Nthanda Times

Blessings Tambala

  • MAGGA project tames GBV, yields increased girl school enrolment in Dowa

    Dowa District – located in the Central Region of Malawi – is one of the districts in Malawi synonymous with gender stereotypes and cultural norms, which have, for centuries, been used to justify violence against women.

    These stereotypes, among others, stipulate that women are supposed to be submissive to male family members. And when married, women are expected to obey their husbands, act according to their wishes and not strive for equal decision making.

    If they transgress these norms, women may be subjected to physical violence by their husbands as punishment or discipline.

    But this culture is steadily dying down, thanks to the Malawi Girl Guides Association (MAGGA).

    The association, with financial support from the Norwegian Church Aid and Dan ChurchAid (NCA/DCA) Malawi Joint Country Programme, has been implementing a five-year project titled: “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG)”.

    The project has successfully strengthened  the capacity of community leaders and members in the district in order for them to understand women and girls’ rights and how to deal with gender-based violence (GBV).

    Reports from MAGGA indicate that there has been a massive improvement in cultural norms, reduced rates of school dropout and early marriages, and fewer cases of GBV among women and girls in Dowa since the organisation started its interventions.

    The association’s key focus areas include gender-based violence, health, HIV and AIDS, child care and protection, service leadership, environmental education including climate change, and character building through girl guiding principles.

    MAGGA collaborates with a total of 139 schools, which include 120 primary schools and 19 secondary schools.

    Deputy Head Teacher of Mtenje Primary School, Titani Banda, applauded MAGGA for their projects, noting the positive impact on school enrollment, return rates, and reduction in early pregnancies.

    “The project is playing a vital role in addressing issues of school dropouts among learners, early marriages and gender based violence against women and girls, we are registering a lot of returnees from 300 learners to over 600 learners,” said Banda.

    Banda: There has been positive impact on school enrollment, return rates, and reduction in early pregnancies

    Esther Christopher, a 20-year-old GBV survivor from Traditional Authority Chiwere, shared her story of how she got pregnant at the age of 14 while in Standard Six.

    The pregnancy forced her into an early marriage and the birth of her first child at 15.

    But after suffering abject poverty and experiencing violence at the hands of the man ‘she fondly loved’ before being impregnated, she divorced him and returned to her mother, who encouraged her to return to school.

    “I started again in standard six at Mtenje Primary School and after writing my standard 8 exams; I was selected to Kafumphe Community Day Secondary School (CDSS). I would like to take this opportunity to encourage my fellow girls to respect and be submissive to their parents so that they can fulfill their dreams,” she said.

    MAGGA is also working with 139 girl clubs and 120 boys clubs, involving 516 teachers, 240 matrons in primary schools, and 19 matrons in secondary schools. There are also 240 patrons in primary schools participating in MAGGA projects.

    The current five-year project, running from 2020 to 2024. During a media tour organized by NCA/DCA Malawi Country Programme, MAGAA Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Dowa, Jim Dyson, said they were impressed by the strides the association has achieved in addressing factors that perpetuate violence in communities.

    Dyson: The results have been awesome

    Dyson said it was commendable that through the EVAWG project, Dowa district has registered an increase in school enrollment, with a number of girls being withdrawn from marriages and returned to school.

    He said this demonstrates MAGGA’s commitment to ending GBV by empowering women and girls and using survivors of GBV to educate others on the dangers of such practices.

    “Basically, we have two approaches: one is in school approach and the second one is out-of-school approach. In school-approach, we are working with clubs in 120 primary schools and 18 secondary schools. These schools are in four Traditional Authorities namely Chiwere, Mkukula, Msakambewa and Dzoole,” he said.

    “In this approach, we established two clubs in each primary school where they learn about gender based violence and learners get gender based violence services,” added Dyson.

  • Youth urged to participate in national budget, public debt debates

    As the country grapples with national budget deficits at the back of soaring public debt estimated to be K15 trillion, ActionAid Malawi has urged the youth to take a leading role in championing policy direction towards the attainment of Malawi 2063 Agenda.

    Speaking on Tuesday in Lilongwe after making a presentation  on youth and leadership at the national youth summit, ActionAid Malawi Programme and Policy Lead, Wongani Mugaba, said key policy instruments and decisions such as national budget and public debt require meaningful participation of the youth for effective implementation.

    “It is unfortunate that despite the fact that  50 percent of the country’s population is youth, they are on the receiving end of development programs.  This clearly shows that the youth are not involved in the actual implementation of such policies. There is a need for the youth to meaningfully participate in formulation, implementation, monitoring and  evaluation of the policies,” he said.

    Mugaba: Policy instruments and decisions require meaningful youth participation

    Mugaba called upon  the youth to utilise various platforms including digital spaces to initiate debates on how best the youth should benefit from various policies in the country.  He, however, called upon various youth organisations in the country to generate enough evidence for effective policy engagement with relevant duty bearers.

    Reacting to the presentation, Kimmy Mwandira, a young person from Lilongwe, said the session has inspired her to mobilise fellow youth to start taking actions against actions that fuel poverty among the youth.

    “Most of the youth believe change will only come from those entrusted to govern us. This is no longer the case.  It is high we realised that real change starts with the youth coming together to support the implementation of various policy programs. No young person should be left behind,” she said.

    Officially opened on Monday by the Minister of Youth and Sports, the national youth summit is being held under the theme:  “Renewed Commitment to Youth Development Towards Malawi 2063.”

  • Chakwera assures Mchinji citizens of government support during lean period

    Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has assured hunger-stricken households in Mchinji district of his government’s commitment to providing relief and support to all residents.

    Mchinji is one the districts where farmers realized poor harvests due to a dry spell that hit Malawi in March this year.

    On Wednesday, Chakwera conducted whistle-stop tour of the district to mobilize eligible residents to register with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in order for them to participate in the 2025 General Elections.

    And speaking at Tembwe Trading Centre, President Chakwera said his government acknowledges the effort and contribution of Mchinji as a district to both the economy and agriculture activities.

    Part of the audience in Mchinji

    He added that his government has allocated Constituency Development Funds (CDF) to all constituencies to improve development.

    He also stressed government’s commitment to ensuring that eligible beneficiaries of the Affordable Farm Inputs Programme receive proper benefits.

    In his remarks, the Minister of Local Government, Richard Chimwendo Banda, urged Mchinji residents to be custodians of good citizenship by participating in the second phase of the voter registration process.

    On his part, the member of Parliament for Mchinji South West Constituency and Minister of Lands and Urban Development, Deus Gumba, commended President Chakwera for initiating various developmental projects in the area.

    Gumba highlighted bridges, housing for security personnel, a modern police unit, and improved road networks as some of the projects the government is implementing in his area.

    Senior Chief Mlonyeni Jere assured that the residents of Tembwe will continue to register to ensure they exercise their voting rights in the 2025 General Elections.

  • Emmanuel University commits to promote special needs education, sponsor upgrading female teachers

    Emmanuel University (EMUNI) – an education institution of the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) – has reaffirmed its commitment to complementing government efforts to promote special needs education in the country.

    EMUNI pro vice chancellor, Reverend McPherson Jere, disclosed that the institution has secured MK714 million with which it intends to sponsor 10 girls with Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) to pursue Diploma in Primary Education at EMUNI while 30 female serving teachers will receive assistance to upgrade to Diploma level at EMUNI.

    Jere made the remarks at Mtenthera Full Primary School in Lilongwe during the launch of Women Empowerment and Special Needs Education (WESNED) Project.

    “The main goal if the project is to see learners with special needs receiving adequate education that enables them to realize their full potential, and women having equal opportunities in the education system. So, through this project, female teachers who want to upgrade their education will receive support to attain higher qualifications than certificates as it is the case now,” said Jere.

    Reverend Jere introducing the project to the teachers at Mtenthera Full Primary School

    A German-based charity – Bread for the World – is providing funding for the implementation of the project, which will run for three years in 24 primary schools of 12 Education Zones of Lilongwe Rural East and Dedza.

    WESNED Project Coordinator Jeffrey Titus Maganga said through the project, EMUNI will train partner schools in making reusable menstrual pads, making the pads, girls using the pads while learners with disabilities will be provided assistive devices.

    Maganga said they will also renovate nine classroom blocks of two classrooms each and renovate six change rooms.

    EMUNI is an institution of Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) and is publicly recognized and visible as a key actor in advocacy for SNE learners. Recently, the institution upgraded from a Teachers’ Training College into a university after 18 years of training T2 primary school teachers.

  • Undule calls for enhanced mobilization as MEC commences 2nd phase of voter registration

    Governance and Human Rights Advocate Undule Mwakasungula has called upon the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and its accredited civil society organizations (CSOs) to triple their efforts in mobilizing eligible Malawians to register for the 2025 General Elections.

    On November 9, 2024, MEC entered into the second phase of the voter registration exercise. In the first phase, the pollster registered a total of 2, 224, 307 people, which targeted fourteen councils, including several districts and city of Mzuzu.

    But Mwakasungula lamented that while this is a good starting point, the numbers represent only 65 percent of the projected eligible voters in these areas.

    Mwakasungula: This program is of national rather than political importance
    Mwakasunugla: The stakeholders must triple their effort

    “More concerning is that there is a notable gap between male and female registrations, with 56.7% of the eligible male population registered compared to 72% of eligible females. This low turnout, especially among men, raises concerns and highlights the need to make voter registration more appealing to all eligible Malawians,” he said in a statement issued on Saturday.

    Mwakasungula said with second phase on, it is important that MEC, along with all partners, should work to improve the registration rate across the country.

    He added that low registration means that many people risk losing their chance to participate in choosing their leaders, which could impact on the country’s democracy.

    “A massive nationwide campaign encouraging voter registration should be rolled out to ensure that more Malawians are informed and motivated to register.

    MEC should also collaborate closely with accredited civil society organizations, which are well-positioned to extend the voter registration campaign’s reach and promote its message effectively at the grassroots level. Civil society groups have well established connections within communities and are able to mobilize to ensure the message of voter registration reaches a broad audience,” emphasized the celebrated governance and human rights advocate.

    However, Mwakasungula has emphasized the need for MEC and the accredited CSOs to have adequate resources to enable them run effective voter mobilization campaigns.

    At this point, the revered human rights activist appealed to the donors to provide flexible support to CSOs involved in the electoral process, stressing that strengthening the voter registration campaign requires funding and resources, and donor support towards these activities will be part of their commitment to Malawi’s democratic process.

    “It is no secret that an election where citizens cannot fully participate due to not registering does not truly reflect the will of the people. It is therefore important to ensure that every eligible Malawian exercises his or her right to vote by registering. In this way, the election results will genuinely represent the choice of the entire electorate, allowing Malawians to select leaders who will best continue to address their needs,” said Mwakasungula.

  • Govt angers DPP veep Mhango  over distribution disparities in AIP

    Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president for the north, Jappie Mhango, has expressed anger at the decision by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration not to allocate adequate fertilizers to the Northern and Southern Regions in the implementation of the first phase this year’s Affordable Input Programme (AIP) this year.

    Mhango feared this could be a deliberate plot by the MCP government to create hunger in the two regions.

    His sentiments follow revelations that government-owned Smallholder Farmers’ Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) has allocated over 60 percent (6 571.95 metric tonnes) of fertiliser out of the 10 403.20 metric tonnes to  the Central Region.

    The said tonnage has already been distributed under the AIP, according to SFFRFM officials.

    On the other hand, SFFRFM has allocated 3 335.25 metric tonnes to the Southern Region while the Northern Region only received 496 metric tonnes.

    Mhango has feared that the government is trying to create hunger in the Northern and Southern regions. He has questioned government’s motive in providing fertiliser to all districts in the Central Region and almost depriving the Northern Region.

    “Obviously as a son of the soil in the North, I am extremely disappointed with what the government is doing, very disappointed. What is happening in this country is discrimination at its worst,” said Mhango.

    Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture expressed disappointment over the disparities in the distribution of the fertilizer, with Mhango, who is also lawmaker for Rumphi North, expressing fear that the government is trying to create hunger in the Northern and Southern Regions.

    Speaking to Nation Publications Limited (NPL) on the sidelines of the interface with SFFRFM officials on Wednesday, Mhango questioned government’s motive in providing fertiliser to all districts in the central region and almost depriving the Northern Region.

    “Obviously as a son of the soil in the North, I am extremely disappointed with what the government is doing, very disappointed. What is happening in this country is discrimination at its worst. I am very annoyed by this disparity,” he said.

    In his remarks, the committee chairperson, Sameer Suleman, said it does not make sense to have one region benefit over half of the fertiliser.

    Suleman said the rains also start in the Southern Region and one would expect the government to send more fertiliser to the region, which is also heavily affected by hunger.

  • WaterAid Malawi to drill first ever borehole in Ntchisi East’s Kandodo II Village

    Seven villages under Senior Group Village Head (SGVH) Kandodo II and his subjects in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kasakula in Ntchisi will, for the first time since they were created, drink from safe source, thanks to WaterAid Malawi.

    The organization has committed to drilling the first ever borehole in Kandodo II Village to alleviate the challenges communities in this area face to access water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.

    Speaking to journalists who visited the area with support from WaterAid Malawi on Tuesday, SGVH Kandodo II said it is sad that his subjects are still drinking from unsafe sources 60 years after Malawi gained independence from the colonial masters.

    “For decades, our politicians have used our WASH problems as a tool for campaign. Presidential candidates, aspiring members of Parliament and councilors for Ntchisi East Constituency have come and gone without delivering on their promises to drill boreholes in this area,” he said.

    SGVH Kandodo II was wary that as the countdown to the 2025 General Elections continues, the serving and aspiring members of Parliament for the area will do similar mistakes of “promising to deal with our water problems” without fulfilling.

    However, the chief has expressed excitement with the commitment from WaterAid Malawi to drill a borehole in his area before the end of this month.

    He said the borehole will play a critical role in improving WASH services in the area.

    WaterAid Malawi Programme Officer Laston Zungu said the organization has set aside MK500 million for drilling boreholes in communities surrounding three healthcare facilities in T/As Kasakula, Malenga and Chilooko in Ntchisi district.

    Zungu said the initiative is aimed at easing congestion at boreholes drilled in healthcare facilities.

    “We had noted that the communities were also flocking to the boreholes we drilled in healthcare facilities, leading to congestion. So in order to ease the congestion, we decided to drill boreholes in 10 villages that surround healthcare facilities where we are implementing our interventions,” he explained.

    Zungu stated that procurement processes are at an advanced stage and they expect the contractor to start the work before end of November this year.

    “We expect each borehole to cost us around MK12 million,” he narrated.

    The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) recognized access to clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right in 2010. In the same year, the Human Rights Council adopted the resolution, affirming that this right is essential to life and other human rights.

    UN further states that everyone has the right to a water and sanitation service that is physically accessible within, or in the immediate vicinity of the household, educational institution, workplace or health facility.

    Despite the Government of Malawi committing itself to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 on access to water and sanitation, the situation on the ground tells a different story.

    The dire need for access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation services in Kondodo II and other villages across the country speaks volumes of how the government has run off-track to meet its objective of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

    The latest Afrobarometer surveys in 39 African countries, including Malawi, found little progress toward the goal of universal access to safe water and sanitation.

    The surveys found that water supply ranks fourth among the most important problems that Africans want their government to address.

    “About one in four citizens report that their household frequently went without enough clean water during the past year. Only minorities enjoy access to piped water and a sanitation system, with stark disadvantages among rural and poor populations. A growing majority give their government poor marks on their provision of water and sanitation services,” reads the report in part.

    Meanwhile, WaterAid Malawi Head of Policy and Advocacy, Chandiwira Chisi, has described WASH sector as playing a crucial role in fostering sustainable socio-economic development within our country.

    Chisi stated that communities without access to safe and clean drinking water are at risk of waterborne disease such as cholera, typhoid fever, and diarrheal illnesses, which disproportionately affect children and the most vulnerable members of society such as the elderly.

    “Disruptions in the water resources equilibrium have far-reaching impacts on all sectors, including energy, fisheries, forestry, agriculture, transport, industry, health, and households, among others. Robust policy frameworks and effective strategies are therefore essential to guide water development, allocation, utilization, and conservation within the WASH sector,” he said.

  • Authorities sensitize refugees on convention travel documents

    Authorities have emphasized the need for refugees and asylum seekers in Malawi to follow laid down procedures when obtaining convention travel documents to enhance their security and wellbeing.

    Speaking during an interface meeting with the refugees at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa on Tuesday, Senior Administrative and Operations Manager in the Department of Refugee Affairs, Hilda Katema, observed that majority of the refugees are using short cuts to acquire documents.

    Katema said this compromises their security. She went on to outline the criteria for obtaining these documents, which are available to refugees needing medical treatment abroad, attending legal matters, pursuing education, and other valid reasons.

    She added that refugees need to submit a detailed, signed request to the authorities, including an exit letter from the camp manager, proof of refugee status, two passport photos, police clearance, and supporting documents from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

    In his remarks, Coordinator for Immigration at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Prince Matope, dwelt much on their role as being to verify the applicant’s refugee status in the database.

    Matope stated that when verified, the process takes up to 10 working days after a payment of K70,000.

    But he was quick to point out that applications can be rejected on security grounds.

    Officer-in-Charge for Dowa Police Station, Almakio Daka, who is Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), emphasized the importance of using the document correctly, warning that misuse would not be tolerated.

    He also highlighted the police’s role in ensuring the security of the refugees and the integrity of the travel documents.

    Daka said regular checks and monitoring will be conducted to prevent any fraudulent activities.

    Currently, 2, 000 booklets are available for 55,000 refugees.

  • Ntchisi registers sudden jump in voter registration

    The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) registered a sudden jump in voter registration in the final days of the first phase of the exercise.

    The development has inspired hope in the stakeholders such as the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust.

    NICE District Programme Officer for Ntchisi, Adam Disi, attributed to the sudden jump in voter registration to intensified civic and voter education his organization conducted whilst the exercise was going on.

    “The district has registered around 141, 020 people. And if we compare with 2019 registrants, that was at 198, 265, this represents 71 percent,” said Disi.

    He disclosed that NICE has devised several strategies for mobilizing the registered voters to cast their ballots.

    “Our desire is to see all the registered voters casting their ballots. And we are working very hard to achieve zero-percent voter apathy,” explained Disi.

    Meanwhile, MEC has announced that the second phase of the registration exercises will take place from November 9 to November 22, 2024 in selected districts.

  • Wella Medical Aid Society gives back 25% premium to Victoria Gardens Academy

    Wella Medical Aid Society (WEMAS) – a company wholly owned by Wella Holdings Limited – has given back 25 percent of annual medical cover premiums for Victoria Gardens Academy.

    Since it started its operations on April 1, 2024, WEMAS has been giving back cash to its customers who have claimed less than 25 percent of their annual medical cover premiums, a development that helped it gain a reputation for being forward-thinking medical scheme that has the ability to deliver unparalleled medical services in Malawi.

    Speaking last week during a cheque presentation at Atsikana Pa Ulendo at Nsaru in Lilongwe Rural, WEMAS Chief Operations Officer, Gift Nyahundi, said reiterated the company’s commitment to fulfilling its promises made a year ago to its members after meeting all the criteria, including 25 percent of the annual contributions among members who qualified for the cashback initiative.

    Nyahundi encouraged all Malawians to obtain medical insurance services from WEMAS in any category, whether corporate, pensioners, or family medical scheme.

    He stated that this would help Malawians access good health services from hospitals locally and internationally for the betterment of the nation.

    “As WEMAS we are here to provide medical insurance services to all Malawians to access health services in categories such as corporate Mtende with no limited hospitals and provide international treatment as well as with 25 percent annual cash back with free funeral benefit amounting to K1 million. The Moyo category has limited hospitals with 25 percent cash back, free funeral benefit amounting to 700 thousand kwacha and no shortfalls 100 percent cover. Thanzi has limited hospitals targeting government hospitals and Mission hospitals, no shortfalls 100 percent cover with free funeral benefit amounting to K500, 000,” said Nyahundi.

    In his remarks, head teacher for Victoria Gardens Academy, Chimwemwe Katola, thanked the society for providing the cashback and urged more people to join the company to prioritize health saying this, in turn, would help create wealth and economic empowerment.

    “We are very excited to receive the cash back. Initially, we thought it was a joke or a mere marketing strategy, but today we have witnessed the cheque presentation ceremony. I would like to encourage more Malawians to join WEMAS because our health is our wealth. Prioritizing health can lead to creating wealth, as only healthy people can be productive contributors to our economy,” said Katola.

    WEMAS provides a Pensioners Medical Scheme to cater to the healthcare needs of elderly people but does not cover those above 55 years old.

    This scheme offers three categories, including premier, standard, and bronze, providing flexibility and choice to members. In addition, the scheme offers generous medical benefits and free funeral cover of up to 1 million kwacha.

    WEMAS further, offers a Family Medical Scheme designed to provide quality healthcare to families at an affordable monthly premium.

    This scheme comprises three levels of cover, namely Mtende Cover, Moyo Cover, and Thanziplus Cover.

    The scheme described provides its members with the flexibility to select a cover that suits their financial capabilities.

    Families also have the opportunity to receive a reward for good health by being able to cash out up to 25 percent of their annual premium. This option is available to families who utilize less than 25 percent of their annual premium for medical treatments, whether it is locally or internationally.

    The Society is a professionally managed medical scheme that aims to offer exceptional and innovative health insurance services in Malawi.

    WEMAS also specializes in providing administrative services to organizations that manage their own internal medical schemes. These in-house schemes can benefit from the expertise of WEMAS staff and their established systems for medical service provision.

    Currently, WEMAS holds the fourth position among seven medical scheme companies in the country, boasting over 5,000 members.

    The company aims to expand its membership base to over 20,000 members nationwide.