Nthanda Times

Gift Nachuma – Contributor

  • FDH Bank, YONECO donate to TCF survivors in Zomba

    FDH Bank, in partnership with Youth Net and Counseling (YONECO), have made a generous donation to victims of Cyclone Freddy who are currently seeking refuge at United Pentecost Church camp in Zomba. 

    The camp, which is currently home to 92 families and over 395 individuals, received a variety of much-needed supplies, including blankets, soya pieces, flour, chlorine for water treatment, and water buckets.

    FDH Bank’s branch manager for Zomba, Julia Mvula, explained that the bank had set aside K100 million to assist cyclone victims throughout the country. Mvula emphasized that as a bank, FDH prioritizes sustainability and providing value to the communities in which it operates. 

    “Some of these people are our customers, others are our staff members, so we believe we need to be sustainable and to add value in the environment in which we operate,” she said.

    YONECO Executive Director McBen Kandawire praised the coordination between his organization and FDH Bank, stating that the Department of Disaster and Risk Management alone cannot manage all of the camps. 

    “DODMA directed us to this camp, and through our partners and other well-wishers, we have donated food and non-food items. For YONECO, we have donated items worth K2 million,” Kandawire said.

    One of the camp’s beneficiaries, Julita Mayida, expressed gratitude for the donation but also highlighted the need for more support. Mayida explained that the camp lacks tents, forcing men to sleep outside while women and children sleep inside the small church.

    “We are asking well-wishers to help us with tents,” she concluded.

  • MANEPO launches Covid-19 Door-to-Door Vaccination Campaign in Balaka

    In response to the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy in Balaka District, Malawi, the Malawi Network for Older Persons Organization (MANEPO) has launched a door-to-door vaccination campaign to help protect the affected community from Covid-19.

    Over 3411 households, equivalent to 5000 people, were affected by the cyclone, and many have lost their homes and livelihoods, leaving them vulnerable to diseases like cholera, diarrhea, and Covid-19.

    During the recent launch of the Covid-19 door-to-door campaign at Namanolo ground Traditional Authority Amidu in the district, District Chief Health Preventive Officer Blessings Chitsime explained that vaccinating people against Covid-19 is like providing an additional layer of protection to the public from deadly infections.

    “If people come together in a crowded place, they are at risky of contracting many diseases so what MANEPO and other partners are doing in Balaka is quite recommendable, vaccinating people from covid 19 is like putting more protection to the public from deadly infection,” Chitsime said.

    MANEPO’s Humanitarian Manager, Nitike Ngwira, also highlighted the importance of educating people on the benefits of vaccination. She announced that they decided to launch the campaign before starting to vaccinate door-to-door, as a way of demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and removing any misconceptions people may have.

    “We first launched the campaign in Zomba now we decide of launching here at Balaka and our next district is Machinga so after the launch we will start vaccinating door to door, we do not forget the older people because due to the challenges of walking many shun to visit the hospital this prompted the idea of vaccinating them at their homes,” Ngwira said.

    A man gets his Covi-19 jab

    Ngwira also noted that older people are often unable to visit hospitals due to mobility issues, so MANEPO will vaccinate them at their homes. During the launch, 96 people, including older people, were vaccinated.

    Traditional Authority Amidu, who witnessed the launch, expressed her gratitude for the initiative, emphasizing the suffering of those affected by Cyclone Freddy, and the urgent need for assistance from the government and well-wishers. She also urged the community to receive the vaccine, stating that she is a living example of the first people who received the vaccine in the area.

    “I am asking for urgent help from the government and other well-wishers in my area people are suffering,  we have only received food for the past 2 days which is not enough as I am saying we have lost our farms and everything so our hope dwells on the donated items,” said Amidu

    The door-to-door vaccination campaign launch was under the theme “No one is safe until everyone is vaccinated, including older people,” and is a welcome development for the affected community. It offers hope for a better future, as the community begins to recover from the devastation of Cyclone Freddy and protect themselves against Covid-19.

  • Zomba City Council launches K980m road construction project

    Zomba City Council Mayor and Chinamwali Ward Councillor Davie Maunde, have launched the construction of the Ndelemani Road worth K980 million. 

    The 1.5km road, which is expected to take 180 days to complete, will be constructed by Cas Civil Engineers.

    During the launch, Maunde emphasized that the road will address transportation challenges in the area and connect three villages around Chinamwali. 

    He revealed that heavy rains had made the road unpassable, causing difficulty for the locals. 

    “We are happy that in just a few days, people from Chinamwali will have a modern road, which is the most reliable,” he said.

    Councillor Maunde during the launch

    The road is funded by the Road Fund Administration, and Maunde assured people in the city that K200 million Kwacha has been set aside by the City Council to maintain the roads damaged by Cyclone Freddy.

    Director at Cas Civil Engineers, Tutule Msukwa, pledged to put in a lot of effort to meet the deadline and employ many residents from the area to reduce poverty. 

    “We believe in doing the work once, and that is why we have specialists and a team of engineers to come out with strong and standard projects. It is our policy that wherever we go, we give the opportunity to residents, empowering the local community,” Msukwa said.

    In his remarks, Laston Ndalama, the Group Village Headman Ndelemani, urged residents to take full responsibility for monitoring the project and to distance themselves from stealing materials intended for the project. 

    “We have a committee that will monitor the project, and we will also monitor our people. Anyone found breaking the law, either by stealing or otherwise, will face the law,” he added.

    The construction of the Ndelemani Road is a significant development that will improve the lives of the people in the Chinamwali area, as it will create better transportation access and facilitate economic growth.

  • Mbidi Evacuation Camp yet to receive relief support

    Mbidi Evacuation Camp, which is in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwambo in Zomba, has yet to receive support from the government and its development partners, close to three weeks since Cyclone Freddy hit. 

    This was revealed when Zomba Press Club donated assorted food and non-food items to the camp. 

    The club’s president Titus Linzi urged other organizations to donate to the survivors, stressing that people in the camps are living destitute lives.

    “We decide to visit our friends with the little we raised, we donated clothes, soya pieces, sugar, salt and soap among others,” said Linzi.

    Zomba Press Club members during the donation

    Chairperson for Mbidi Evacuation Camp, Justin Chimombo, said the donation had come at a right time when people are going out hungry.

    “We are 120 families here and we have only received 5 bags of maize for the whole camp and 5kg of flour for every family. The donations comes from our MP since then we are staying without food and we are asking for well-wishers to remember us, as what are fellow friends in different camps are remembered,” Chimombo disclosed. 

    Mbidi camp in located in Tradition Mwambo along Jali road in Zomba.

    Over 3411 household equivalent to 5000 people have been affected by cyclone freddy in Balaka District. 

  • Zomba DHO working hard to arrest cholera spread

    Zomba District Health Office (DHO) says it is doing everything possible to arrest the spread of cholera and cholera deaths in the district.

    The statement follows a premature end of a 12-day door-to-door cholera campaign.

    Zomba District Environmental Health Officer Innocent Mvula told Nthanda Times that the campaign ended due to cyclone Freddy.

    Mvula said they are expecting to return on Monday 27 March 2023.

    “We managed to campaign for seven days, but it was fruitful because cases were reduced and we did not record any death during the period of the campaign. But due to cyclone Freddy, we stopped and we are hoping to resume this coming Monday,” he said.

    Mvula added that they are working tirelessly to assist those affected by the cyclone and they will keep on monitoring the situation in the evacuation camps in order to avoid the spread of cholera in the camps despite the shortage of enough toilets and overcrowded.

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  • Police urge Malawi to seek professional counseling services when in stress

    Police in Zomba have urged Malawians to always seek professional counselling services when they are distressed instead of resorting to suicide.

    The police made the sentiments at the funeral of a 14year secondary school learner who hanged himself in his uncle’s house at Chizaro Village in the area of TA Chikowi in the district.

    It is reported that the deceased boy, Kelvin Malata, on march 7,2023, stole an unknown amount of cash, which he bought an itel cellphone at K70,000.

    He then went missing after being questioned about the missing money only to be discovered hanging from the room of his uncle’s house on March 8, 2023.

    The postmortem examination revealed that the death was due to suffocation.

    The incident happened barely a day after a University of Malawi student also took his life at Chikanda Village.

  • Zomba blames failure of development projects on inadequate funding

    Authorities at Zomba District Council have singled out the lack of adequate resources as one of the barriers to the implementation of developmental projects in the district.

    They made the sentiments during approving the 2023/2024 council budget, which is pegged at MK28 billion.

    Speaking in an interview, District Commissioner for Zomba, Reinghard Chaweta Chavula, disclosed that the previous budget was cut, affecting other development projects on the waitlist.

    “Last year’s budget was cut, so as the council, we failed to finish some projects. But this year’s budget looks promising with the more developmental projects which can transform the social economic life of citizens if given enough funds,” she said.

    Delegates captured during the budget approval meeting

    Brazio Chinthenga, Chairperson for Zomba District Council, urged duty-bearers to monitor developmental activities, saying lack of monitoring results in rooting of government funds that were meant for developments.

    “We have set measures that every transaction and payment should pass through a system as a way of controlling mismanagement of funds,” he said.

    He, however, blamed the government for failing to give the exact amount of money that was submitted in the budget proposal saying this delayed plans of the council. 

    The budget has been divided into twenty sectors including Agriculture, water, Housing, and Education among others.n

  • Zomba City Council approves MK5.1 billion annual budget

    The Zomba City Council has approved a whopping MK5.1 billion annual budget for 2023-2024 which has been divided into two categories based on different allocations.

    Speaking during an interview, the Chair of Finance Committee for the city council, who is also a councilor for Masongola ward, Anthony Gonani, assured the citizens that they will try as much as possible to fulfill the desired budget through the collection of local revenue, collection of city rates as well as looking forward to money from the central government.

    “The budget will help both government and the residents in improving different developmental activities in the city. We have also allocated MK12 million for water funds, MK4.4 million for the youth, as well as MK147 million kwacha in the education sector,” he said.

    Gonani: the budget will improve the city’s development

    Furthermore, the Chairperson for the Planning Committee at the city council, Charles Simbani, has asked for collaborative efforts from both sides, saying working together will make the work easy.

    Simbani has also assured citizens that as duty bearers, they will keep monitoring infrastructure for the betterment of the people.

    “A lot of infrastructure in the city is of a poor standard, including roads and bridges. So this time around, we will work hand in hand with the mayor, making sure that the projects are given to people who produce quality and effective infrastructure rather than having substandard outcomes,” he concluded.

    The Mayor of the city has also hinted at the project of identifying youth from different wards in the city to be trained in different technical skills to provide voluntary work for the community when needed. 

    The local revenue has been pegged at MK1.4 billion, which includes personnel emolument, the education sector, and duty allowance, among others.

    On the other hand, MK3.2 billion has been allocated to the construction of city roads, which falls under infrastructure development funds, constituency development funds, water funds, sector funds, and general resource funds.

  • Zomba concerned citizens petition ACB to investigate delay in classroom construction

    A group of concerned citizens from Masongola Ward in Zomba has petitioned the Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate the reasons behind the delay in the construction of a classroom block at Ndangopuma Primary School in the area.

    The group’s representative Edward Chingani has disclosed that children are forced to take their lessons under trees and that classes are usually suspended when it is raining.

    The group of concerned citizens at Zomba ACB Offices

    “According to the plan, the classroom block was supposed to be completed by 2022. But until today, there is only a foundation that was constructed. So, we are asking the Bureau to investigate what caused the delays to complete the project,” he said. 

    Addressing the citizens, one of the investigators at ACB assured the concerned citizens that the Bureau will follow the matter.

  • Titukulane Project trains Community Animal Health Workers

    Titukulane Project, a consortium of five Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has trained 75 Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) from Mangochi and Zomba districts.

    Speaking during the presentation of certificates to the trainees, Food Security Technical Coordinator for Titukulane Project, Henry Khonyongwa, said the training was organized after noting that the two districts have few numbers of CAHWs.

    Khonyongwa added that the project will start giving livestock to people in the two districts and will train more CAHWs in future

    “There are few CAHWs in Mangochi and Zomba districts. As Care International, we thought it wise to train more CAHWs. We are planning to start giving livestock to people. So, we had to train the CAHWs so that they should be assisting the beneficiaries of the Titukulane project,” he said.

    A newly trained CAHWs (left) receives her certificate. Picture by Peter Daveison

    In his remarks, Mangochi District Animal Health and Livestock Development Officer, Desmond Nkhaya, lamented the inadequate number of CAHWs in the district.

    Hence, Nkhaya commended Care International for involving government in the training.

    “We have few CAHWs in Mangochi district. We commend the consortium for organizing such training which will equip them with four pillars of livestock farming so they are the change in their community. We are encouraging them to work hand in hand with other animal caregivers so that together they can achieve more in society,” he said.

    Frank Matchado, Titukulane livestock specialist added that CAHWs play a vital role in the management of livestock because they act as primary caregivers and a bridge between Assistant Veterinary Officers and farming communities.

    “The project will support the trained CAHWs with CAHWs toolkit, push bikes amongst others to enable them to do their work very well,  These CAHWs will also be linked to Private Veterinary Pharmaceutical to enable them to access basic vet supplies,” he added.

    One of the newly trained CAHWs who was also the students’ president, Abdulah M’bwana, described the training as important as livestock management in many areas still remains at par. 

    “This training has come at the right time as many livestock in our areas is dying due to diseases. Having attended this training, we will be able to support livestock farmers in our respective communities with relevant veterinary services,” he said.

    The 21 days training was held at Mikolongwe College of Veterinary Science in Chiradzulu district.

    So far, Titukulane Project has managed to train 125 CAHWs out of the targeted 200 through the Titukulane Project.

    The Consortium comprises Save the Children, Care Malawi, Emmanuel International, USAID, and Care International