By Andrew Gondwe

Chitipa, December 21, Mana: Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, has applauded Lusubilo Community Care Organization for training care-givers in promoting Early Childhood Development (ECD) in northern region.

The ministry’s Chief Child Affairs Officer, Martha Chiwanda, made the remarks Friday in Chitipa when she awarded certificates in early childhood development to 40 caregivers drawn from Chitipa, Karonga and Rumphi districts after completing a two-week training.

Chiwanda said the ministry is committed to ensuring that care-givers are well equipped with knowledge and skills on child stimulation so that children grow and develop holistically.

“The graduants have gone through a very critical training as they also, among others, acquired knowledge and skills on how to handle children, including those with disabilities, so that every child is supported according to their needs,” said Chiwanda.

She urged the care-givers to build good relationship among themselves, primary school teachers, community members, parents and guardians so that the targeted children for community based care centres (CBCCs) have adequate parental care, education and support.

"Such relationship among all involved players will ensure that children are well transitioned from CBCCs to primary schools where we expect them to perform much better than those who never went to CBCCs,” she said.

Lusubilo Community Care Organization Orphan and Vulnerable Children Officer, Wisdom Kayange, said the organization conducted the training to impart caregivers with knowledge on ECD principles.

Kayange said most caregivers have difficulties in handling children under ECD due to lack of knowledge of what is expected of them.

"We expect that these caregivers will share the knowledge gained with their colleagues and communities which they live in so that children's rights are protected and promoted," Kayange said.

One of the caregivers, Catherine Mshali, from Tichepetse CBCC in Rumphi District described the training as an eye opener in as far as child development is concerned.

"Now the knowledge and skills we have gained will make us improve our service delivery as we will follow all the principles based on ECD government recommendations," assured Mshali.

Among the 40 care-givers, 33 are female while seven are male.

By Benedicto Maguda

Blantyre, December 21, Mana: Choirs under Blantyre Deanery of the Archdiocese of Blantyre have organized a Christmas Choir Festival to be held on Thursday December 26 at St Montfort Catholic Institute (CI).

Technical Director for Blantyre Deanery Christmas Choir Festival Organizing Committee, Moses Iron, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) that preparations for the festival are at an advanced stage.

He said the festival, which will see choirs from the Blantyre Deanery come together to celebrate Christmas, will prove opportunity for choirs to share music experience thereby assessing the deanery choirs’ performance.

 “This will be a big day for Blantyre Deanery. Many choirs from the deanery will participate on the day.

“Best three choirs will compete at Archdiocese level. We have decided that the choir should perform two Christmas songs from Catholic hymn book; Hymn number 12, Anjero adika and Hymn number 19, Yesu wabadwa lero,” he said.

According to Iron, each choir will perform two songs at a maximum of 10 minutes to prove talent on stage.

He advised participating choirs to ensure adequate preparations and to abide by all the procedures of the festival as 23 choirs are expected to take part.

In 2023 more than 20 choirs participated in a similar festival when St. Martin Chirimba Catholic Choir emerged winner, St. Mary’s Chemusa were runners up while St. Vincent Mwangata Choir took position three.

In women category, St. Agnes Choir from Chirimba won the competition at position one, St. Clara from St. Mary’s Chemusa Parish came second as St. Cecelia Choir from St. Montfort CI won on third position.    

By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, December 21, Mana: Vice President Dr Michael Usi says the welfare of all Malawians is the current government’s priority, adding that given the challenges that Malawians are going through, it is naive to prioritize politics at the expense of the people's welfare.

Usi said this Friday at Chileka Community Day Secondary School Ground in the area of Senior Chief Kalolo in Lilongwe, where he interacted with chiefs and people, outlining government's commitment in solving the challenges facing Malawians.

Usi said this is why he's going out, reaching out to Malawians who are in need of support to complement  government's efforts in uplifting the well being of Malawians.

"I'm not doing this to gain popularity, or to position myself for running mate candidacy: I'm doing it because it is the right thing to do, given what we are going through as a nation," said Usi.

He added that a leader with a sound mind ought to help people out at this moment, other than promising to do so when they take over government.

Usi told Malawians to be cautious, saying the forthcoming elections will be a make or break moment.

"I want you to listen to this very carefully: on September 16, 2025, you'll either curse yourselves, or bless yourselves," he cautioned.

The Vice President said there are no new challenges that the country is going through, adding that the current government is doing its best to solve the challenges and improve the welfare of all Malawians.

"We've had these problems all along and if there's a government that is ready to find solutions to these problems, then it's this current government," he said.

Usi further commended President Chakwera's fore-sightedness in implementing infrastructural developments that will benefit the current generation and generations to come.

The Vice President said Malawi has got a lot of developmental projects underway, and he warned Malawians "not to send a pregnant cow to the butchery".

Later, in his response to journalists' question on his political stand ahead of the September 2025 elections, Usi said what matters most to him, as Vice President, is to complement government's efforts in attending to the needs of Malawians now.

Earlier, Senior Chief Kalolo thanked government for a number of developments that are being implemented in his area, including construction of school blocks.

However, Kalolo asked government to open ADMARC depots to enable his subjects in the area access maize at a reasonable price compared to the price from vendors.

The chief also asked government to consider providing Namitete Police Station with, at least, an extra vehicle, saying the station has one vehicle only, despite the large area that the station commands. 

By Victor Amula

Mwanza, December 20, Mana: National Bank of Malawi, Mwanza Branch and National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) in the district jointly donated assorted working equipment and cleaning materials worth K550.000 to Mwanza District Council to be distributed to two major markets.

In an interview after receiving the donation on Thursday, Mwanza District Council, Chairperson Councilor Emmanuel Kapawe said National Bank of Malawi and NEEF contributed K300, 000 and K250, 000 respectively to purchase brooms, protective gloves, vim, gumboots and assorted types of soap among others to be distributed to a market at Mwanza Boma and Chipatala market.

“We are grateful to the two institutions for the donation that will help to improve sanitation and hygiene at the two marketplaces therefore reducing outbreak that may occur due to poor sanitation as we are in the rainy season when disease outbreaks are inevitable,” said Kapawe

In his remarks, Chifundo Mangazi who represented the National Bank Mwanza Branch Manager said that the institution considered the request by Mwanza District Council for support.

He added that the bank took the request into consideration, as issues of good sanitation and hygiene are crucial to human health.

“It is our corporate responsibility to ensure that our customers live in safer environment, free from poor sanitation and unhygienic related diseases,

“Toilets at the markets will be clean. Our customers that go to these two markets will be assured of good trading environment,” Mangazi added.

In his remarks, Mwanza Boma Market committee chairperson, Henderson Ganizani said cleaning the market was a challenge with no proper cleaning items in place.

He added that the donated items will improve sanitation and hygiene of the market place and commended working relationship between Mwanza District Council and its partners, National Bank and NEEF.

By Pickson Chipeso & Patience Longwe.

Lilongwe, December 20, Mana: Leader of Parliament, Hon. Richard Chimwendo Banda, has confirmed that the Cancer Center will open in the second week of January 2025.

Chimwendo made this announcement at Parliament in Lilongwe on Friday during the mid-year budget review.

He stated that the Cancer Center will be officially opened by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera.

"This is good news, especially for patients who have been traveling abroad for cancer treatment or struggling to access medication," he said.

Chimwendo also highlighted the government's effort in prioritizing healthcare projects.  He said almost 135 health centers have been completed, and 40 new health centers will be constructed in the coming year.

In addition, Chimwendo mentioned the government's focus on agriculture, with over 400,000 Malawians benefiting from cooperatives and agriculture loans.

Chimwendo praised President Chakwera for increasing the welfare fund for students from K150,000 to K550,000. Adding that the number of students benefiting from loan boards has also increased from 9,000-10,000 to 30,000.

He emphasized that the prioritization of tertiary education is crucial, noting that no college—whether private or public—is now closing due to a lack of fees or resources.

Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition, George Chiponda, commended Parliament for bringing its proceedings closer to the people through the session they held at Dedza Stadium.

"This initiative was commendable, however, it lacked certain elements that would have made it a truly inclusive and engaging activity for the people. I hope that next year we can build on this foundation and do even better," he highlighted.

"I also commend the adherence to resolutions made by the Business Committee. Unlike the previous sitting, I have been impressed by the progress made, including the response to the opposition’s call for President Chakwera to appear in Parliament to answer questions under Standing Order 70," he said.

Today, Parliament adjourned, marking the conclusion of its four-week mid-year budget review session, which began on November 25, 2024.

By Stella Mwalwanda

Mzuzu, December 20, Mana: With scarcity and high cost of fish feed, fish farmers around Mzuzu used to face huddles in prospering their business for the past years.

However, this is now history as a fish feed mill has recently been established and officially inaugurated at Luwinga Industrial Area in Mzuzu by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera.

In an interview on Friday, one of the fish farmers, Telita Chitsulo who owns fish ponds at Songwe and Mpamba in Nkhata Bay said that the establishment of the mill will go a long way in promoting fish farming for economic empowerment.

“We are also excited with the infrastructure as this will ease access to fish feed which we used to source from either Zambia or Lilongwe hence transport costs eating our expected profits,” said Chitsulo.

She added that fish farmers have been accorded an opportunity to use the machinery to produce their own fish feed using locally available raw materials, thereby leading to increased profits.

Public Relations Officer for Mzuzu Prison which has some fish ponds, Macbeth Wasambo said that the establishment of the mill will propel fish farming initiatives in the north and the country as a whole

He then concurred with Chitsulo that fish feed transportation costs from far areas away from Mzuzu will drastically be minimized, hence attracting more investors in fish farming entrepreneurship.

Fisheries Research Officer who is based at Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre, Silvester Jambo said that the establishment of the mill is the first of its kind as a public investment in Malawi.

"The mill is equipped with a specialized machine for producing floating feed suitable for fish at all stages of growth, particularly Tilapia species (Chambo),” said Jambo.

Jambo added that the feed will be of high quality as it will take into consideration crude protein composition for fish at various levels of growth and will be affordable.

He however said that at the moment the feed is not yet on   commercial market as they are still in the early stages of economic planning and setting prices so that they meet the needs of all farmers. 

Establishment of the mill which produces 5 tonnes of feed per hour, translating into 9,600 tonnes per year, has been financed by the African Development Bank under the Sustainable Fisheries Aquaculture Development Watershed Management.

By Patience Longwe

Lilongwe, December 20, Mana: The Director General of the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), Gift Kadzamira, emphasized that the collaboration between NCST and the Lilongwe City Council (LCC) is vital, as both organizations play significant roles in promoting innovation.

Speaking during the launch at sunbird hotel in Lilongwe, Kadzamira said that they would like to have a link that will provide a connection between the innovators and the industry, so that the industry is also able to give out grants to the innovators.

"As you are aware, one of the key pillars of the Malawi 2063 agenda is industrialization, and another is urbanization. Establishing a call center for the Lilongwe City Council will play a crucial role in supporting the urbanization of our communities," she said.

Her worship the Mayor, Councillor Esther Sagawa said through the initiative, citizens will now have a direct and reliable channel to report issues, request services, and offer feedback from waste management to infrastructure inquiries, from emergencies to general queries, and that their team will be just a phone call or a click away.

"I encourage you to make full use of these platforms. Your active participation is critical to the success of this initiative. To our staff, I urge you to serve with dedication, empathy, and professionalism. Together, let us create a culture of excellence in service delivery," she stated.

The Deputy Resident Representative in the Malawi Country Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Challa Getachew, stated that the platform will provide a space for innovators and investors to connect, enabling those with resources to discover and invest in promising ideas.

"The Malawi 2063 agenda is focused on transforming the nation and improving the quality of life. We achieve this through innovation by enhancing service delivery, facilitating transformation, and creating opportunities for innovators and young people to bring their ideas forward and contribute to Malawi's development," he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Education, Dr. Mangani Chilala Katundu commented that the new call centre and innovation portal would serve as vital tools in enhancing communication and promoting scientific research and supporting technological advancements.

"This entire process of developing the system is not limited to Lilongwe. We know that the town of Mwanza has also benefited from innovative software designed to enhance service delivery," he said.

By Martin Banda

Kasungu, December 20, Mana: Group Village Head Uthonde of Traditional Authority Lukwa in Kasungu District has asked fellow traditional leaders to take a leading role in guarding against gender-based violence in families to ensure that women and girls are safe.

Uthonde made the remarks on Friday during a community awareness and sensitization meeting on gender-based violence targeting group village heads in the area of Senior Chief Lukwa in the district.

Girl on the Lead, a nongovernmental organization promoting girls' rights, organized the meeting as part of the activities of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

“There are many cases of violence against women and girls taking place in our communities which call for our action as traditional leaders. We must lead this war and help create safe homes where women and girls can live peacefully.

“It is only when our homes are peaceful that we can have productive family members working together to deal with poverty in the households,” Uthonde said.

She said violence robs the future of girls as they fail to proceed with their education when there are conflicts in their homes.

Project Coordinator for the organization, Tapiwa Maulana said the sensitization was part of the 16 days of activism where countries across the globe reflect and raise awareness on the evils of gender-based violence.

“Chiefs are important stakeholders in the fight against gender-based violence, so we targeted them for the important role that they play in this campaign.

“Women and girls suffer the brunt of all forms of violence, so our mission is to contribute towards efforts to mitigate the vice,” she said.

Child Protection Officer at Kasungu Police Station, George Kantondo, hailed the organization for organizing the meeting saying gender-based violence needs concerted efforts by various stakeholders to fight it.

“We must all preach the messages against violence at the same time reminding each other of the need not to take the law into our own hands,” he said.

With funding from the African Women's Development Fund, Girl on the Lead is implementing activities to help people deal with violence and is also giving out business capital to girls so that they become independent.