address the food shortage in her household.
“I will take care of this food so that my children should not suffer because of hunger,” said Golasi.
Health service delivery to improve in Machinga
By Martin Chiwanda and Mike Nambwale
Machinga, September 21, Mana: The delivery of health services in Machinga district’s nine health centres will improve following the commencement of rehabilitation works at these centers.
This follows government allocation of K947 million to Machinga Council for the renovation of health works in the district.
Machinga District Director of Health and Social Services Jones Chise, said on Friday the rehabilitation of the health facilities in the district will improve the quality of service delivery to the citizenry.
Chise said those that are being rehabilitated are the ones that have issues of maternity, water accessibility and under five infrastructures among others.
He said that they were having challenges in the delivery of services in health centres because of the infrastructure as they were not in good shape.
"The purpose of the rehabilitation works is to improve health service delivery within the district. We considered how we provide our services to pregnant women, under-five children but also those who come with various issues in our outpatient department, hence we chose the nine which had problems with that."
One of the health centers to be renovated is the Machinga Health Center which is operating in the old offices of the district council.
Akuzike Mkalie, Machinga health facility in charge, said the rehabilitation works at the center will address the challenges they used to face like shortages of working space.
He said: "This is going to address quite number of challenges we used to face before this project was approved. Prior to this, we used to have limited rooms such that other crucial services were not being offered but now we will have plenty of space hence we will offer services that were not offered."
Traditional authority Nkula whose center falls under his area, said was happy with the development as some rooms will be conditioned to the standards in delivery of quality health services.
He further added that he will make sure that the rehabilitation work goes according to plan and without any setbacks.
"I am happy because the centre is in a small space house, and I asked for consideration on our health centre and finally it has been considered. I will make sure that the project goes well and also this project will provide opportunity to our youths who will be employed and thereby be able to develop themselves," he said.
Currently, the contractors have been handed over to five health facilities namely Machinga District Hospital where a TB ward is to be rehabilitated, Machinga Health Center and Mlombwa Health Center with funds amounting to K99.7 million, K144 million and K44 million respectively.
The rehabilitation works are expected to be completed within the space of two months.
ECD crucial for improving the literacy of elementary learners
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, September 21, Mana: Principal Education Officer for Nkhata Bay District Council Mcvinly Dennis Kamata has reiterated the need for education stakeholders to strengthen Early Childhood Development (ECD) education saying it is vital in improving literacy levels for learners in elementary classes.
Kamata was speaking Friday when the Department of ECD under Synod of Livingstonia presented a final project report of K350 million 'School Readiness Initiative' which was implemented from 2020 to June 2024 to the Nkhata Bay District Executive Committee.
According to Kamata the project which among others aimed at securing a good start and entry into primary school for vulnerable children has improved literacy for beneficiary schools.
"When learners graduate from ECD centres, they are well prepared and able to understand lessons at primary school with ease," Kamata said.
ECD Project Coordinator in the Synod of Livingstonia, Evance Mwale said that the initiative had registered improved coordination amongst various players in ECD and primary schools.
between the project and local stakeholders and awarding best-performing Community Based Child Centres and primary schools.
Northern Region police chief promises improved security in Livingstonia
By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, September 21, Mana: Regional Commissioner of Police for the north, Richard Luhanga has pledged to deploy more officers to newly opened K42 million Livingstonia Police unit in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kachulu in Rumphi.
Luhanga made the remarks Friday during official opening of the police unit which has been built by Rumphi District Council with funding from Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD)
He said that police presence in the area will also assist in fighting against entry of illegal immigrants and pledged to deploy 10 more officers in addition to three who are already at the unit to strengthen security.
Luhanga then urged the people in the area to report anyone harboring illegal immigrants to police and also warned against vandalizing public property whenever there are misunderstandings between police and the community.
"We expect that whenever there are differences, they should be settled within the lines of the law. Those who destroy government property will be hunted down and brought to book. They are here to serve you and we expect peaceful coexistence between officers and community.
Similarly, I expect my officers to be exemplary and professional when discharging their duties. I am going to discipline all errant officers," said Luhanga.
District Commissioner for Rumphi, Emmanuel Bulukutu said that security is important in the area because Livingstonia is one of the areas which is earmarked for hotel development under President Chakwera's Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) Strategy towards attaining Malawi 2063.
He also pledged to community members that the council will build houses to provide conducive accommodation to the officers.
TA Kachulu said he was grateful for the intervention saying it would help in reducing cases of gender-based violence, and child abuse among others in the area.
GESD is a performance-based grant which is funded by the World Bank.
Limited financial resources and personnel capacity undermine disaster response in Nkhata Bay
By Chisomo Kambandanga
Nkhata Bay, September 21, Mana: Disaster Risk Management Officer for Nkhata Bay District Council, Rachel Kamanga Friday has cited financial hiccups and inadequate capacity building for personnel as some of the factors that affect the council in responding to disasters effectively.
Kamanga was speaking when Umunthu Plus presented to the District Executive Committee, Capacity Building Project on Disaster and Logistics Management in the district.
The project among others aims at improving the capacity of the council to respond to all forms of emergencies.
"This is a timely project considering we are going towards the rainy season when disasters are imminent.
At times we fail to effectively respond to such disasters due to lack of capacity by personnel at all levels apart from financial constraints and this project is a good intervention," Kamanga said.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Umunthu Plus, Rumbani Mgula said that the project strived to fill gaps the council experiences when disasters hit the district.
"We observed that some councils just keep relief items in trucks due to limited storage facilities and this trend can lead to theft of the items, hence the project will fill that gap," Mgula said.
The six-month project which is funded by the World Food Program is expected to be implemented in Nkhata Bay, Karonga and Nkhotakota with each district getting about K23 million kwacha.
Nsanje DC tips communities on irrigation farming
By Robert Nayeja
Nsanje, September 21, Mana: District Commissioner for Nsanje, Dominic Mwandira, has challenged communities in the district to adopt irrigation farming if the district is to reduce episodes of hunger.
Mwandira was speaking Friday at Dzaladzala Irrigation Scheme in the area of Traditional Authority Malemia during supervision of interventions implemented by the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) in the area.
He said community’s dedication at the scheme is an indication that irrigation farming can bail out Nsanje District from hunger.
"I am impressed with farming activities taking place at this scheme. This is the way to go to deal with hunger in the district," said Mwandira.
One of the farmers, Grace Banda, from Chingwe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Malemia, said despite the district facing hunger, her family has food because of irrigation farming using solar system donated by EAM.
“It was difficult using treadle pumps but with the donation of solar powered irrigation equipment we are able to cultivate on a large scale,” she said.
However, Banda said they need additional irrigation pipes so that they can extend the irrigation area.
Among others, the District Commissioner also inspected Khome Cooperative in TA Ndamera which has also benefited from EAM.
EAM provided solar dryer and a mill to the cooperative.
Secretary for Khome Cooperative, Nowa Kamasho, said the donation by EAM will help transform the communities economically.
Maliya Women commended for resilience
By Beatrice Bangula
Blantyre, September 21, Mana: United Nations (UN) Women Country Representative to Malawi, Letty Chiwara, has expressed satisfaction with the way Maliya Women Groups in Blantyre are responding to Women’s Resilience to Disasters (WRD) programme.
Chiwara made the remarks Thursday during a monitoring visit by Second Secretary for the Australian High Commission to three WRD programme activities at Maliya Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Kuntaja in the district.
She said the training given to the women by Foundation for Civic Education and Social Empowerment (FOCESE) in partnership with Christian Aid has made a positive impact to their families and the communities.
“In this tour, we have witnessed women’s resilience and hard work in this comprehensive initiative which touches on agriculture, climate smart agriculture systems, agriculture innovative systems and economic empowerment for women,” she said.
Chiwara said it is important for women in Malawi to be resilient to disasters as they experience disasters almost on annual basis.
“Over the years, the narrative has been women suffer most from disasters but what WRD is doing is changing that narrative where we have women as change agents who can make the communities ready to deal with any disaster,” she said.
According to Chiwara, UN came up with the project because of the devastating impact of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.
Chiwara recalled that she visited a number of districts in the southern region when Cyclone Freddy had occurred which moved her to liaise with other partners in Geneva, managing WRD programme at global level to intervene in the situation in Malawi hence the initiative.
Chairperson for Maliya Irrigation Scheme, Elita Chingala, described the training by FOCESE and Christian Aid as very beneficial.
“In the past, we were practicing farming at family level but the returns were very marginal. Cultural norms which put men as the head of the family relegated to the sidelines in making some important decisions which is not the case now,” she said.
The women are expected to realize about K4 million from the sale of tomato which is in the field.
“The group will keep K1 million from the proceeds of tomato while the K3 million will be shared equally among the members to improve individual household economic status,” Chingala said.
Executive Director for FOCESE, Linda Masoo, said the primary beneficiary of project is a woman;
So far, the programme has reached out to 6,500 women with not less than K500 million.
“Women are mostly affected by disasters. So, if we don’t empower them to be resilient, we are killing the whole family,” she said.
WRD is a one year programme which started in June 2023 with funding from Australian Aid through the UN Women and is being implemented by Christian Aid in partnership with FOCESE.
MEC declares pilot registration exercise a success
By Robert Nayeja
Nsanje, September 20, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has described the just ended pilot voter registration exercise in as a huge success.
MEC Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, made the remarks at the end of the pilot registration exercise in Nsanje on Friday.
He said the aim of the activity was to test the electoral process and equipment to have a credible and perfect voter registration exercise for the 2025 general elections.
“The turn up was good though we can't compare to the actual voter registration. Basically, the reason was not to gauge the turn out but rather to test the process and equipment so that during registration exercise we should not have challenges with the process,” he said.
Mwafulirwa said the equipment has proved to be resilient and can work under different weather conditions, certifying it for the task.
Nsanje District Commissioner, Dominic Mwandira, said the pilot voter registration exercise was very crucial as it has managed to establish existing gaps.
Mwandira said some monitors at registration sites were failing to mention their party when asked.
“Through Multi-Party Liaison Committee, we are going to encourage political parties to civic educate their monitors including their roles during registration,” said Mwandira.
The pilot phase was done on September 18 and 19 in Nsanje, Chitipa, Lilongwe and Neno.
MEC is expected to roll out fresh voter registration exercise in October ahead of September 16, 2025 general elections.
Ntchisi authorities decry deforestation
By James Mwale
Ntchisi, September 20, Mana: Ntchisi District Council, chiefs and police have decried the pace at which charcoal burners are degrading land and have vowed to jointly work towards ending the vice.
The commitment was made Thursday at Senior Chief Nthondo Headquarters during a stakeholders’ high level meeting where it was established that Ntchisi Forest and part of Nkhotakota Game Reserve which share boundaries are the most affected.
The high level meeting follows an outcry which came during Station Executive Committee (SEC) meeting where Senior Chief Nthondo expressed his concern over rampant deforestation through burning of charcoal in his area.
The Senior Chief said his area was fast turning into a desert following thousands of trees which are being cut down daily with tones of charcoal being ferried from his area to urban areas.
He expressed disappointment with some unpatriotic villagers who shield culprits from Lilongwe and Nkhotakota and some chiefs who encourage the malpractice by being indirectly involved.
Officer in-Charge for Ntchisi Police Station, Deputy Commissioner Tiyese Chiumbuzo, said deforestation was the root of climate change and committed that his office was ready to enforce the law and work with the community.
"We needed to come and appreciate the situation first, thereafter map a way forward on how best we can work towards resolving the issue.
"As Police, we are ready to take an extra mile to solve the problem at hand," said Chiumbuzo.
The Officer-in-Charge further said that he will intensify joint patrols with forest officers and community leaders in order to curb the vice.
District Forest Officer for Ntchisi, Jim Lukwale, also affirmed the council’s commitment towards the cause, saying he was confident that the team work would bring an impactful outcome.
After the meeting, the authorities visited Ntchisi Forest to appreciate the situation on the ground where they found tonnes of charcoal bags waiting to be ferried to unknown destination.
Ministry of Gender for women participation in 2025 elections
By Agatha kadzinje
Blantyre, September 20, Mana: Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare has emphasized the need for capable young women and the youth to participate in the 2025 tripartite elections, as they are the future of the nation.
The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Pauline Kaude, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) in an interview on Friday, that the ministry launched the Political Empowerment of Women Strategy which has activities encouraging participation of the youth, women and persons with disabilities in the upcoming election.
The strategy will be distributed in district councils.
“The initiative will help the youth, both male and females, to have an opportunity to participate in various positions in the coming elections without any difficulty,” Kaude said.
Kaude explained that youth and women in Malawi face social and cultural barriers to participating in politics, with financial challenges being the major factor restricting the involvement.
She disclosed that government, through the Political Empowerment of Women Program, coordinates all stakeholders involved in activities through Technical Working Group meeting.
Kaude added that the ministry supports development partners by engaging them on 40:60 gender quotas as provided in the Gender Equality Act through monitoring of political empowerment activities.
She stressed the need to raise awareness about the challenges young women and youth in general face in participating in politics.
“That is why stakeholders like OXFAM and Centre for Civil Society Strengthening have pledged to assist women contesting for Member of Parliament (MP) and Councilors position with payment of nomination fees. In the same vein, NGOs or CSOs will provide trainings and mentorship to aspiring women because funds from donors are channeled to NGOs or CSOs,” Kaude said.
A young aspiring MP in Lilongwe, who recently graduated from University of Malawi, Sheila Goodwell, said in an interview that she is motivated by the challenges her people are facing but lacks financial support for the campaign.
“I believe the problems in my area requires my attention as a leader. My people need someone with a strong passion for change. However, this is not easy for me because I need a lot of finances to properly campaign,” she said.
A 2022 report, The Status of Youth Participation in Political Parties in Malawi, by Green Forum together with Centre for Young Leaders in Africa, showed many youths fail to participate in politics due to lack of funding and prevalence of traditional structures.
