By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, May 5, Mana: Deputy Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Halima Daudi, has hailed Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) beneficiaries in Chitipa District for investing money they get from the programme into fixed assets.

Daudi said this Thursday at Kasisi, Senior Chief Mwabulambya in the district after visiting some of the programme’s beneficiaries.

She noted that beneficiaries have transformed their livelihoods, which she said is one of the objectives of the programme.

She acknowledged that many of the beneficiaries have acquired assets like pigs, goats, chickens and some are even paying school fees for learners.

“As government, we are happy with how SCTP beneficiaries have acquired assets after joining the social protection programme. We have visited some who have built houses roofed with iron sheets. Others have installed electricity in their houses, which is commendable.

“It is the wish of government that every Malawian should be economically independent hence the introduction of social protection programmes like SCTP,” Daudi said.

A 68 year-old Luckness Nawonga of Kasisi 1 Village, Senior Chief Mwabulambya, thanked government for the programme saying it has helped many people in her area to come out of poverty.

Nawonga said she is now living in an iron-roofed house with cement floor because of SCTP.

“I have all what I wanted to have in life. I have built a house from the programme and have enough food, which lasts the whole year. I also have goats and chickens,” Nawonga said.

Chairperson for Chitipa District Council, Ronald Kayira, said SCTP has helped many households in the district to have fixed assets.

SCTP started in 2008 targeting 5,555 ultra-poor households in eight Traditional Authorities in the district.

By George Mponda

Karonga, June 5, Mana: Construction of an oxygen plant at Karonga District Hospital is progressing steadily and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2025.

Funded by the World Bank, the project was allocated K1.8 billion for construction and subsequent purchase of the gas plant equipment.

Karonga District Council Director of Health Services, David Sibale, said in an interview on Wednesday that the Council spends over K1.6 million to go to Nkhoma Mission Hospital in Lilongwe to fill 40 oxygen gas cylinders, which lasts three months.

"Currently, the hospital relies on external suppliers like Afrox and Nkhoma Mission Hospital in Lilongwe for oxygen, incurring substantial transportation costs and delays.

“The new facility will produce medical-grade oxygen on-site, ensuring a reliable supply for critical cases such as respiratory illnesses, surgical procedures and emergency care," said Sibale.

According to Sibale, the project will also provide a lorry to be ferrying oxygen to requesting districts.

Health Rights Activist, Maziko Matemba, hailed government for the project saying it is life saving.

"We learnt lessons during the Covid-19 outbreak that there are so many gaps in accessing oxygen for patients in our hospitals and construction of this plant in Karonga is a welcome move. We hope that it will extend to other facilities in the country which will help bridge the gap," said Matemba.

He, therefore, called on government to make sure that resources for the repair and maintenance of the plant, once completed, should be readily available.

Once operational, the plant will not only serve Karonga but also benefit the entire northern region, which, currently, has no gas plant.

By Joel Phiri & Mercy Botha

Mzimba, June 5, Mana:  Youth Officer for M’mbelwa District Council, Yamikani Nyalugwe, has urged youths in Mzimba to move towards creation of innovative ideas that would translate into business opportunities for them to become self-reliant.

Nyalugwe was speaking in an interview on the side-lines of a meeting held by the Ministry of Youths and Sports on Wednesday to disseminate the country’s National Youth Policy to the district youth technical working group.

“The National Youth Policy, among others, seeks to empower youths to deal with economic challenges by creating an enabling environment for them to achieve sustainable personal and national development.

“We, as a Council, appeal to youths to be innovative to create solutions to most of the pressing challenges facing them such as unemployment,” he said.

Nyalugwe said most youths in Malawi lack opportunities because they are not innovative enough.

“We face many challenges which one can solve by coming up with new ideas. Those ideas can be sold or turned into business opportunities. So, we appeal to youths to embrace innovation as a gateway to success,” he said.

Deputy Director of Youth in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kettie Mwandira, highlighted the ministry’s focus on increasing awareness and understanding of the National Youth Policy.

“We are here to make sure that the Council understands the policy and is directed and guided in terms of how to design and implement youth related programs,” she said

Mwandira called for unity in implementing the policy noting that youth issues are cross-cutting and require collective responsibility.

“Youth issues are everyone’s responsibility. We need to work together to realize the goals of the policy,” she said.

The National Youth Policy 2023-2028 aims to empower youths to deal with social, cultural, economic, and political challenges in order to exploit various opportunities towards the fulfillment of their potential.

So far, the policy has been disseminated in six districts, including Mzimba, as part of efforts to promote youth development and participation in national development.

The meeting was supported by Plan Malawi.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, May 5, Mana: Principal Nutrition, HIV and AIDS Officer for Chitipa, Martin Mkandawire has advised non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the district to coordinate with government sectors for the smooth implementation of their projects.

Mkandawire made the call on Wednesday during a review meeting for Tubepoka Development Initiative (TDI) project titled; Sustainable Household Resilience for Child Survival (SHR-CS).

He noted with concern that some NGOs in the district are working in isolation, without the knowledge of key sectors, which he appealed to change.

“The NGOs complement government efforts and they are supposed to work hand in hand with sectors involved in the implementation of projects as one of the sustainable measures,” Mkandawire said.

He then applauded TDI for implementing the nutrition project, which he said is a plus in the district after phasing out of USAID-funded projects.

Mkandawire said that TDI nutrition activities are visible in Senior Chiefs Nthalire and Mwabulambya.

Food Security and Livelihood Project Officer for TDI, Nellie Nkhata said that despite some challenges like high inflation rate which has crippled the project activities, the project has made some strides in the livelihood component.

Nkhata said that 94 households in Group Village Heads Mwenje and Mwambenje have been trained on how to make mbeya fertilizer as one way of introducing households to climate-smart agriculture.

“The houses were supported with 20 kilogrammes fertilizer and 5 kilogrammes of maize seed per household and managed to make 9.4 tonnes of mbeya fertilizer which they applied in their 8.4 hectares of maize field,” she said.

Nkhata further said that through their programme, 103 children have been screened and vaccinated as one way of improving early detection of malnutrition.

TDI is implementing a four-year SHR-CS project funded by Willow Creek Community Church in Mwenje area, Senior Chief Nthalire and Mwambenje in Senior Chief Mwabulambya in the district.

By Leah Malimbasa

Chikwawa, June 5, Mana: Chikwawa District Council officially launched the 2022–2030 District Development Plan (DDP) to ensure coordinated and inclusive development across the district.

Launching the DDP on Wednesday, District Commissioner Nardin Kamba said it is essential for development partners’ interventions to align with the district’s development priorities outlined in the DDP, benefiting the people of Chikwawa.

“We are not just sharing this plan for your information, we are inviting you to become part of its implementation,

 “We urge you to support us in bridging resource gaps, and work with us in a coordinated and transparent manner to achieve our shared vision by 2030,” said Kamba as he further explained more details of the DDP.

The District Commissioner highlighted that the DDP is not a routine plan of activities but a community-driven blueprint designed to address 14 pressing development issues, including food insecurity, low literacy levels, gender-based violence, and disaster risks.

Chief Economist in the Ministry of Finance, Owen Nalivaka described the launch as a landmark occasion, symbolizing a new chapter in Chikwawa’s development journey.

“This event is the launch of a new chapter in Chikwawa District’s development journey. It is a celebration of planning, partnership, and purpose,” he added.

Nalivaka therefore applauded the council for following a participatory process in formulating the DDP and Social Economic Profile in alignment with the Malawi 2063 Vision and the Malawi Implementation Plan (MIP-1).

“No single actor, government, donor, Non-Governmental Organization, or private sector can do it alone. The DDP sets priorities.

“We now call upon all partners to align resources, technical support, and innovation with the district’s strategic needs,” he added.