Malawi rekindles self-help spirit as government launches 2025/26 Community Development Month

Lilongwe, April 30, Mana: The Government of Malawi has officially launched the 2025/2026 Community Development Month (CDM) initiative, reigniting the self-help spirit among Malawians and empowering communities to take charge of their development through collaboration, mindset change, and local resource mobilization.

In a press briefing held on Wednesday at the Ministry of Gender in Lilongwe, Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza, officially launched the 2025/2026 Community Development Month (CDM) implementation season, emphasizing the government’s renewed commitment to grassroots-driven development and reduced dependency.

“I am pleased to be part of the Government of Malawi’s commission on the implementation of Community Development Map (CDM) initiatives. This initiative is designed to build capacity in our communities to meaningfully participate in development efforts that directly benefit them,” said Sendeza.

Established in April 2023 and formally launched in November 2024 alongside the National Community Development Policy (2024–2030), the CDM initiative promotes a spirit of self-reliance in line with Malawi’s Vision 2063, particularly under the Human Capital Development and Mindset Change enabler.

Sendeza highlighted the worrying decline of community ownership and participation in development work over the years.

“The self-help spirit has declined substantially with the rise of the dependency syndrome. People now wait for money or aid before taking part in projects like road maintenance, school construction, or sanitation,” she noted.

She further pointed out that uncoordinated efforts by stakeholders have confused communities and led to inefficient use of resources.

“Some organizations entice communities with incentives, while others rely on voluntary participation. This inconsistency hampers sustainability,” she said.

The CDM initiative seeks to reverse this trend by fostering coordination among stakeholders and encouraging communities to contribute resources — including labor, materials, and funds — toward local projects. Over 4,600 projects have been completed since the pilot phase began in 2021, including school blocks, bridges, health shelters, and sanitation facilities.

In the upcoming 2025–2026 fiscal year, communities across the country have already planned more than 4,500 projects.

“This proves that the self-help spirit is being adopted,” said Sendeza.

To ensure the success of CDM, the government has empowered the Ministry to work with other key sectors including the Ministry of Information, Civic Education and Digitalization, and the Ministry of Local Government. Together, they will spearhead awareness campaigns, establish partnerships with NGOs and development partners, and enforce quality and standards in implementation.

“This is a reform area where no one is left behind,” declared Sendeza. “The Community Development Month is helping us rediscover and harness the lost glory of self-help by empowering communities to take charge of their development.”

She concluded with a strong call to action: “I therefore call upon all stakeholders to join hands. Let us entrench the spirit of self-help and achieve the noble goals of Malawi 2063.”