According to 29-year-old Doreen Masamba, pregnant women had to walk over 15 kilometers to Chiringa Health Centre to deliver their babies. However, the unfortunate ones would deliver on the way and even at home due to a lack of funds to hire a motorbike.
“I have three children and I delivered all of them at Chiringa Health Centre which is very far from here. I and my husband struggled a lot to get money for the motorcycle taxi such that I almost delivered along the way due to the delays in sourcing the money. My life and my baby’s were in so much danger,” said Masamba.
However, this will be a thing of the past as the construction of the GESD-funded Mauzi Clinic in the area is at the completion stage.
Phalombe District Liaison Officer, Keith Sayenda disclosed during a media tour on Thursday that everything regarding the commencement of the clinic’s operations as well as a staff house was now at 95 percent.
The Mauzi Clinic
“We have so far used K48 million of the available K66 million. What is remaining now is the equipment and furniture so that operations are rolled out. The clinic will then improve efficiency in health service delivery in the area as pregnant women will no longer be relying on outreach posts, everything will be done right here,” said Sayenda.
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GESD is a World Bank-funded arrangement to local authorities aimed at strengthening responsiveness to citizens and management of resources for service delivery.
The five-year-long project has the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Government as well as National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) as lead implementing agencies.
Speaking during the launch and site handover ceremony of a 28-room girls’ hostel, head-girl of the school, Egress Pindani said the development will assist in keeping girls in school.
“I am currently renting a room at K3, 500 per month because my parents stay at Kabwatika Village which is about 24 kilometers away from the school.
“But raising the K3, 500 and additional money for my upkeep is a challenge not only to my parents but for other parents whose children are in the same situation, so this project is a relief to us learners and our parents too,” said Pindani.
Pindani: The project will to keep girls in school
Pindani claimed that the accommodation challenge has been forcing girls out of school.
“Many girls have dropped out of school because their parents could not afford to sponsor them for self-boarding so they got tired of walking long distances every day to school,” said Pindani who aspires to become a nurse.
The headmaster of the school, Freeds Malata concurred with Pindani on how the distance and accommodation woes were affecting girls to attain education.
“We usually have a high enrolment of girls in form one but they drop out along the way. Currently, we have 297 learners and out of these only 140 are girls,” said Malata.
Member of Parliament for Chikwawa West, Susan Dossi said she was happy that finally girls at Chang’ambika CDSS will have safe accommodation within the school and can now concentrate on their studies without any worries.
Dosi: Girls will now concentrate on their studies
“Now our girls will have no excuse to perform badly, it is my plea that when allocating the accommodation the school authorities should prioritize girls who are from the longest distances not those from closer villages,” said Dossi.
According to Unesco, globally primary and secondary school enrolment rates are getting closer to equal for girls and boys (90% male, 89% female). However, completion rates for girls are lower.
District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) for Neno, Paul Sosono has called for concerted efforts from all partners in the district to win the battle against child marriages and teen pregnancies.
Sosono was speaking on Friday during a stakeholders meeting on ending child marriages and harmful practices including gender-based violence through a youth policy advocacy project to be implemented in the district with support from Parents and Child Health Initiative (PACHI) in partnership with UNICEF.
He said the eight months project will help to reduce incidences of child marriages, as it will complement government efforts in eradicating child marriages and harmful practices in the district which are still prevalent.
“The project has a component of advocacy which will assist the district to have reduced incidences of child marriages and gender-based violence as it will increase awareness on the same,” he said.
A cross-section of participants during the meeting
Sosono said Neno as a district is moving in a positive direction as data on child marriages shows a sharp decrease.
“In 2017 the district registered 698 cases of child marriages, 248 cases were reported in 2019 and 49 cases were registered in 2022 which is a positive development,” he said.
He, however, said the district is registering more cases centering on child pregnancies where people have shifted from marrying children but just impregnating them.
Sosono said in 2020, about 200 cases of child pregnancies were recorded at the district hospital, an indication that men are not marrying children but just impregnating them.
He said the project will work with all partners including chiefs, religious leaders, and all entities working towards ending child marriages.
Neno District Council Chairperson, Mark Ngwangwa welcomed the project, saying it will help to reduce teenage pregnancies which are rampant in the district.
Village Head Mlauli said chiefs in the district have formulated bylaws to help eliminate child marriages as they penalize children together with their parents, saying this has helped to reduce cases of child marriages.
The eight months project will be implemented in all four traditional authorities in the district.
Another small-scale farmer with similar anticipation is Dorothy Emmanuel, 36, a mother of 5 children. Like Beliyamu, Emanuel’s piece of land measures 0.6ha and she’s expecting a yield of 800kg of the grain, too.
Beliyamu and Emanuel hail from Kasiya, Galang’ombe Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Khongoni in Lilongwe. The anticipated abundant harvest is four times what the individual farmers have usually been harvesting previously.
Beliyamu shows off her soybean garden Pic. By Moses Nyirenda _ Mana
Such anticipation is common among hundreds of farmers in TA Khongoni, Lilongwe, and probably among thousands of farmers who are beneficiaries of the Input Loan Programme implemented through the Ukraine Supplemental Funding.
The program is being implemented with the support of Feed the Future Agriculture Diversification Activity (AgDiv), a program under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The beneficiaries’ expectations this season are very high and the farmers are dreaming big.
“I am very happy to be among the farmers benefiting from this project: I got 25kg of certified Tikolore soybean seed, 2 sachets of inoculant, and K20,000,” explained Beliyamu when USAID high-profile delegation visited the village, recently, to appreciate the progress of the project and how it is impacting people’s lives.
“From this small piece of land I am expecting to harvest at least 16 bags of soybean grain each weighing 50kg – far beyond what I have been harvesting all along,” the 23-year-old farmer told the visitors.
From the look of the healthy soybean crop in the fields in the area, it is evident that the USAID-supported AgDiv input loan program is a game changer.
With hundreds of beneficiaries anticipating bumper yields and, subsequently, more money from the sales, the area’s traditional authority was the happiest to report the success to the visiting delegation.
“This project is going to change the lives of my subjects dramatically because it is multiplying their yields several folds. We are appreciative of the support that USAID is giving us and I pray that the Agency should consider bringing more beneficiaries on board,” TA Khongoni told the visiting team.
TA Khongoni: happy with the success her subjects are registering Pic. By Moses Nyirenda _ Mana
According to the project’s outline, USAID has invested an additional US$8.4 million (over K8.5bn) towards the input financing and food security program through the Feed the Future AgDiv. The aim is to mitigate effects that the Russia’s war on Ukraine has brought on Malawi’s food security.
With this funding, AgDiv provided affordable input packages to over 75,000 households in Malawi, including 1,000 farmers in TA Khongoni.
The project outline further says AgDiv provided a sub-grant to a local NGO, the Women’s Legal Resources Center (WORLEC), to implement an input financing package for legume production.
“WOLREC distributes 25kg of soybean seed and 2 sachets of inoculant to each farmer, and farmers then pay back the equivalent of US$70 (K71,000) into a revolving seed fund after harvesting and selling their grain,” explains the project outline.
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To put it in perspective, the project outline quotes AgDiv’s political economy analysis of March 2021 that “closing the yield gaps for maize, soybean, and groundnut between Malawi and its neighbors would result in an increase in production value equal to a 15 percent increase in Malawi’s GDP”.
According to the outline, AgDiv will work with value chain partners such as Pyxus Agriculture, Community Finance, One Acre Fund, and WOLREC to address gaps in agricultural finance and to sustain and expand rural finance programs.
The USAID high-level delegation that visited TA Khongoni in January was led by Dina Esposito, who, among other positions, is Acting Assistant to the Administrator for the Agency’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS).
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Esposito was, among others, accompanied by Dr. Cary Fowler, US Department of State’s Special Envoy for Global Food Security, and former Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust – an international organization that is co-sponsored by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Esposito and Dr. Fawler (L) fascinated by Beliyamu’s (C) story and ambitions Pic. By Moses Nyirenda _ Mana
The personal interaction with the farmers, hearing their stories and anticipations, coupled with the physical inspection of the green, healthy, and promising soybean crop in the fields left Esposito, Dr. Fowler, and the entire team overwhelmed.
“We’re so impressed,” said Esposito in an interview after interacting with the farmers at Galang’ombe Village in TA Khongoni.
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She continued: “These are powerful women with ambition and recognition that farming is a business that has the opportunity to change their lives.
“We heard about a woman who wants to build a new house; we heard about a young woman who wants to buy a motorcycle, and a cart for farming purposes. These are the things that give us hope, and give the community hope.”
Esposito noted that there exists a global food crisis caused by so many different factors such as COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and macroeconomic shocks, and that there remains a need for interventions to bail out people from the crisis.
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Therefore, the team’s visit to Malawi helped them understand how USAID’s programs under Feed the Future are helping communities like the one in TA Khongoni cope and adapt in the face of the new crisis.
Dr. Fowler addresses the project beneficiaries at Galang’ombe Village, TA Khongoni, Lilongwe Pic. By Moses Nyirenda _ Mana
“What we’re seeing here is the acceleration of innovative ideas, new seeds, and new opportunities to grow incomes despite the fact that there’s a crisis,” explained Esposito, who is also Feed the Future Deputy Coordinator for Development, and USAID Global Food Crisis Coordinator.
According to her, the programs that USAID is supporting in Malawi are working with the private sector companies to create a market for products such as groundnut and soybean so that farmers like Beliyamu and Emanuel are not stuck with their harvests.
“We think that way, these private sector companies can work with the smallholder farmers to make sure that they have access to seed, and access to other inputs, and sustained access to markets: This is the way the economy of Malawi can grow,” she said.
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Although the Government of Malawi’s Agriculture Inputs Program provides affordable seeds and fertilizers to millions of households in the country, there are gaps in accessing agricultural inputs and input financing to many a farmer for them to produce enough and power the agricultural engine that drives the country’s economy.
The USAID’s Feed the Future AgDiv Input Loan Program is, therefore, a stitch not only in time but at the right place as, without it, the likes of Beliyamu and Emanuel would not be dreaming about pocketing over half a million Kwacha, let alone building a modern house and buying assets such as a motorcycle and an oxcart.
Zamba made the remarks at Nkopola Sunbird Hotel in Mangochi when she opened Corporate Governance Orientation Workshop for the newly appointed boards of State Corporation and state-owned enterprises jointly organized by the Department of Parastatals in the Office of President and Cabinet and Malawi School of Government.
She observed underperformance in some parastatals and other state-owned enterprises that were characterized by wastefulness and self-enriching tendencies contrary to government and citizens’ expectations.
“You have been appointed with the responsibility to put in place systems and controls that should safeguard public resources for the benefit of Malawians and you are also expected to ensure that ethics, integrity, and accountability prevail in your institutions to bring back public trust in the parastatals.
Zamba: most parastatals are underperforming
As such, she said the government will not tolerate wastefulness, plunder of public resources in state corporations and state-owned enterprises at the expense of taxpayers’ money as the government will not hastate to issue serious penalties to the perpetrators “without fear or favor,” she added
“This workshop has been organized to equip you with necessary tools for your effective performance in your capacity as boards,” she added.
“Malawians have very high expectations that your appointments will assist the government in serving the citizenry in achieving its mandate,” Zamba said.
Zamba, therefore, said there was a need for the boards of state-owned enterprises to understand institutions’ mandate and legal instruments that established their respective institutions, adding that each board will be assessed on how this will be realized.
Controller of Statutory Corporations in the Office of President, Peter Simbani said at the end of the orientation workshop the participants were expected to understand human and financial resource management skills, prevailing legislature, and government policies apart from understanding the Malawi Vision 2063.
He said there was a need to align what they will discuss at the orientation workshop to the requirements of corporate governance.
Chairperson of the Council of Malawi Scholl of Government, Professor, Lewis Dzimbiri said the Malawi School of Government has the mandate to develop human resources in the public and private sectors and will continue to build the capacity of statutory institutions for effective performance.
“Human capital development is one of the enablers of the Malawi Vision 2063,” he added and pointed out that the state-owned enterprises have the obligation to contribute to the country’s socio-economic development by ensuring effective performance within their mandate.
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Newly appointed board members of state corporations and state-owned enterprises attended the Nkopola Sunbird orientation workshop which is expected to equip participants with basic public sector tools and policies to guide them as they carry out their duties in their respective entities.
The boards of parastatals that attended the Nkopola Sun bird orientation workshop were those from the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority, Admarc, Southern, Central and Northern Water Boards, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Malawi College of Accountancy, Teachers Council of Malawi, Malawi National Examination Board, Road Fund Administration, and Malawi Housing Corporation.
The interventions include; Water connections in newly constructed Sanitation facilities in the following markets: Chinsapo, Chadzamakono, Manda Market Kawale 2, Shire, Lumbadzi, Kanengo, Area 24, Ngwenya, Gologota and Kaliyeka in Lilongwe city.
In addition, LWB has also rehabilitated Kiosks in cholera hot spot areas such as Area 36, Kauma, Mtsiliza, and Mtandile, among others.
The water utility company has also Installed 21 new Standpipes in its Non-Serviced Areas to improve the availability of potable water in the areas.
The institution also once donated granular chlorine worth over K1 million to Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) which was meant to be shared with communities in Lilongwe city and surrounding areas.
Mbewe (R): during the donation of chlorine to Lilongwe DHO-pic by Moses Nyirenda
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), LWB Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Silli Mbewe said that these interventions are coming after the government called upon well-wishers including companies and organizations to assist in the fight against the cholera outbreak in the country.
“In response to the government’s call for support in the fight against Cholera through the Presidential Taskforce on Covid and Cholera, we developed a cholera response Strategy for Lilongwe city and surrounding areas to mitigate the further spread of the disease.
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“The strategy was designed to ensure the availability of safe water in cholera hot spot areas and all other areas within the LWB reticulation area, the strategy was also made to mitigate further spread of the cholera disease in areas that have not been severely hit within the peri-urban areas,” Mbewe said.
Currently, under the Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project (LWSP), LWB is working on expediting free water connections as well as commissioning 23 newly constructed water Kiosks in newly reticulated areas in its Southern Zone, according to the CEO.
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Ministry of Heath Public Relations Officer (PRO), Adrian Chikumbe hailed LWB for making efforts to support the fight against cholera in the country.
“Government through our ministry called upon stakeholders’ support to combat the further spread of cholera in the country, for this reason, we are glad to see that LWB is making tremendous efforts in response to the plea which was made,” He said.
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He, therefore, called other institutions in the country to emulate what LWB is doing saying that it would help in containing the cholera outbreak in the country.
The project is targeting Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS), especially those that do not offer Computer studies as a subject.
In an interview on Wednesday, Reach Out to Girls National Coordinator, Sarah Khudze said so far 25 students from Bangwe CDSS have graduated from the project saying their aim is to reach out to female students who have never been exposed to computers to be equipped with ICT skills.
“This project will help to bridge the gender gap in Science and Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) disciplines by encouraging and training more women to pursue careers in these fields if they are exposed to STEM subjects.” Said Khudze
She added that enabling equal access to high-quality STEM education can assist in combating and dispelling gender stereotypes that discourage girls from pursuing this field.
Students learning computer
She said: “Even if one may not have an academic root to pursue technology but with the limited skills they have been imparted with, they can initiate something for their personal self-reliance.”
Commenting on the issue, Executive Director for Civil Society Education Coalition Benedicto Kondowe said the project is timely, well targeted, and relevant as this will help to boost the interest of female students to have passion in technology as many schools do not have computer laboratories.
“These days those without digital literacy are unable to take advantage of the benefits modern technology is bringing to the world and this initiative adds a lot of value to key learning areas like preparing the students for an integrated society dominated by ICT development thereby contributing to Malawi vision 2063,” said Kondowe.
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Regional Manager for the Centre, Mc Vittie Chiphwanya made the remarks Wednesday during the Energy Efficient Lighting led tubes project Sensitization meeting with Industrial and Commercial Customers at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.
Chiphwanya: we need to work together on these projects pic by Tione Andsen (Mana)
He said ESCOM was implementing a project which aims at promoting the use of energy-efficient lighting-led tubes that are cost-effective.
Chiphwanya pointed out that the use of the tubes reduces the demand for more power usage in a facility.
“The advantage of using the tubes helps you save on your bills and at the same time the amount of energy that you require for lighting. It is estimated that over 30 percent of our power energy goes to lighting and the coming in of these bulbs would drastically reduce the demand,” he said.
Chiphwanya appealed to companies and industries to work with ESCOM in the implementation of the project which would help to reduce cases of long hours of load shedding in the country.
He said the life spans of the bulbs is estimated at 15 years, is being sold at K 1,000 and customers are encouraged to apply to Escom for the installation of the bulbs.
ESCOM Senior Manager for Commercial and Customer Service, Wiseman Kabwazi said large customers are key partners in assisting in managing the demand for electricity in the country.
Kabwazi (R): we have saved 55 megawatts by using CFC bulbs pic by Tione Andsen (Mana)
He said ESCOM started using CFC bulbs in 2011 to improve demand side management which resulted in creating 55 megawatts of savings.
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Kabwazi said K15 billion was invested in the process and continuation of the use of the bulbs would help to reduce tariffs.
A participant in the meeting, Patrick Kaliwo of Sunbird Capital Hotel said the meeting was an eye-opener to them as they have been introduced to new technology in terms of lighting.
He said ESCOM has come up with energy-efficient lighting tubes which the industries would be used to reduce electricity demand.
Speaking on the sidelines of the season finale screening of Apongozi TV series season 1 which was held in Lilongwe recently, HD Plus Creations Director and Producer, Hastings Hago Golosi said that as a company they are impressed with how people have been following Apongozi TV series season 1 on Zodiak TV.
“The feedback from people concerning Apongozi season 1 has been so amazing, at first we thought that the series would be only liked by people who spend time watching Zodiak TV.
“However we were surprised to learn that people who even do not like watching Zodiak TV started to watch the TV just to follow up on our TV series and some of them were giving us feedback and which made us realize that people are really enjoying the TV series,” Golosi said.
Some members of HD Plus Creations team posing at the Apongozi TV series season 1 finale screening
He added that at the moment they are planning to produce Apongozi TV series season 2 which would be followed by more seasons of the TV series ahead.
“Now our idea is to proceed with season 2 of the TV series and thereafter would move on with season 3, 4 even up to 100,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed for support from well-wishers including; individuals, organizations, and companies towards further production of Apongozi TV series, saying that as HD Plus Creations, they cannot successfully manage to produce the TV series on their own.
In a separate interview, Lilongwe-based TV series enthusiast, Peter Chirwa applauded Apongozi TV series season 1.
“I really liked the production quality of the Apongozi TV series; its storyline was all that good and in overall it is a very good series and I am hoping that its season 2 will be powerful,” Chirwa explained.
Apongozi TV series season 1 was being beamed on Zodiak TV every Sunday soon after its release in December last year.
In the vast expanse of the cosmos, humanity has always been driven by an insatiable curiosity to unravel the mysteries of the universe. Science, innovation, and space exploration stand as the pillars of our progress, propelling us into a future filled with endless possibilities. In this blog article, we delve into the thrilling world where these three elements converge, shaping the way we perceive the universe and revolutionizing the world we live in.
Innovation, the practical application of creative ideas, bridges the gap between knowledge and tangible solutions. In recent years, innovations such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy sources, and advanced healthcare systems have reshaped societies, offering glimpses into a future where the impossible becomes attainable.
Gadgets: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Society
Gadgets, the everyday marvels that shape our lives, bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and society. From smartphones and wearable devices to smart home appliances and virtual reality headsets, gadgets have become an integral part of modern existence. These devices not only facilitate communication and entertainment but also serve as essential tools for scientific research and space exploration.
Imagine a world where space tourism is as accessible as a plane ticket, where innovative gadgets enable us to explore the farthest reaches of the universe from the comfort of our homes. Picture a future where sustainable technologies mitigate the impact of climate change and preserve our planet for generations to come. This vision of the future is not a distant dream but a tangible reality on the horizon, waiting to be shaped by the brilliant minds and innovative spirit of humanity.
Innovation: Transforming Ideas into Reality
Problem-Solving: Innovation is not just about inventing new gadgets or technologies; it is primarily about creative problem-solving. Innovators identify existing challenges and develop novel solutions to address them.
Interdisciplinary Approach: Innovation flourishes when diverse minds collaborate and share their expertise. It thrives on interdisciplinary approaches that bring together individuals from various fields such as science, engineering, design, and business.
Continuous Improvement: Innovation is a dynamic and ongoing process that demands adaptability and a willingness to embrace change. Successful innovators understand the importance of continuous improvement.
As the world becomes increasingly aware of environmental issues, technology developers are focusing on creating gadgets that are not only advanced but also environmentally conscious. Solar-powered chargers, energy-efficient smart home devices, and biodegradable phone cases are just a few examples of how gadgets are evolving to reduce their ecological footprint.
These innovations represent a significant shift in the tech industry, highlighting the potential for gadgets to not only improve our daily lives but also contribute positively to environmental conservation. By integrating green technologies into everyday devices, we are stepping into an era where gadgets not only bridge the gap between science and society but also play a vital role in fostering a sustainable future.
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