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People in Likoma commends government for SCTP
By Ireen Mseteka
Likoma, June 6, Mana: People of Chizumulu Island have commended government for Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) which is being implemented in Likoma District, saying it has improved their livelihoods.
In an interview Friday, after receiving her stipend, Marla Njakale of Chiunda Village at the island said the program is a relief to her household as she is able to provide for her children.
“I have been assisted a lot since the inception of this program, I am able to provide for my family beside investing some of the money into fish selling business.
I also manage to pay fees for my two children who were at Likoma Secondary School and now are done with their secondary education. My dream now is to build a house,” said Njakale.
Arthur Chirwa 78, of Msoka Village said the program has helped him and his household to increase uptake of balanced diets with six food groups and has also bought fishing nets.
“I stay with my grandchildren and they depend on me for everything, My son in-law is the one who goes fishing using my fishing nets and we are earning a living through this SCTP” said Chirwa.
He commended government for increasing monthly stipend from K4,000.00 to K8,500.00 for each befitting household saying beneficiaries will manage to invest in various small scale businesses.
Principal Social Welfare Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Gilbert Kaponda said the program aims at reducing poverty, increase school enrolment and reduce malnutrition.
He said, government decided to increase the money from old cash transfer to current transfer levels due to inflation.
Blantyre trains 40 Digitizers in Data collection
By Memory Chatonda
Blantyre, June 7, Mana: Blantyre District Council through the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) has for the first time trained 40 digitizers to collect accurate data of the work being done by communities participating in restoring degraded landscapes to facilitate timely payment of their wages.
Speaking during the training on Thursday, Blantyre District Council Principal Information Management Analyst, Bengula Mhone said the digitizers are from 15 catchment areas including Chilambalare, Mgawa, Lirangwe 2, Mlombozi, Mikundi, Somba, Mabala, Mikundi, and Linjemesi where the project is being implemented in the district.
Mhone said the digitizers will make use of Mthandizi monitoring tool which is an android-based application to record daily work logs of the participants that are recorded on log sheets and the information will be directly captured into computer systems from the catchments.
“This will streamline the wages preparation process and the participants will enjoy timely receipt of their wages. This also means the subsequent cycles will start on time because there will not be any delays in between the cycle,” said Mhone.
Mhone said in the near future, the application shall also be used by extension workers to record progress and images of all project works.
Director of Planning and Development for Blantyre District Council, Melayi Mhone advised the digitizers to work with a high level of integrity and professionalism to ensure that accurate data is captured so that wages are paid on time.
Mary Sipuni, one of the digitizers from Nazombe catchment area, hailed the council for the training, pledging to utilize the knowledge gained to gather and record accurate data from the participants of the project.
One of the project participants from Mikundi catchment area, Moses Molofati said he is delighted with the new step which the council has taken to ensure that they receive their payments in time to support their households.
“At the moment, we wait for two weeks, sometimes a month after completing work in the cycle for the wages to reflect in our mobile phone wallet. But we are happy with this new development and we pledge to cooperate well with our digitizers,” he said.
CS-EPWP is implemented by district councils with support from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund, including the World Bank. The project is facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee.
In Blantyre, close to 17,200 communities participate in the project where they are involved in restoring degraded landscapes such as tree planting, construction of swales, gully reclamation and natural tree regeneration activities.
Phalombe Council advised to strengthen LAPA assessment areas
By Linda Likomwa
Phalombe, June 7, Mana: Phalombe District Council has been advised to strengthen all the assessed Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA) indicators to improve its standing with the National Local Government Finance Committee.
The council scored 100 percent in procurement, financial management account and audit issues, 83 percent in agriculture service delivery and 67 percent on health and education service deliveries.
Principal Local Government Service Officer in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Victoria Kamanga tipped the council to put emphasis and more effort to all the assessed LAPA areas because most councils only pay attention to improve failed areas leaving the areas they did well and in the process weaken them.
Kamanga said team work among various sectors was also necessary to achieve desirable results.
“Concentrate on all the areas because most councils fail in areas they did well in the previous assessment as much efforts are put in areas they failed and some sectors choose to work in isolation and also to ask for the indicators they are not clear about before the final assessment team do their assessment to councils,” said Kamanga.
Phalombe District Council Director of Planning and Development, Kelvin Harawa said the council was satisfied with the 2023 LAPA results because it has been ranked 26 a drop from 15 in 2022. He, however, asked sectors not to sleep on their jobs to improve the results.
Harawa said there was no time for finger pointing but to sit down with the district LAPA task force and strategies on the possible ways to break the trend because sectors that are doing well would be affected with those that are not performing well.
The council scored zero percent on mobilization of local revenue and budget execution which was attributed to Tropical Cyclone Freddy which hit hard the district and affected most businesses.
The 2023 LAPA results have recommended strengthening of institutional capacity in local authorities, provide future clarity on geotechnical analysis, improve systems operation, conduct regular and systematic performance evaluation and to continue revising the indicators to make sure they are realistic in terms of measurability and significance.
The aim of LAPA assessment was to determine whether local authorities have capacities and safeguards to manage the development performance based grants, provide fiscal incentives to improve performance by rewarding good and penalizing poor performance in councils.
Sugar sold at an exorbitant price in Mchinji
By Brighton Thengoliweta Chimsinde
Mchinji, June 7, Mana: People in Mchinji have expressed concern over higher prices of sugar in the district as compared to other districts in the country.
The concern was raised during a snap survey which Malawi News Agency (Mana) conducted on challenges people are facing in accessing sugar, and how accessible the commodity is on the market in the border district.
A wholesaler, Chikumbutso Chimwendo plying his trade at Matutu Trading Centre in the area of Chief Mduwa in the district, said pricing of sugar is not stable because it is still scarce on the market which has made some of the wholesalers travel to Lilongwe to procure the product.
Chimwendo said they incur extra expenses to get the product from other districts consequently resulting in higher price for them to make profit.
“The price of sugar is not stable because of its scarcity. For instance, some retailers are still selling a packet of one Kilogramme (Kg) at MK3, 500 or MK4, 000. So far the whole district has only Wautali Distributor operational and with inadequate supply.
“It is my plea that the relevant authorities consider establishing an additional sugar distribution depot in the district as it was sometimes back where we had Simama Depot at the boma,” Chimwendo said.
In neighbouring districts of Lilongwe and Kasungu sugar is being sold between MK2, 200 and MK2, 800.
Vice Council Chairperson of Mchinji District Council, Mickson Chikutu said people in his ward are still buying a packet of sugar at a minimum price of MK3, 500.
Wautali Distribution Mchinji Depot Manager, Chipiliro Yotamu said price of Sugar in Mchinji is not stable because of porous international boundaries, low supply, higher demand, and instability of the Malawi kwacha.
“It is true that the retail price of Illovo Sugar is on the rise because smugglers are ferrying the sugar to Zambia as it is in demand because of its good quality. In addition, the price is not stable because we have been receiving 90 tonnes per week of sugar for the entire district which is inadequate.
“At least 150 tonnes of the commodity per week should be enough for the district. Another thing is that the instability of the Malawi kwacha against other foreign currencies is disturbing the effort of normalizing the situation,” Yotamu said.
Mchinji Council urged to maintain momentum
Vincent Khonje
Mchinji, June 6, Mana: After it secured second position in the Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA), Mchinji District Council has been urged to remain on course.
Secretary for Local Government in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Hara made the sentiments during the LAPA results dissemination to the districts.
He said the meeting was held to inform the district how Mchinji and other districts have scored and where necessary encourage them to maintain the position if they cannot get the first position.
“The most critical issue would be as the second-placed district they should be able to move to number one. We have seen it elsewhere that councils can be number one or number two but come to another assessment they retrogressively go down,” Hara added.
The Secretary said being number two means the Council does not have many problems but the results have shown that there are a few areas that it has to polish up and the Ministry would provide all the support.
District Commissioner (DC) for Mchinji, Lucia Chidalengwa said there are areas where the Council did not do well and would ensure to make some improvements.
“We have noted the areas that we have done well and those that we have failed. Most of the areas we have not done well are in service delivery like agriculture, health and education. The Directors and Sector Heads have committed that we work together to ensure we deliver the best to the communities,” she said.
Government conducted LAPA for the 2022/2023 financial year from September 17 to October 7, 2023 and these assessments are precursors for the disbursement of Performance Based Grant (PBG) under the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD).
Out of 28 Local Authorities, Mchinji scooped the second position together with Kasungu.
DC upbeat on LAPA performance
By Solister Mogha
Zomba, June 7, Mana: District Commissioner (DC) for Zomba, Reinghard Chavula has vowed to perform better to score position one in the next Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA) scheduled for September, 2024 through various internal strategies.
Speaking Thursday during the district LAPA results dissemination meeting, she said Zomba District Council would employ all strategies to satisfy all necessary requirements to ensure it comes on top of all other councils.
“Having failed previously, we have learnt and we won't accept that any longer come next performance assessment. Zomba will be on position one,” the DC said.
Chavula added that among other strategies, the council plans to have regular meetings where sectors would be assessed within before the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC)'s consultants, support each and every sector to ensure their planned activities are fully implemented and institute team spirit amongst council staff.
She said the council would award sectors that have wonderfully passed the LAPA assessment.
Speaking on the current district performance where the district has scoped position 10 from 23 last years, Chavula said hard work plus dedication were the driving factors.
She said was excited to see the Council climbing the ladder, saying; “Our focus now is to strengthen systems so that even if someone is transferred, the council performance should remain intact. However, it is pleasing for the status we have achieved so far,”
Out of the total 28 councils, Zomba got 77 percent which is the high class performance that is recommended by NLGFC for councils to get the performance based budget.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Anjoya Mwanza hailed Zomba District Council for the confidence.
“The Ministry is always pleased to see council's taking challenges. We commend Zomba council for the confidence," she added.
LAPA is a yearly assessment which aims at assessing the council's strength and weaknesses and how best to improve on grey areas.
Parliamentary committee worry over underutilization of water supply
By Bishop Witmos
Magochi, June 7, Mana: Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change has expressed concern over the low usage of the multi-billion Nkhudzi Bay water supply system in Mangochi by business enterprises such as lodges and hotels.
Chairperson of the Committee, Welani Chilenga said on Thursday during the tour to the water supply scheme that the parliamentary committee was worried by underutilization of the water facility which is meant to benefit 92,870 people by 2035.
He added that the committee, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, and National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) plan to engage owners of the business enterprises in Mangochi to discuss ways and means of utilizing the water supply system to its effectiveness.
‘‘As a committee, we are very concerned with how the water supply system is been utilized. The government invested a lot of money which was a loan and by the end of the day we have to pay back.
‘‘We have noted some anomalies in a sense that as much as the board has implemented the project very well, some lodge and hotel owners are refusing either to connect with the system or if they are connected, they are refusing to pay water tariffs, because they are running parallel water sources,’’ Chilenga added.
The Chairperson said parliamentary committee discussed with Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) to bring in other stakeholders apart from applying the law.
‘‘So, we have discussed with the Southern Region Water Board that we are going to engage other stakeholders in future, but the best solution would be that law should be applied because Water Resources Act empowers NWRA to seal these parallel water sources in areas where water board is operating,” he said, while questioning safety of water the lodges and hotels use through their alleged parallel lines.
Government through the SRW B successfully implemented a US$ 15.7 million water supply project, an extension of Mangochi Potable Water Supply Project to sustainably contribute to the social economic development through provision of safe water.
The Project which was funded by Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Affairs K.F, stretches over a distance of 50 Kilometres from Mpondasi area at Bishop’s house to Ntakataka Turn-Off thereby supplying water to Maldeco, Makawa and Nkope market centres in between.
Board Chairperson of SRWB, Brown Mpinganjira said despite that they are currently producing enough water of over 400 00 litres per month, enterprises are not coming forth as they have their own old water systems.
‘‘First of all, it is important for people to know that here in Mangochi we have a brand-new water system which is supplying clean and quality water across the district.’’
‘‘We are therefore trying to sensitize the business enterprises along the lake in the district to understand that the water they are using are not safe, and that we have very good water for their use, and that they have an obligation to supply this good water to their customers,’’ he said.
Government Signs MoU with African Climate Foundation
By Gift Chiponde
Lilongwe, June 7, Mana: Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), Colleen Zamba has hailed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between government and African Climate Foundation (ACF) for investment into climate adaptation saying it represents a significant step in acknowledging and addressing the impacts of climate change in the country.
She made the remarks during signing in ceremony of the MoU which took place at the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) at Capital Hill in Lilongwe on Wednesday.
Zamba indicated that the signing of the MoU marks the beginning of partnership between the two parties in addressing issues of climate change.
In her address, Special Adviser of the ACF, Irene Karani conveyed the Foundation's gratitude and the warm reception received from the government of Malawi and the productive discussions that led to the signing of the MoU.
She highlighted ACF's commitment to collaborating with the Government and the private sector across the country to bolster the economy through climate change adaptation.
The MoU offers the opportunity for the country to develop investments in adaptation, resilience and build a strong and resilient economy in the face of climate change.
It will facilitate access to innovative investment mechanisms in climate change particularly enterprises across the country.
Notably, the AFC is an African-based climate-focused philanthropic organization and is backed by various global philanthropic funds.
COMSIP youths in a K800, 000 ‘bailout’
By Kondwani Magombo
Lilongwe, June 7, Mana: Members of the communities around Chivutwe Primary School in Mdwala Village in Dowa recently gathered at the school to join hundreds of learners in celebrating a ‘gift’ from the communities’ own youth to the school.
The gift comprised 65 desks renovated by a team of youths who are members of Community Savings and Investment Promotion (COMSIP) Cooperative Union Limited, and they’re benefiting from the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).
Under the leadership of COMSIP caseworker for the area, Rebecca Munthali, 16 COMSIP groups mobilized and contributed K50, 000 each for the renovation of the desks at Chivutwe School in Traditional Authority (TA) Dzoole B.
“These are groups whose members are beneficiaries of the government Social Protection Programme of Social Cash Transfer (Mtukula pakhomo), and the actual renovation of the desks was done by the youths that were trained in vocational skills by COMSIP, under Youth Skills Challenge Support (YSCS),” she explained.
According to Munthali, the project for the renovation of desks at Chivutwe Primary School was unanimously agreed by the 16 groups upon assessment of various projects that were proposed.
With a total of K800, 000 raised from the COMSIP groups, three COMSIP-trained carpenters from Hope Youth Cooperative led the renovation of the desks at Chivutwe Primary School, using metal frames from the broken desks.
The available cash was used for the procurement of other materials such as timber, nails glue, paint and wood varnish.
The desks renovation project was led by three YSCS fresh graduates from Hope COMSIP Youth Cooperative namely, Manesi Mikisoni and Christina Kafa, both from Mauni Cluster, and Conelio Chisowa from Nkhathwe Cluster.
To the three, execution of the work was more than putting the acquired skills to practice for perfection as it brought inner satisfaction to have done a service to a community institution.
“This is a task that I did with all my heart in it as a way of thanking COMSIP for everything that the organization has done to my life,” Chisowa said, who hails from Makwani Village, Group village Headman (GVH) Makwani, in TA Dzoole B.
The Father of three joined Mtukula Pakhomo in 2018 and, like many other youths in the 14 districts where SSRLP is being implemented across the country, he was among the first cohort of more than 700 youths who were enrolled under the YSCS programme in 2023.
The first cohort underwent vocational training of various skills from March to June 2023 before each participant got a starter-up package of tools for their particular vocation early December, and a financial boost from COMSIV Limited, a Finance subsidiary of COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited.
According to Chisowa, COMSIP is the reason he, and many youths under the Mtukula Pakhomo, are walking with their heads raised high, sneering at poverty.
“Our courtship with COMSIP began the moment we were enlisted in Mtukula Pakhomo: The organization mobilized us into village savings and loans (VSL) groups and inducted us on financial management,” he explained, he joined Mtukula Pakhomo in 2018.
Chisowa added that, “Regarding the vocational training, I got starter-up tools for carpentry and joinery vocation after graduating, and a loan of K250, 000 from the organization to get me kick-started and with these incentives, my life has completely transformed.”
The other two female carpenters, Mikisoni and Kafa, share similar achievements and they were happy to do their community such a noble service free of charge.
Mikisoni, a youthful mother of three, who hails from Mapondera Village, TA Dzoole B in the district said it had always been her desire to learn carpentry, an inspiration she got from her husband’s friends who are all carpenters.
The young woman’s journey with COMSIP also began in 2018 and she was included in the organization’s Legume Enterprise and Structured Production (LESP).
Mikisoni testifies that over the years, food security at her household has improved and she has the access to other basic needs.
“This year, I have managed to harvest five tonnes of maize, a huge leap from two to two and half trips of ox-carts which I used to harvest before COMSIP’s interventions,” she narrated adding she got a loan from the organization to boost her new trade.
“I got K250, 000 at first, which I used for procurement of planks and other required stuff, and I later on got an additional K90, 000, making a total of K340, 000, and this has enabled me to buy livestock and get my house wired, ready for power installation,” Mikisoni added.
The youth’s good gesture has left community leaders in the area beaming with pride that the youth they’ve raised and seen growing now have the capacity to contribute effectively to the communities they live in.
Cluster Facilitator Chair, Glamson Kachikonga, who was among those in the forefront during the conception and execution of the project, described the renovation of the 65 desks at Chivutwe School as a showcase of the skills that the youth had acquired under the YSCS programme.
“We’re on track in realizing COMSIP’s slogan of Titukule mabanja athu; Titukule dera lathu’ Titukule dziko lathu’ (Let’s develop our household, let’s develop our area, and let’s develop our country),” acknowledged the cluster facilitator, adding: “This demonstrates that we’re, somehow, somewhere regarding developing our households, and we are now developing our area.”
Similarly, Head teacher for the School, Kenneth Mphanda, and Primary Education Advisor for Zone, Francis Kaliati, were both at loss of words with what the COMSIP Cooperative Union members had done to Chivutwe Primary School.
Mphanda rated COMSIP as number one organization working in the area with outcomes that are too visible to ignore.
According to the Head teacher, Chivutwe Primary School, which was located in Mdwala Village, opened its doors in 1994 and, at some point, the school had 130 desks against an enrolment of over 500 learners.
As time passed by, out of the 130 desks, only 43 desks were usable while 87 desks were broken beyond use.
“Without necessarily seeming to be ungrateful, we need more desks and teachers’ houses at this school: COMSIP has demonstrated that it is possible for the community to do it,” the Head teacher said.
The PEA said COMSIP has nailed it by economically empowering a family, the first educational institution in the society, and that the renovation of the desks reveals that members of the community, who are often times deemed poor, have the potential to uplift livelihoods.
GVH Chivutwe summed the whole occasion as “phenomenal” and that COMSIP had revealed how rich members of the community could become if well mentored.
“I cannot believe that members of the community, among them my very own subjects, through their clusters, can achieve this using funds from their own pockets. This is what we call progress,” Chivutwe said.
COMSIP Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tennyson Gondwe said it was satisfying that the youthful members of COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited Savings and Loan Groups were now able to give back to their communities.
He said what the youth clusters in Tchawale Zone had done was indicative of the ability to be self-reliant.
“As COMSIP, when we mobilize our members into village savings and loans groups; train the youth and give them starter-up tools and capital grants, we expect them to graduate from poverty and contribute to the development of their communities,” he explained.
“We are happy that the youths are now capable of standing on their own, and we are sure that during the next retargeting processes, they won’t mind being dropped to give room to others.”
IOM to help government in regulating labour migration
By Moses Nyirenda
Lilongwe, June 6, Mana: International Organization for Migration (IOM) has committed to supporting government in regulating issues of labour migration such promoting the welfare and human rights of Malawians working outside the country.
This comes as the government is exporting labour force to Israel on signed deal with Israel government.
IOM Immigration and Border Governance Programme Officer, Jeremiah Joshua told Malawi News Agency (Mana) Thursday in Lilongwe that as an organization they are responsible for supporting government in ensuring safety and consideration of human rights for Malawians working outside the country.
“We are responsible for making sure that while people must move to work outside the country, we guarantee safety and consideration of human rights as human beings, we guarantee that wherever people are going to work nobody should exploit them,” he said.
Joshua added that IOM was committed to working with private recruiting agencies in the country in order for them to follow proper guidelines when they are recruiting people to work outside the country.
Recently, IOM organized validation workshop for labour migration regulation which attracted officials from Ministry of Labour, private recruiters and other concerned parties for labour migration whereby among other things they discussed issues regarding orderly labor migration.
Principal Secretary (PS) for Ministry of Labour, Chikondano Mussa applauded IOM for its commitment to supporting government in regulating labor migration.
She said that as government their focus was to ensure that there was order as well as ethical employment for people who are working abroad.
“We want to have orderly as well as ethical employment and ensure that there is dignity for the workers and also their rights are being provided at work,” Mussa said.
She commended IOM for facilitating validation of labour migration regulation saying that the validation of labour migration regulation assisted to come up with regulations aimed at governing issues of labour migration in the country.
