By Maston Kaiya

Ntcheu, March 28, Mana: Joseph Guza, the District Designated Officer of the Climate-Smart Enhanced Public Works (CS-EPWP) for Ntonda-Kapeni Catchment in Ntcheu district, says the World Bank-funded programme has enabled participants to become financially successful after venturing into various economic livelihoods.

Speaking to Malawi News Agency on Friday, Guza said, unlike before, where many beneficiaries were into illegal charcoal production businesses, which were not sustainable, participants are now able to buy fertilizers while others have goats, and some are in the agro-dealer business, all courtesy of the programme.

"The CS-EPWP seeks to address the adverse effects of climate change, as such participants are encouraged to invest in sustainable economic livelihoods such as irrigation farming, among others. 

"After working for 30 days, participants are encouraged to invest part of their wages in various economic activities to ensure that their sound financial base is improved," he said.

He adds that participants are establishing village forests where over 3 hectares have been restored, besides reclaiming hectares of degraded landscape through gully reclamation and reforestation. 

One of the participants, Thomas Noles of Chapalapata village, in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Phambala under the Ntonda-Kapeni Catchment area, said the coming in of the programme has turned his household fortunes.

Noles said before being enrolled in the programme, he was producing illegal charcoal, which left his seven-member family in poverty.

"Using K48,000 wage payment, I saved some money through the village loans and savings accounts and later used the same to invest in irrigation farming," he said.

Noles said three times a year, he cultivated different crop varieties like tomatoes and maize, which he sells to support the daily needs of his family, besides children's education.

Another participant, Gloria Peter of Nyambo village, in the area of TA Phambala under the same Catchment area, said the wages have enabled her to purchase goats and construct a decent house.

Peter, a single mother who lives with her two sons, said she invested in small-scale business besides village loans and savings in her area to increase the income.

"While I am supporting my family, my appeal to the authorities is to increase the wages owing to the high cost of living, which has been necessitated by the devaluation of the local currency," she said.

The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) is implementing the CS-EPWP with funding from the World Bank and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

By Patience Longwe & Lesnat Kenan

Lilongwe, March 28, Mana: Member of Parliament (MP) for Kasungu North, Mike Bango, has called upon government to collaborate with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to protect the country's forest from destruction.

Speaking when he asked a supplementary question to Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change in Parliament on Friday, Bango emphasized the need for urgent action to safeguard forests like Chimaliro, which is under threat from charcoal production.

"Chimaliro Forest, a vital ecosystem, is facing degradation due to the increasing demand for charcoal. The situation has raised concerns about the long term consequences of deforestation, including loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and climate change,” he said.

Bango proposed that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change should work with MDF to establish a permanent presence in Chimaliro Forest and other vulnerable areas.

Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Owen Chomanika, said government is taking bold steps to protect the country's forest reserves, which have been under siege from deforestation and other environment threats.

"As a ministry we have plans to engage MDF in forest protection efforts,” he said.

He expressed concern over high cost of deploying MDF personnel to forest reserves, which has been in place since 2007.

"The current Memorandum of Understanding between government and MDF is being reviewed to explore more sustainable options,” he said.

He, therefore, said government is recruiting 1,500 new forest guards who will be armed and trained to effectively protect forests.

Chomanika emphasizing on the need for a more robust approach, citing loss of lives and injuries among forest guards who are currently ill-equipped to deal with the scale of the problem.

"The new recruits will undergo training to meet the revised framework which is currently being developed.

“Government aims to complete the recruitment process soon with the ultimate goal of ensuring long term sustainability of Malawi's forest reserves,” Chomanika said.

By Solister Mogha

Zomba, March 21, Mana: Zomba District Council on Friday gave out 150 buffalo push bicycles to volunteer community-based trainers (CBTs) that were trained to set up Village Savings and Loan groups under Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP-GEAR) project to sustain livelihood of communities under the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP).

Speaking during the handover of the push bicycles at Sakata Training Center in the area of Traditional Authority Nkagula, District Commissioner, Reinghard Chavula said the volunteer CBT were given the bicycles to ease their mobility in facilitating setting up VSLs among recipients of cash transfers.

She said SCTP was meant to uplift the lives of the vulnerable community members that were listed in the programme, adding that VSL groups formation was an ideal approach to ensure sustainable livelihood among recipients of the cash transfers.

"Our expectations under the Social Cash Transfer Programme is that people should, by end of the programme, graduate from their current status and live a more transformed life other than remaining in poverty. For us to reach this stage, more village banks should be established and sustained,” Chavula said.

The district commissioner therefore appealed to CBTs to encourage community members to do businesses in groups, saying this allows them to have market opportunities for their products on top of easy access to loans.

One of the community based trainers, Exah Nsapato hailed the council after receiving a push bicycle saying this was timely since travelling long distances on foot was a challenge.

“We are just volunteers and we could, in many occasions, use our money to visit the groups and we thank government through UNICEF for the support," Nsapato who supervises a VSL group of over 100 members, added.

She said the bicycles are a big relief, adding that many CBTs have been motivated and will work hard.

“We promise to take good care of the bicycles so that they serve the intended purpose," Nsapato added.

Traditional Authority Nkagula who witnessed the handover, said mobility amongst most of the CBTs was a big setback.

He therefore hailed the council and development partner for the timely support and promised to woo more people to join VSL groups.

SP-GEAR championed by UNICEF is one of the cash plus interventions which among others seek to promote community resilience through establishment of VSL groups.

By Steven Lingamawa

Balaka, March 21, Mana: Government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has secured funds for an extra month for the lean season program beneficiaries in Balaka.

Since December, beneficiaries of the 2024-2025 lean season were left with no hope as the World Food Program (WFP) through its partner Find your Feet, only managed to distribute cash meant for food for two months cover against the five months that food situation assessment recommended.

Briefing members of the District Disaster Risk Management Committee on Thursday, Acting Disaster and Rehabilitating Officer, Alick Milanzi disclosed that WFP will again partner with Find your Feet on the activity.

Said Milanzi: “The Learn Season Response Program is a Malawi Government program intended to help a lot of households which are food insecure.

“WFP will cover 36, 519 households with cash amounting to K70, 000 while the remaining 15, 281 will be given a 50 kilogram of maize by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.”

According to Milanzi, beneficiaries from Traditional Authorities Nsamala, Nkaya, Group Village Headman Phalula, Ngomwa, and Phimbi will receive maize, while the rest will get cash.

For the remaining two months, Milanzi said Government is still knocking doors for other donors and once everything is set, the beneficiaries will be notified.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Balaka South, Ireen Mambala has hailed the initiative, saying people in villages were struggling to find food and asked authorities to act with speed as the food situation was worsening with a handful of harvests this year again.

By Donald Zimba

Lilongwe, March 21, Mana: In a decisive move to combat misinformation and disinformation ahead of the country’s elections, the Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu, has launched iVerify Malawi, a fact-checking initiative spearheaded by MISA Malawi.

Speaking at the event that took place on Friday at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe, Kunkuyu emphasized the growing threat of false information, particularly during election periods, where misinformation can fuel unrest and undermine public trust in the electoral process.

“False information is a danger to any society. iVerify Malawi has come at a much-needed time as we approach the elections. This is a time when we cannot afford to live in an era of disinformation,” he stated.

He called on both the media and the public to be vigilant, underscoring that the responsibility to combat fake news falls on everyone, not just journalists.

MISA Malawi Chairperson, Golden Matonga, reaffirmed the platform’s role in curbing the spread of fake news, stating that iVerify Malawi will fact-check suspicious information, particularly during the campaign and voting periods.

“Misinformation can lead to violence and distrust in the electoral process. This platform allows the public to report any questionable stories, which will then be verified to ensure people access factual information,” Matonga said.

The launch comes at a critical time when social media and digital platforms are widespread with misleading claims, which can easily influence public perception. False narratives about election candidates, polling procedures, and election results have the potential to incite violence or delegitimize the process.

UNDP Resident Coordinator, Fenelia Frost, commended the initiative, stating that iVerify Malawi will equip citizens with the tools to discern fact from fiction.

“Misinformation is dangerous, especially in an election year. This platform will play a crucial role in ensuring factual and credible information is shared with the public,” Frost emphasized.

The iVerify Malawi platform will serve as a trusted resource for citizens, journalists, and policy makers, offering verified news to counter misleading narratives. As Malawi enters a crucial election period, the fight against misinformation has never been more urgent.

By Salome Gangire

Neno, March 21, Mana: Neno District Council Chairperson, Joseph Chiphaliwali has described a learning visit to Dowa District Council as an eye-opener, commending Dowa for its effective revenue collection strategies beyond government subventions.

Chiphaliwali made the remarks on Thursday during the visit, which aimed to enhance Neno’s service delivery under the Demand Driven Performance Improvement Plans (DD-PIPs) initiative.

"Dowa is implementing several innovative initiatives to boost local revenue, including through agricultural cooperatives and associations, farmers clubs and a council-owned 6 hectare farm. We need to emulate this approach rather than relying solely on traditional revenue sources like market fees," he said.

He added that Dowa District Council has successfully used locally generated funds to procure assets, such as 11 motorcycles, 55 pairs of protective gears for its agricultural extension workers; an achievement that underscores the importance of revenue diversification amid insufficient government subventions.

Chiphaliwali further emphasized that Neno District Council was particularly interested in learning from Dowa’s strong performance in local governance and development, as reflected in its first-place ranking in the 2023/24  Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA).

"This exchange visit is expected to enhance Neno’s operational efficiency and governance, fostering improved service delivery based on lessons learned from Dowa," he said.

Dowa District Council Chairperson, Councillor Gift Nkhono Songeya, attributed their success to strong collaboration among council secretariat, elective members such as  Members of Parliament, councilors, traditional leaders and interest group.

"For a council to perform well, there must be a good working relationship between all stakeholders. Additionally, supervision at every stage of project implementation is crucial to ensuring quality infrastructure. Some contractors compromise quality when unsupervised, but in Dowa, we prioritize strict oversight, which has resulted in better infrastructure," Nkhono said.

He also advised fellow councillors to prioritize impactful flagship projects rather than focusing on small, scattered developments that may not bring significant change.

Deputy Director of Local Government Services, Janet Machinjiri, commended Dowa District Council for hosting Neno and urged the visiting delegation to implement the best practices observed.

"Dowa has been performing well in several areas, and I encourage Neno District Council to apply the knowledge gained here to improve service delivery," she said.

The learning visit aimed to expose Neno officials to best practices in revenue collection, project implementation, procurement, and council management, particularly in the implementation of the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) and District Development Fund (DDF) projects.

By Mary Makhiringa

Balaka, March 21, Mana: The Malawi Red Cross Society on Thursday donated a once off cash of K180, 000 to 587 survivor households of Cyclone Chido in Balaka.

Speaking on behalf of the Red Cross during the cash distribution in Nkaya Khwalala Village, Zomba District Coordinator, Tionge Luhanga, assured the community that they were not alone in their struggles and said despite coming in late due to logistical constraints, they were glad to reach out to help people.

“We understand the pain and suffering that Cyclone Chido has brought to this community. Today, we are here to stand with you and provide support to help you rebuild. Each affected household will receive 180, 000 Malawi Kwacha to assist with their urgent needs,” Luhanga said.

One of the beneficiaries Lydia Kalitera, a 68-year-old resident of Nkaya Khwalala Village, with tears in her eyes, clasped her hands together and praised the Red Cross for their generosity.

“This donation means everything to us; since the cyclone hit, life has been very difficult. We lost our homes, our crops, and many of our belongings, but today, thanks to the Red Cross, we can begin to rebuild. May God bless them for remembering us in our time of need,” she said.

Balaka District Acting Relief and Rehabilitation Officer, Alick Milanzi hailed Red Cross for the gesture, saying people from Balaka are passing through a hard time since the cyclone.

“We have seen a lot of calamities, flooding, droughts, hailstorm, all that left marks which are so hard to take off. Seeing good Samaritans coming to assist, is always a blessing,” he said.

1,408, households were affected by Tropical Cyclone Chido in Balaka in 2024, and the distribution was made in Traditional Authority Nkaya, Nsamala and Matola.

By Joseph Ligowe

Blantyre, March 21, Mana: Blantyre District Council has expressed satisfaction with the modern farming practices farmers in the district adopted, saying this guarantees food security at household level.

Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Councilor Elson Dumuka said this during the week at an agricultural field day noting that adoption of modern farming technologies has potential to improve on food security and general livelihood,

Dumuka made the remarks at Traditional Authority Kapeni in the district where Blantyre District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee (DAECC) organized the field day to provide opportunity for farmers to share knowledge and skills for improved agricultural production.

Among others, the farmers showcased several conservational agriculture technologies such as manure making, fertilizer-making using human urine, construction of swales and stone bands. 

“I am satisfied with improved farming methods that are done in this area, I would like to see all farming households to continue with the technologies so that hunger can be alleviated in the district," he said.

Director of Agriculture Services at Blantyre District Council, Edward Katunga, said that many farmers realize good harvest after adopting good farming practices.

”We believe that if the current trend, which enables farmers to achieve food sufficiency at the household level and within the district, continues, we will collectively make Malawi a hunger-free nation by 2063,” he added.

One of the farmers, Simeon Mikeya from Mchere Village, Traditional Authority Kunthembwe in the district, hailed the council for providing extension services on improved farming technologies.

"We are shining because of the guidance that we get from our extension workers and other non-governmental organizations like Bayer Malawi, One Acre Fund, and Glow-best, among others, on good farming technologies.

“I am into maize production, and since the extension workers started visiting me, my knowledge on conservation agriculture has improved. My harvest from my half-acre plot improves each year," he said.

DAECC, a committee comprising stakeholders in the agriculture sector at council level, holds agriculture field day every year to allow farmers to showcase modern agricultural practices learnt from agricultural extension workers.