Items filtered by date: May 2025

By Tikondane Vega

Lilongwe, March 7, Mana: Savings and Loan Groups in Blantyre city now have a capital of K1.7 billion, a testimony that such groups can drive the country's economy if properly managed.

This was revealed on Thursday by Pearson Banda, who is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Blantyre City Council (BCC), when representatives from the Community Savings and Investment Program (COMSIP) Savings and Loan Groups in Soche West Ward, visited Chilomoni Ward on a best practices-learning visit.

Soche West Ward groups were formed from the Livelihoods Restoration for the Urban Poor - LIRUP Programme formed in 2024, while those in Chilomoni, were formed during the Covid-19 Social cash Transfer Program.

The learning visit was facilitated to see how the old group has survived years after their program concluded.

Speaking during the visit, Banda, who is also BCC COMSIP Desk Officer, said the groups continue to register successes due to several skills COMSIP has been equipping them.

“These groups are receiving much support from COMSIP and BCC hence continue to thrive like the case of Chilomoni where the Covid programme ended. I can happily say that people who are receiving social cash transfer money are investing so much at group level as well as individually.

“In the meantime, we have 631 savings and loan groups in Blantyre city with 12869 members. The coming in of COMSIP has made many people have discipline on how to use money,” said Banda.

Community Facilitator for Chimwankhunda COMSIP cluster Veregia Lumbe attested that the coming in of COMSIP has changed many on how they think about business as well as money on a large scale.

She said,” We have learnt a lot in Chilomoni, and when we go back home, we will start a business as a new group that was formed in 2024. We need to have multiple sources of income, and also to change our business according to the time. These are some of the things we have learnt.

“Within seven months, as a group, we managed to raise K2.7 million, which we shared among 26 people. From January 2025, we started again, and we have K687,000 cash in the meantime. I used such money to buy a motorcycle while other members are in farming produce businesses.

Edith Matope, Community facilitator for the Chigwilizano cluster in Chilomoni, attributed their group's resilience to intensive training that COMSIP has been providing.

“Apart from individual businesses, our group makes dish wash liquid, peanut butter, and we are doing farming as a group. We currently have K6 million in our account. All these have been achieved after the programme phased out. It means we are here to stay,” she said.

Matope said the group, which started in 2021 after receiving Covid funds, has 19 members.

By George Mponda

Mzuzu, March 7, Mana: Ministry of Health has oriented health workers and District Information Officers from hospitals as well as districts in the Northern Region on the proper dissemination of healthcare waste management practices.

Speaking in Mzuzu at the end of a three day orientation which was organised by the Ministry of Health through the Public Health Division with funding from Global Fund and Gavi, the ministry's Chief Public Health Officer Sydney Paul said they decided to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage healthcare waste and promote environmental sustainability.

"The Healthcare Waste Management Policy, which was approved by cabinet in 2024, aims to harmonise practices and guide staff and institutions involved in the management of healthcare waste.

“To create awareness and facilitate implementation of the policy, we planned dissemination sessions for healthcare workers and district information officers for them to have a thorough understanding of healthcare waste management principles and practices," said Paul.

He stressed that healthcare workers and information officers play a critical role in disseminating accurate information on healthcare waste management practices to the public.

"Information sharing helps in behavior change and raising awareness, so district information officers are important because they are in touch with communities and various stakeholders at the council level. So, we are trying to increase our scope when it comes to raising awareness on healthcare waste management," added Paul.

On his part, District Information Officer for Nkhatabay, Chisomo Kambandanga praised the orientation saying it will help health workers and information officers to educate the public on proper healthcare waste management practices.

"We have been educated on the importance of proper waste handling and disposal practices to prevent the spread of diseases and promoting environmental sustainability.

“This knowledge will help us employ skills necessary to develop effective communication strategies and messaging on healthcare waste management practices which will promote environmental sustainability in our communities," said Kambandanga.

The Ministry of Health has conducted similar orientation programs in the central and southern regions of the country, with the goal of promoting proper healthcare waste management practices nationwide.

By Patience Harawa
Karonga, March 7, Mana: Chiyeka Building Contractors working on the Hara Health Centre project in Karonga district has been given an ultimatum to complete the project by March 31, 2025 or face contract termination.
Karonga District Council Chairperson Bellium Msukwa said this Thursday while touring various projects being implemented under the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) and Hospital Rehabilitation Fund.
Msukwa said the project, which is valued at K173 million, was supposed to be finished by March 12, 2025, but it has been facing delays, while other projects in the district have been completed, prompting the council to take action.
"We cannot continue to tolerate these delays because the people of Karonga deserve better, and we expect the contractors to deliver quality work on time. Failure to meet the revised deadline will result in contract termination," warned Msukwa.
Msukwa emphasized that the council had given the contractors enough time to complete the project and that further delays would not be tolerated.
“We have been patient with the contractors, but it seems they are not taking us seriously. We cannot continue to wait for them to complete the project,” he added.
In his remarks, Site Manager for Chiyeka Building Contractors Elisha Elias acknowledged the councils' concerns and assured that they will work diligently to complete the project within the stipulated time frame.
“We understand the council's concerns and we apologize for the delays. We are doing everything possible to complete the project as soon as possible”, Elias said.
Elias attributed the delays to unforeseen circumstances, including the fuel scarcity and personnel shortages.
He assured the council that they were doing everything possible to address the challenges and complete the project on time.
The Hara health Centre project is one of the several projects being implemented by the Karonga District Council.

Gift Chiponde
Salima, March 7, Mana: Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development Blessings Chilabade has said the digitisation of human resource personnel records will enhance the Department of Human Resource Management and Development's (DHRMD's) performance and operations.
Chilabade made the remarks on Thursday in Salima, where the Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Department of the Accountant General (AGD), officially launched the Digitalisation of Human Resource Personnel Files program for the Public Service.
This initiative is part of the broader upgrade of the Human Resource Management Information System (SAP-HRMIS).
Speaking during the launch, Chilabade, highlighted the importance of the project, stating that it will help reduce incidents of missing files for public civil servants in the country.
He commended the World Bank for its support and for donating essential equipment, including desktops, laptops, scanners, and projectors, emphasising that the resources will play a crucial role in the initiative.
Chilabade said,” I urge participants to take good care of the equipment and use it responsibly to ensure high-quality work during the project's implementation.
“I commend the collaborative efforts between the Department of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD), the Accountant General’s Department, the Ministry of Health, and the Department of E-Government for their dedication to make this initiative a reality.
In his remarks, Duff Msukwa, Director of Human Resource Management in the Ministry of Health, acknowledged the challenges associated with manual data storage.
"We all know the decision-making process in government. We take on a huge responsibility when managing healthcare workers, but most of our data is stored in physical form, making access to information difficult," Msukwa said.
"This delay leads to critical decision-making regarding promotions, postings, and training. When information is stored manually, it becomes difficult to retrieve and analyse. However, once digitised, it will be much easier to make informed decisions on Human Resource for Health (HRH) management," he added.
The initiative is fully funded by the World Bank and is expected to benefit over 263,000 employees across the country.

By Tamala Kamanga

Dowa, March 7, Mana: Dowa district council chairperson of finance and audit committee, councillor Martin Luka has urged elected members in the district to set aside politics and focus on developmental projects.

Luka made the remarks Thursday as the committee presented a K38.4 billion budget for the 2025 - 2026 financial year which has since been approved through a full council meeting held on the day.

Speaking in an interview after the presentation of the planned budget, Luka said the budget is for Dowa citizens in all the seven constituencies, and not for the council or its elected members, and must be treated as such.

"If we embark much on political ambitions, we cannot deliver. We must set aside politics and look at the pressing needs at that particular moment, which we can prioritise.

"That is why we have allocated funds in every constituency regardless of the nature, condition and the situation we are passing through," he said.

Luka added saying as a district which is shining on project implementation, the budget also puts in place measures to improve revenue collection so that the council remains top in its project implementation and service delivery.

In his remarks, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mponela said he is happy with the budget as it prioritises rehabilitation of hospitals, schools and bridges in all the T/As.

"I believe that this budget will bring more development to the district. If we start implementing the projects in time, and according to plan, our district will develop," he said.

In his remarks, council chairperson Gift Nkhono Songeya urged the secretariat and elected members to work in collaboration so that people in the district should benefit from the budget.

'In this way, we can pave the way for social and economic development of our people, in the district," he said.

By Tikondane Vega

Lilongwe, March 7, Mana: Savings and Loan Groups in Blantyre city now have a capital of K398 million, a testimony that such groups can drive the country's economy if properly managed.

This was revealed on Thursday by Pearson Banda, who is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Blantyre City Council (BCC), when representatives from the Community Savings and Investment Program (COMSIP) Savings and Loan Groups in Soche West Ward, visited Chilomoni Ward on a best practices-learning visit.

Soche West Ward groups were formed from the Livelihoods Restoration for the Urban Poor - LIRUP Programme formed in 2024, while those in Chilomoni, were formed during the Covid-19 Social cash Transfer Program.

The learning visit was facilitated to see how the old group has survived years after their program concluded.

Speaking during the visit, Banda, who is also BCC COMSIP Desk Officer, said the groups continue to register successes due to several skills COMSIP has been equipping them.

“These groups are receiving much support from COMSIP and BCC hence continue to thrive like the case of Chilomoni where the Covid programme ended. I can happily say that people who are receiving social cash transfer money are investing so much at group level as well as individually.

“In the meantime, we have 145 savings and loan groups in Blantyre city with 3880 members of which the majority are women. The coming in of COMSIP has made many people have discipline on how to use money,” said Banda.

Community Facilitator for Chimwankhunda COMSIP cluster Veregia Lumbe attested that the coming in of COMSIP has changed many on how they think about business as well as money on a large scale.

She said,” We have learnt a lot in Chilomoni, and when we go back home, we will start a business as a new group that was formed in 2024. We need to have multiple sources of income, and also to change our business according to the time. These are some of the things we have learnt.

“Within seven months, as a group, we managed to raise K2.7 million, which we shared among 26 people. From January 2025, we started again, and we have K687,000 cash in the meantime. I used such money to buy a motorcycle while other members are in farming produce businesses.

Edith Matope, Community facilitator for the Chigwilizano cluster in Chilomoni, attributed their group's resilience to intensive training that COMSIP has been providing.

“Apart from individual businesses, our group makes dish wash liquid, peanut butter, and we are doing farming as a group. We currently have K6 million in our account. All these have been achieved after the programme phased out. It means we are here to stay,” she said.

Matope said the group, which started in 2021 after receiving Covid funds, has 19 members.

By Patience Longwe

Lilongwe, March 6, Mana: The Director of Programs for PLAN International in Malawi, Janet Chidothi has emphasized the need for strategic budget allocation to support the welfare of children in the country.

Speaking during a meeting with  Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities cluster on Thursday at Bingu International Convention Centre( BICC) in Lilongwe, Chidothi noted that despite Malawi's shrinking fiscal space, the national debt has surged to 27% of the total budget, consuming a substantial portion of resources that could be utilized for critical sectors like education and child protection.

"Two key recommendations were proposed, firstly, the cancellation of the national debt, which would free up a significant amount of funds for allocation towards essential sectors, this would require advocacy from members of parliament and support from the international community.

“Secondly, prioritizing secondary education and increasing funding for child protection were highlighted as crucial areas for improvement; although the government has made strides in allocating 16.6% of the total budget towards education, there is still a shortfall of 3.4% from the international target of 20%," she narrated.

Chidothi also added that the allocation of 26 million kwacha per council for child protection is grossly inadequate, emphasizing the need for reprioritization of resources.

"To address these challenges, the government should focus on investing in productive sector like mining, tourism and agriculture to reduce the debt burden and increase revenue.

“Ultimately, effective  budget allocation and strategic planning are crucial to supporting the welfare of children in Malawi and driving socio-economic development," she said.

Chairperson for Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities, Savel Kafwafwa, said the recent budget meeting highlighted several key issues particularly in regards to education and debt.

"While the government has made notable strides in allocating funds towards children, with the education budget reaching 16.6% of the total budget, it still falls short of the international target of 20%," he said.

He, therefore said one of the major challenges facing Malawi is its substantial public debt, which consumes 28% of the whole budget.

“This debt burden is equivalent to the combined budgets of four big ministers, highlighting the need for the government to invest in productive sectors and implement long-term plans such as mining, tourism, and agriculture," he said.

Meanwhile the Executive Director for Action Aid Malawi, Yandura Chipeta, appreciated the investments made so far on children in the national budget, however noting that there is more that needs to be done to ensure the country realize the commitments in Vision 2063 and the SDGs.

"Action Aid Malawi therefore calls on you, the Honourable Members of Parliament to consider the recommendations discussed during this engagement and recommend an increase in the financial commitment to all sectors that will ensure an improved quality of life and equitable access to public services for all children in Malawi," she said.

By Milcah Mathias

Blantyre, March 6, Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS), with funding from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is expected to reach out to 157 affected households with emergency recovery activities in response to the negative impacts of Tropical Cyclone Chido in Traditional Authority, Kapeni in Blantyre.

Speaking on Wednesday during dissemination of post-disaster assessment findings on the effects of Chido, the MRCS District Coordinator, Innocent Chikuni said the operation was meant to meet immediate essential needs of affected households in a safe and dignified manner, to recover from the effects, and enhance their resilience to future shocks.

“We will support them with livelihoods and basic needs, health care, rehabilitation of shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene so as to give them hope in time of their need,” said Chikuni, adding that the targeted households will each be provided with shelter, non-food items (NFIs) such as two sleeping mats, blankets, one kitchen set, and one solar lamp.

Apart from the NFI, the MRCS District Coordinator disclosed that each listed household will receive cash for rehabilitating their shelters.

“Not only that, each household will receive K100, 000 strictly for shelter rehabilitation, and they will also receive a multi-purpose cash grant of K80, 000 for livelihoods and basic needs,” added Chikuni.

Chief Planning Officer for Blantyre District Council, Pearson Mphangwe, commended MRCS for supporting the affected households with relief items and cash.

Following Tropical Cyclone Chido's impact in Malawi, a post-disaster assessment revealed that on December 16, 2024, the cyclone affected 46,017 people, causing widespread destruction of houses and other infrastructure across Malawi.

About 13 fatalities, 29 injuries, and 227 displaced individuals were registered across 23 districts of the Southern and Central Regions.

Pictorial by Evance Chisiano

Blantyre, March 6, Mana; Department responsible for inclusive education also referred to as Department of Special Needs Education in the Ministry of Education is tasked with coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Special Needs Education across Malawi including facilitating trainings for specialist teachers.

Recently, the department toured a Blantyre Secondary School (BSS) to appreciate how a 66 member Sign Language Club was faring in sign language.

The club demonstrated activities such as finger spelling of names of districts and animals among others, on top of demonstrating effective sign language communication.

The BSS Sign Language Club, that started in 2023 is under mentorship of a patron, Norah Mangani Nkavitha.

The club demonstrated that it was on the right path in producing capable professional sign language interpreters, the likes of Savita Wirima and Linly Mponda on MBC TV news.

Here are pictures of the department’s monitoring tour of BSS, with club members demonstrating their competence in sign language communication.    

By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, March 06, Mana: The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Benedict Chambo, has commended interventions implemented by the Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme (SAPP) in the country, saying the programme resonates with the MW2063 agenda pillar of agricultural productivity and commercialization.

Chambo made the remarks on Wednesday when he toured SAPP II sites at Chiwala Village, Mlomba Extension Planning Area (EPA), in the area of Senior Chief Chingala in Lilongwe, and Chitedze Research Station, to appreciate interventions that were implemented by SAPP I, and they are sustained by the ongoing SAPP II.

At Mlomba EPA, the Deputy Minister appreciated the organizational structure of the District Agriculture Extension Services System (DAESS), and the agricultural interventions that have been implemented under SAPP I since 2016.

He also appreciated the wealth that farmers participating in SAPP I have accumulated over the years through livestock pass-on intervention, and through irrigation and various agricultural technologies.

At Chitedze Research Station, Chambo toured a Mega demo farm where he appreciated various researches that the station is conducting on soils and fertilizers, cereals, legumes, herbal pesticides, and livestock feed, among others.

In separate interviews after touring the two sites, the Deputy Minister hailed the SAPP interventions, and he described them as Malawi’s way out from food insecurity.

“Having interacted with the farmers at Mlomba EPA, it is evident that the programme has brought wealth among the participating farmers, as evidenced by how much one farmer got after selling her 15 goats,” explained Chambo.

He added: “I’ve also observed a very good DAESS structure right from the top, down to the community level, which is very commendable as it makes the flow of information on agricultural technologies easier.”

However, Chambo observed that the agriculture sector has got gaps that require to be filled regarding Agricultural Extension Development Officers (AEDOs), a “very vital link, and vehicle for agricultural technologies to the farmers at section level”.

On the various researches and technologies at Chitedze Research Station, the Deputy Minister said time has now come for Malawi to fully embrace and adopt the new technologies that scientists come up with.

“We have competent scientists who are successfully conducting researches and coming up with various technologies; but we are not utilizing these technologies fully, in preference to foreign technologies: this is demotivating to our scientists,” complained Chambo.

SAPP National Coordinator, Rex Baluwa, echoed Chambo on SAPP I legacy, which SAPP II is building on, adding that if adopted and made available to the farmers across the country, the programme’s agriculture technologies could make Malawi a food sufficient nation.

SAPP II is financed by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and it will run for 7 years (2024 – 2030) in four districts, namely Lilongwe, Dowa, Mzimba and Balaka.

The project aims to contribute towards wealth creation and improve food and nutrition security among the rural population of Malawi, according to Baluwa.