![Lusungu Kalanga: Delighted]()
The U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe has announced a list of 16 Malawian that have been invited to participate in this year’s Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Washington Fellowship.
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![Lusungu Kalanga: Delighted]()
Lusungu Kalanga: Delighted[/caption]
U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer, accompanied by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Todd Haskell said her government has been geared to help Malawians with skills that would help in developing the country.
“You will join 1,000 young leaders from across Africa working toward positive change in your communities. This is an incredible opportunity to enhance your professional skills, grow as a leader, and network with other like-minded young leaders from across Africa.” said Palmer.
The group will travel to the U.S. in June for a six-week program on the campus of an American university before attending a summit which will be hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington DC.
According to Palmer, the number of fellows for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders has been doubled from eight in 2015 to 16 this year as one way of creating a chance for Malawians to have skills that can bring change in the country.
The full list:
Ms. Nancy Chawawa, 33; Public Management: Nancy is an environmentalist working as a civil servant for Malawi’s Department of Environmental Affairs. In her current assignment she coordinates environmental and climate change programs at a district level and is responsible for managing the department’s role in natural disaster situations. She also provides environmental training, technical advice, and policy guidance to local communities and relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Bester Chilombo, 33; Public Management: A committed public servant, Bester has seven years of experience working in the Malawi government’s civil service. He is currently an Assistant Director of Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 10 years he sees himself serving as a Principal Secretary in a government department. He is passionate about Malawi’s Public Sector Reforms which he believes are key to rooting out corruption in the country.
Mr. Admore Chiumia, 28; Business and Entrepreneurship: Admore is an energy engineer working for Renew”N”able Malawi (RENAMA). He plans to embark on a business enterprise in renewable energy technologies that will sell solar lights at affordable prices, design mini-electrical grids and biogas plants, stand-alone systems, and develop small wind systems targeting rural communities in line with UN Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) objectives. He also intends to conduct Research and Development (R&D) and Market Assessments of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) to spearhead appropriate technology energy transfer in rural communities of Malawi. He is the only Malawian to join 25 Fellows from across Africa to attend a first-ever YALI academic institute focused on energy.
Mr. Davies Chogawana, 34; Public Management: Davies is an environmentalist working as a District Environmental Officer in Salima where he coordinates natural resource management and climate change interventions at the district level. He is passionate about assisting people with environmental management, especially in the field of energy conservation. His goal is to help Malawians, particularly those in rural areas, to adopt efficient energy technologies to curb the effects of climate change in Malawi.
Mr. Mixon Faluweki, 25; Business and Entrepreneurship: Currently a staff associate of physics at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mixon is an innovator who manages his own business producing and selling bicycle-powered cell phone chargers to inhabitants of rural areas where there is no electricity. He aspires to become Malawi's most successful young entrepreneur in the energy sector, manufacturing and supplying affordable renewable energy solutions to the people of Malawi and across Africa.
Ms. Lusungu Kalanga, 27; Civic Leadership: Recognized as one of the emerging young women leaders in Africa, Lusungu is passionate about the advancement of children and women’s rights. Through ActionAid International Malawi, she advocates for children’s right to quality education. Driven by the phrase “Create what you want to be a part of,” Lusungu works with girls and young women to provide mentorship and career guidance through Growing Ambitions, an organization which she co-founded. She envisions a Malawi where girls and young women, regardless of their socio- economic status or past negative experiences, take charge of their lives and thrive.
Ms. Virginia Khunguni, 26; Civic Leadership: Virginia is a “youth alert” presenter and producer for Population Services International Malawi (PSI) where she advocates for access to reproductive health services for young women. She is passionate that women are more than “baby-making machines” and believes Malawian women have a key role to play in developing their country. Through her work and volunteer activities, Virginia strives to increase awareness of the unacceptable rate of gender-based violence in Malawi and advocates for the protection of vulnerable girls who suffer from abuse.
Dr. James Kumwenda, 25; Public Management: James is a medical doctor and hospital manager, currently serving at the rural Monkey Bay Community Hospital on Lake Malawi. As the only medical doctor at this key facility he practices medicine, teaches, and provides leadership. James aspires to transform healthcare in Malawi through leadership as a healthcare manager and leading internal medicine specialist. Trained as a medical doctor – not as a public manager – James looks to YALI to enhance his public management skills and grow as a leader.
Mr. Charles Lipenga, 27; Civic Leadership: An award-winning architect, four years ago Charles started a leadership development organization called “Maestros” through which he provides leadership development trainings and activities to a wide range of Malawians from high school students to professionals at leading companies. He strives to equip Malawians to be catalysts of change for a better Malawi. To date, “Maestros” has provided academic scholarships to more than 1,000 Malawian high school students across the country. Charles aims to grow the reach of his organization across Malawi and the continent.
Ms. Chikondi Mandala, 24; Public Management: Chikondi is a Malawian judicial officer who is passionate about women’s and children’s rights as well as sustainable land use and development. She currently serves as a senior resident magistrate in Malawi’s commercial capital, Blantyre. She exercises broad jurisdiction ranging from criminal matters to matrimonial and land disputes. She looks forward to gaining skills that will equip her to tailor solutions for Malawi that will enhance access to justice, rule of law, and sustainable development for all Malawians.
Ms. Rachel Mhango, 32; Civic Leadership: Rachel is a journalist currently working for Times Television as a producer and presenter. She has chosen to specialize in health reporting. Rachel won the MISA Malawi Maternal and New born Health Journalist of the year 2015 award. She currently hosts a popular TV show specific to health issues for young Malawians and volunteers her free time to support young women in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. In ten years’ time she sees herself as an independent communications specialist on issues of women’s health and running an organization called "Save the Young Mother," through which she aims to empower young mothers with the information and healthcare services they need.
Mr. Mandela Mwanza, 31; Business and Entrepreneurship: Mandela, more widely known in Malawi by his stage name “Third Eye,” is a leading Malawian hip-hop artist, author, and youth activist. In addition to his successful career as a rapper incorporating social activism in his music, he also runs a company that focuses on youth empowerment and community building. In ten years he sees himself at the forefront of a pan-African movement bringing about social integration of African youth through the African music industry. An artist at heart, Mandela believes YALI will equip him with the business skills he needs to expand his activities on a pan-African level.
Mr. Joshua Ngalande, 32; Business and Entrepreneurship: Joshua is an inventor and CEO/Founder of the nsima cooker (“nsima” is the staple corn meal food product widely consumed in Malawi, and across Africa, traditionally prepared over an open fire.) He invented the automated nsima cooker in 2010 and now has a registered business which is in the process of commercializing the technology. He is confident that in ten years his nsima cooker company will have spread to all African countries. The company will also diversify into research and development of other sustainable technologies that solve the challenges that Africa faces.
Ms. Linda Sichali, 25; Civic Leadership: Linda is a founding member of Girls Platform for Social Action (GIPSA), an organization that advocates for girl child education in rural areas, where she serves as an advocate against cultural practices that promote early marriages among girls. She sees herself as a key player in mobilizing resources and efforts for women’s empowerment, particularly in impoverished rural areas. She dreams of setting up a resource center in her rural hometown to provide young women and girls with academic and career guidance, as well as entrepreneurship and agribusiness skills.
Ms. Halima Twabi, 24; Public Management: Halima is a lecturer of statistics at Chancellor College in Zomba. A proud Muslim woman, Halima dreams to be an “ambassador of women in science” ten years from now. She is a founding member for a local organization called “Malawi Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math” which encourages and promotes local young women to pursue studies and careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. She also mentors and encourages young women from her community on the importance of education.
Mr. Peter Yakobe, 23; Business and Entrepreneurship: Peter runs a thriving poultry business and is also the Founder and Director of “The Center For Free Market Enterprise” (CFME), an NGO that trains and empowers youth with entrepreneurship skills. He intends to grow CFME from training 500 youth to 10,000 youth in the near future. Peter also plans to grow his poultry business to train and employ more youth in a hands-on manner and entrepreneurial environment.
Malisa ( in green t-shirt) and Paulo in the middle handing over a key to Primary Education Advisor for Nsundwe a Mr Phiri[/caption]
Paulo is one of the 50 TNM subscribers that won a total of K100 million in the Ufulu@50 promotion that TNM conducted in 2014 to celebrate with Malawians as the country commemorated 50 years of Independence.
Apart from an individual prize money of K100,000,each of the winners was required to choose a community development project of their choice worth K2 million, translating to K100 million.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Lilongwe, Paulo said she was happy to handover the store room.
Paulo thanked TNM for giving the resources for constructing the store which will be used to keep books and raw materials for the school feeding program.
“TNM promotion has made it possible for me to construct this store room. School authorities indicated challenged to secure books and raw materials for the school feeding programme,” Paulo said.
TNM Head of Lilongwe region Danny Malisita said the handover of the toilet facilities demonstrates company’s commitment in fulfilling its promises to customers in Lilongwe and rest of the region.
“This is a life-changing promotion as prizes are going to worthy causes that will go a long way at community level. The current prize presentation phase demonstrates TNM’s commitment towards Corporate Social Responsibility and meeting its obligations under Ufulu@50 Promotion,” Malisita said.
Kondowe: ECD program lacking focus[/caption]
Kondowe says it is unfortunate to note that the ECD program is being moved from one ministry to another and without policy direction.
"Currently, government has no powers to close any unregistered or dilapidated ECD Centres because they have no mandate to do so," says Kondowe.
Kondowe says currently, most ECD Centers are still being housed in the grass thatched structures.
Early childhood from conception to eight years according to Kondowe, is a time of immense growth and development for the infant and young child.
"This is the time when the structure of the brain is formed and physical growth is growing most rapidly, this is the time when emotional connections are made and the blue print for language is
developing," Said Kondowe.
Malawi, like most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, experienced a proliferation of privately-owned preschools in the last two decades, many of them located in urban areas. In a country where half the population lives on less than 32 US cents a day, these schools were simply beyond the reach of most Malawians. The HIV and AIDS pandemic also left an army of children without access to early childhood care, overstretching the capacities of social welfare officers.
In 2013, UNICEF helped Malawi government to draft a national policy on early child development . A five-year plan was subsequently developed to improve the quality of services provided by the Community Based Child Centres - CBCCs.
UNICEF has since helped the Government to develop a syllabus, training manuals, a caregivers’ guide which have been used to train the volunteer teachers and caregivers. UNICEF has also recently funded an inventory to ascertain the number of CBCCs in the country and the quality of care provided.
A group opened a Facebook page to launch its social- media campaign after identifying a few students who were unable to go public university despite getting good points because they come from a very poor background.
“ We formed this group to raise funds to help these gifted disadvantaged Malawian students to achieve their dream of graduating from university which otherwise they would not have been able to achieve because of financial hardship,” one of the members, Anita Singini told Nyasa Times.
“Initially we raised most funds from members of the group ...we also received donations from well wishers. So far we have managed to raise K1.5 million which has enabled us to pay fees as well as provide the necessary needs for three students from Bunda, the Polytechnic and Mzuzu University achieve this goal without hardship.
“We have also managed to provide other needs which includes clothes, shoes , pocket money as well as emotional support . “
Apart from the Facebook page, they also have a discussion Whatsapp group.
“There is transparency and accountability where well wishers are given regular updates on how much money we have raised, how this is spent,” she said.
“We currently support three students who are at University and we hope to support more in the future once we have secured more funding .We have managed to pay their school fees for 1 year. We have also been approached by more students unfortunately we do not have enough resources to support them,” Singini said.
The group has been formed at the background of press reports that 50 percent of students who enrol at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) fail to complete their education due to financial problems.
According to Luanar vice-chancellor Professor Kanyama Phiri, tuition fees for self-sponsored students at Luanar is K250 000 but students also need money for accommodation, food and learning materials,
University of Malawi (Unima) spokesperson Peter Mitunda confirmed students drop out cases due to financial problems
Support Student group is since appealing for well wishers to contribute to this good cause and contact them through Mrs Felia Malola (chairlady) Malawi +265991331233 Email : feliamalola@yahoo.com Administration team Ona Katarina Mtunga +44 7403 952325 Anita Singini +4407900577330 Nitta Laws +265 993 93 59 07 Violet Memory Liwomba +265 999 38 51 51 Peggy Tembo +44 7741 498232 Pacharo Chinamulungu +447947893937 Catherine
Poly[/caption]
Polytechnic Students Union leader Frank Msiska confirmed that classes resumed on Monday after the fruitless strike that paralysed lessons at the University of Malawi second largest constituent college.
Government told the staff that it had no money to effect any pay rise as demanded by the lecturers.
The government is facing huge financial problems following the withdrawal of donor aid for the past three years among other key factors.
Representatives of the academic staff were not available for comment.
Dr.-Janet Banda speaking-to-the-media-pix-by-Prince-Henderson[/caption]
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A-Cross--Section-of-students-pix-by-Prince-Henderson[/caption]
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some-students-poses-with-ECM-Secretary-General,Fr.-Henry-Saind-pix-by-Prince-Henderson[/caption]
Among others, the students were presented with various topics from different presenters ranging from the Pope’s Encyclical which is challenging every human being to care for the environment hence students are part of the groups of people being targeted, reflection on Catholic Bishops Pastoral Statement based on the social, economic and political status of the country.
Presenting her inspirational speech to the students, Guest of Honour, Dr. Janet Banda, Solicitor General for the government of Malawi and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitution Affairs challenged them to be God fearing students in everything so that they active their desired goals in the future.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of everything. If you want to succeed in your life and as a student, first fear the Lord,” she said.
Banda who is the former student for Chancellor College said the Catholic Church has influenced her spiritual, family and professional life and this is the reason she has managed to achieve all what she is today.
Taking his turn, Fr. Enock Kanjira said as Catholic students they need to seriously care for the environment as Pope Francis highlights in his Encyclical called Laudato Si where he is concerned of what is happening to our common home.
“Pope Francis gives the human roots of the ecological crisis and sees humanity to be at the centre of the crisis. He is talking about the Integral Ecology whereby he calls upon us all to action,” said Fr. Kanjira.
The Social Directorate of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi’s Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) also presented on the social, economic situation of Malawi and challenged Catholic students to act accordingly in responding to the challenges the country is facing.
The students were also tipped on how they can prepare themselves to a Christian marriage amidst some threats to Christian family today.
The national Director for Pontifical Missionaries Society, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa said his office thought of bringing Catholic Students from all the Universities and Colleges in Malawi for the first time in order to give a platform for them to interacts and at the same time ensure that they leave to their Christian faith and true witnesses of the Catholic Church.
“Our Bishops who form the Episcopal Conference of Malawi are committed to ensuring that our youths are well taken care of by the church. They would like to see their faith being deepen on hence this conference. Infact, I am overwhelmed with the way the students have responded to this first ever conference, I am impressed,” he said.
Against this background, His Lordship Bishop Peter Musikuwa of Chikwawa diocese and Bishop Chairman for the youths at a closing mass for the conference challenged the students to be exemplary in whatever they do.
He said the future of Malawi and the Church lies in the hands of the youths and it is for this reason the Episcopal Conference of Malawi recognizes them hence they should be ready to serve their Church and the nation by among others being patriotic.
Meanwhile, the National Movement for Catholic Students has elected Emanuel Kafulafula of College of Medicine as its President. His deputy is Violet Matika from Catholic University of Malawi where as Secretary General is Lombani Chirambo,Bunda College;Jamin Chiyamba of Mzuzu University is the Vice Secretary General;Treasure is Ignatius Matewere of Catholic University and Mphatso Luka of Natural Resources College and Annie Chinsewu of Polytechnic College is the Publicity and deputy publicity secretary respectively.
Airtel Malawi's Corporate Social Responsiblity Manager Norah Chavula (R) hands over the cheque to Hastings Bwande of Hope for the Blind. Pic by Brian Itai,[/caption]
Speaking when making the donation in Lilongwe, Airtel Malawi's Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Norah Chavula said the intervention underlines Airtel’s commitment to empower the underprivileged in the attainment of education.
“We all know that education is not a cheap commodity. Actually education is an investment. Airtel is facilitating the attainment of this precious investment and commodity through a donation of fees.
“Education is one such tool that dissolves our inabilities into abilities. Education empowers and grooms us into intellectuals that capitalize on the best ever human capital, and that is the brain. As long as our brain functions we have what it takes to be as productive as everyone else,” said Chavula.
Chavula said as Airtel they shall keep on finding means and ways of addressing challenges faced by visually impaired and blind students in the country as a continuation of a partnership which started in 2014.
“It is time as a country we adopted deliberate policies that would empower the visually challenged. There is technology, but if we say that technology is expensive to acquire then we are not helping to address the situation,” she said.
Executive Director for Hope for the Blind, Hastings Bwande said the needs for many visually impaired and blind students is huge in their quest to attain education therefore called on organisations to come forward and help their cause.
“It comes as a huge relief when organisations like Airtel come in like this to bail us out. The number of students with such challenges but with huge potential is big and a majority fails to realise their dreams because of lack of financial help.
“We are offering our gratitude to Airtel for their continued assistance which they give to us. Some organisations, even after being approached, have not taken heed of our plea,” said Bwande.
The beneficiaries of the MK 3.8 million donation will be drawn from the Chancellor College, Namitete and Mzimba technical colleges.
Symbolic presentation[/caption]
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The Junior Spellers from Lilongwe[/caption]
Nine Spelling Bee Organizations across Africa have joined hands in organizing the event scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Spelling Bee organizations have ran national competitions impacting over 5 million young people.
Co-founder and Coordinator of African Bee Lewis Mbaula told Nyasa Times that only three finalists from each country's national competition will represent their respective countries.
Mbaula said Malawi's representatives at the African Spelling Bee will be identified at the national spell master spelling bee competition to be held on 22nd May, 2016 in the Commercial City of Blantyre.
He said 32 children from all the three regions are expected to battle it out.
Mbaula further revealed that students that will make it to the Continental show piece will have a chance to visit historical sites such as former South African President Nelson Mandela's home in Soweto, Apartheid Museum and the cradle of Human Kind World Heritage Site under the hostage of Spell It-South Africa a week before the grand finale.
Meanwhile, Mbaula have called upon companies and organizations to take advantage of the continental event to advertise their products or services by becoming partners to the game.
"The African Spelling Bee is an opportunity for Malawian companies and Organizations to become premier partners to this game changing event and be part of the multinational sponsors that have been lined up" said Mbaula.
Champion for the competition shall get a grand prize of a fully paid Undergraduate Scholarship Programme from Monash University in South Africa worth $20,000.
All the participating students will also go away with cash and other prizes.
According to Mbaula, the major objective of the Spelling Bee is to improve the reading culture, build confidence and improve public speaking as well as giving children educational exposure.
Lusungu Kalanga: Delighted[/caption]
U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer, accompanied by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Todd Haskell said her government has been geared to help Malawians with skills that would help in developing the country.
“You will join 1,000 young leaders from across Africa working toward positive change in your communities. This is an incredible opportunity to enhance your professional skills, grow as a leader, and network with other like-minded young leaders from across Africa.” said Palmer.
The group will travel to the U.S. in June for a six-week program on the campus of an American university before attending a summit which will be hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington DC.
According to Palmer, the number of fellows for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders has been doubled from eight in 2015 to 16 this year as one way of creating a chance for Malawians to have skills that can bring change in the country.
The full list:
Ms. Nancy Chawawa, 33; Public Management: Nancy is an environmentalist working as a civil servant for Malawi’s Department of Environmental Affairs. In her current assignment she coordinates environmental and climate change programs at a district level and is responsible for managing the department’s role in natural disaster situations. She also provides environmental training, technical advice, and policy guidance to local communities and relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Bester Chilombo, 33; Public Management: A committed public servant, Bester has seven years of experience working in the Malawi government’s civil service. He is currently an Assistant Director of Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 10 years he sees himself serving as a Principal Secretary in a government department. He is passionate about Malawi’s Public Sector Reforms which he believes are key to rooting out corruption in the country.
Mr. Admore Chiumia, 28; Business and Entrepreneurship: Admore is an energy engineer working for Renew”N”able Malawi (RENAMA). He plans to embark on a business enterprise in renewable energy technologies that will sell solar lights at affordable prices, design mini-electrical grids and biogas plants, stand-alone systems, and develop small wind systems targeting rural communities in line with UN Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) objectives. He also intends to conduct Research and Development (R&D) and Market Assessments of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) to spearhead appropriate technology energy transfer in rural communities of Malawi. He is the only Malawian to join 25 Fellows from across Africa to attend a first-ever YALI academic institute focused on energy.
Mr. Davies Chogawana, 34; Public Management: Davies is an environmentalist working as a District Environmental Officer in Salima where he coordinates natural resource management and climate change interventions at the district level. He is passionate about assisting people with environmental management, especially in the field of energy conservation. His goal is to help Malawians, particularly those in rural areas, to adopt efficient energy technologies to curb the effects of climate change in Malawi.
Mr. Mixon Faluweki, 25; Business and Entrepreneurship: Currently a staff associate of physics at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mixon is an innovator who manages his own business producing and selling bicycle-powered cell phone chargers to inhabitants of rural areas where there is no electricity. He aspires to become Malawi's most successful young entrepreneur in the energy sector, manufacturing and supplying affordable renewable energy solutions to the people of Malawi and across Africa.
Ms. Lusungu Kalanga, 27; Civic Leadership: Recognized as one of the emerging young women leaders in Africa, Lusungu is passionate about the advancement of children and women’s rights. Through ActionAid International Malawi, she advocates for children’s right to quality education. Driven by the phrase “Create what you want to be a part of,” Lusungu works with girls and young women to provide mentorship and career guidance through Growing Ambitions, an organization which she co-founded. She envisions a Malawi where girls and young women, regardless of their socio- economic status or past negative experiences, take charge of their lives and thrive.
Ms. Virginia Khunguni, 26; Civic Leadership: Virginia is a “youth alert” presenter and producer for Population Services International Malawi (PSI) where she advocates for access to reproductive health services for young women. She is passionate that women are more than “baby-making machines” and believes Malawian women have a key role to play in developing their country. Through her work and volunteer activities, Virginia strives to increase awareness of the unacceptable rate of gender-based violence in Malawi and advocates for the protection of vulnerable girls who suffer from abuse.
Dr. James Kumwenda, 25; Public Management: James is a medical doctor and hospital manager, currently serving at the rural Monkey Bay Community Hospital on Lake Malawi. As the only medical doctor at this key facility he practices medicine, teaches, and provides leadership. James aspires to transform healthcare in Malawi through leadership as a healthcare manager and leading internal medicine specialist. Trained as a medical doctor – not as a public manager – James looks to YALI to enhance his public management skills and grow as a leader.
Mr. Charles Lipenga, 27; Civic Leadership: An award-winning architect, four years ago Charles started a leadership development organization called “Maestros” through which he provides leadership development trainings and activities to a wide range of Malawians from high school students to professionals at leading companies. He strives to equip Malawians to be catalysts of change for a better Malawi. To date, “Maestros” has provided academic scholarships to more than 1,000 Malawian high school students across the country. Charles aims to grow the reach of his organization across Malawi and the continent.
Ms. Chikondi Mandala, 24; Public Management: Chikondi is a Malawian judicial officer who is passionate about women’s and children’s rights as well as sustainable land use and development. She currently serves as a senior resident magistrate in Malawi’s commercial capital, Blantyre. She exercises broad jurisdiction ranging from criminal matters to matrimonial and land disputes. She looks forward to gaining skills that will equip her to tailor solutions for Malawi that will enhance access to justice, rule of law, and sustainable development for all Malawians.
Ms. Rachel Mhango, 32; Civic Leadership: Rachel is a journalist currently working for Times Television as a producer and presenter. She has chosen to specialize in health reporting. Rachel won the MISA Malawi Maternal and New born Health Journalist of the year 2015 award. She currently hosts a popular TV show specific to health issues for young Malawians and volunteers her free time to support young women in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. In ten years’ time she sees herself as an independent communications specialist on issues of women’s health and running an organization called "Save the Young Mother," through which she aims to empower young mothers with the information and healthcare services they need.
Mr. Mandela Mwanza, 31; Business and Entrepreneurship: Mandela, more widely known in Malawi by his stage name “Third Eye,” is a leading Malawian hip-hop artist, author, and youth activist. In addition to his successful career as a rapper incorporating social activism in his music, he also runs a company that focuses on youth empowerment and community building. In ten years he sees himself at the forefront of a pan-African movement bringing about social integration of African youth through the African music industry. An artist at heart, Mandela believes YALI will equip him with the business skills he needs to expand his activities on a pan-African level.
Mr. Joshua Ngalande, 32; Business and Entrepreneurship: Joshua is an inventor and CEO/Founder of the nsima cooker (“nsima” is the staple corn meal food product widely consumed in Malawi, and across Africa, traditionally prepared over an open fire.) He invented the automated nsima cooker in 2010 and now has a registered business which is in the process of commercializing the technology. He is confident that in ten years his nsima cooker company will have spread to all African countries. The company will also diversify into research and development of other sustainable technologies that solve the challenges that Africa faces.
Ms. Linda Sichali, 25; Civic Leadership: Linda is a founding member of Girls Platform for Social Action (GIPSA), an organization that advocates for girl child education in rural areas, where she serves as an advocate against cultural practices that promote early marriages among girls. She sees herself as a key player in mobilizing resources and efforts for women’s empowerment, particularly in impoverished rural areas. She dreams of setting up a resource center in her rural hometown to provide young women and girls with academic and career guidance, as well as entrepreneurship and agribusiness skills.
Ms. Halima Twabi, 24; Public Management: Halima is a lecturer of statistics at Chancellor College in Zomba. A proud Muslim woman, Halima dreams to be an “ambassador of women in science” ten years from now. She is a founding member for a local organization called “Malawi Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math” which encourages and promotes local young women to pursue studies and careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. She also mentors and encourages young women from her community on the importance of education.
Mr. Peter Yakobe, 23; Business and Entrepreneurship: Peter runs a thriving poultry business and is also the Founder and Director of “The Center For Free Market Enterprise” (CFME), an NGO that trains and empowers youth with entrepreneurship skills. He intends to grow CFME from training 500 youth to 10,000 youth in the near future. Peter also plans to grow his poultry business to train and employ more youth in a hands-on manner and entrepreneurial environment.
Friends of Bushiri at Mzuni[/caption]
The wing, with an initial membership of over 100 students from all the faculties of the university, were a sight to behold at Mphatso Motel in Mzuzu where they launched their cause as they ‘unnecessarily’ what has become Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG)’ tagline: ‘In Our Family We Don’t Stress.”
Interim chairperson of the grouping Brighton Mwenifumbo told Nyasa Times after the launch that they were “sure Bushiri was capable of bailing out from their pathetic scenario.”
Mzuni library got gutted by fire during the night of December 19, 2015. All the 45 000 books in the library got lost to the fire.
“As a chapter that belongs to Mzuzu University, we would also like to bring to the attention of ‘Major 1’ Prophet Shepherd Bushiri the bad situation that is the state of our library which got gutted by fire. The library needs complete refurbishment, starting with the physical building to the purchase of books.
“As of now, the situation is deplorable, and it is making it very difficult for us to do well in our studies most of which is research inclined. We are very optimistic that MAJOR 1 who has the welfare of, we, fellow youths at heart will generously consider our request in whatever sense,” said Mwenifumbo.
According to the chapter, they just feel “proud to be associated with Prophet Bushiri.”
In a media advisory, they said they will “in the long run be immensely instrumental in participation in charity services, youth mobilization for positive change, education on religious, economic as well as socio-political affairs.”
The new group was not open as to how much they would be getting from ‘Major 1’ for the initiatives. But, Bushiri, whose charity works has included a maize relief campaign to starving Malawians has even shocked the Malawian government for his mass of wealth.
The Chapter also took their time to dress down those who spoke and wrote against their ‘Major 1.’
“We feel it would be gross insensitivity if we do not comment on certain innuendoes that are being played against ‘Major 1’ Prophet Shepherd Bushiri. We are deeply shocked by a chorus of unjustifiable, baseless and unspiritual remarks that are being levelled against the great Man of God. These, we must say, are confused utterances coming from Malawians who have disincentive ideas in religious circles,” their statement read.
They called on their fellow colleagues to look up to Bushiri “as a father-figure, role model and inspirer.”
UNPA wants Malawi government to distribute condoms to schools[/caption]
UNFPA official Jean Mwandira said this during a workshop for journalists in Zomba.
"It is unfortunate that the ministry of Education says condoms should not be disyributed in schools. You see a lot of girls dropping out of school because of pregnancies yet condoms could have prevented such pregnancies," said Mwandira.
She said its high time the ministry of Education, ministry of Health and ministry of Youth met to review this old policy which is not in tandem with the current social terrain.
She said currently the government has a readmission policy of girls who dropped out of school due to pregnancies and said these girls are sexually active who need contraceptives.
Currently school going sexually active students access condoms from health faciiities. Ministry of Education officials are yet to comment on the issue.
Some parents however feel giving students condoms at the school door steps might be taken as if they are encouraged to have sex.
Yoneco boss MacBein Mkandawire[/caption]
Speaking during a recent tour, District Youth Officer for Yoneco, Chigonjetso Chiromo said girls were being victimised in so many ways but the situation has improved since the introduction of the
programme.
"Some of the gender based violence's which were there included forced marriages, rape, beating of girls/women, child labour and incest. The JPAG programme and its partners sensitised community members about GBV and the need to prevent this," he said.
Chiromo further said the programme has also constructed structures for community victim support units (CVSU); and established a toll free GBV hotline.
Chiromo added that cases of violence are now reported to CVSUs, chiefs and the police which was not previously the case.
"Some cases of very young adolescent girls who got married were brought back to their parents’ homes and sent back to school. JPAG has contributed to cases being reported by victims but challenges still remain as a significant proportion of cases are not reported.
The tricky part comes in when the abuser was a relative, nonetheless, when neighbours here about it, then case gets to be exposed," he added
JPAG was a three year project being implemented by UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO and UNESCO whose objective was to strengthen mechanisms for protection and management of violence, abuse and exploitation of adolescent girl in the project areas among others.
Major 1 Bushiri : To help Mzuzu University with 60 million[/caption]
The students through a grouping dubbed 'Friends of Bushiri' organized a presser where they expressed dismay over what they termed 'unjustifiable criticisms' and malicious allegations against Prophet Bushiri by some 'love - deficient' Malawians.
In their statement, they requested Prophet Bushiri to consider reaching out to Mzuzu University to assist in bringing back the shape of a library which got razed down by fire reportedly induced by electric fault.
The students' action was an additive to an already launched initiative whereby alumni of the institution have teamed up to mobilize funds towards the refurbishment of the damaged library and its stocking.
In his response, Bushiri has pledged to assist the situation by donating money which will be used to renovate the building.
"We all appreciate education to be very important. We also know that education is made possible with availability of resources, chief of which is the library and its stock. I have heard the plea from the students and I have been concerned and compelled to render a helping hand," Bushiri said in a follow up query.
"Education is a capable instrument to turn mirrors into windows through which the young generation can view and build a better future. I find it to be my corporate responsibility to help these students with building that window," said Bushiri.
Prophet Bushiri who consistently pledges his patriotism to Malawi also said: "Malawi is for us all and we need to build it together if we have to prosper. We need education for all and resources must be provided to those in school. I believe the school authority and government alike will make sure that there are no obstacles".
When asked whether he is endorsing the grouping which is going by his name, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri expressed approval saying he felt humbled that some youths feel duty-bound to help in promoting gospel and charity works.
"I took time to read their press statement. I am pleased to note that they are establishing themselves in the precepts of gospel and that they are willing to be instrumental in spreading my charity initiatives," Bushiri said before pulling a shocker.
"I am prepared to give them about MK60 million towards the refurbishment of the library. All I want, as an important step, is for Mzuni management to consult with the Ministry of Education and when they confirm and give me a go ahead, I will do that.
"I just don't want this to turn political. I am not a politician; I am a man of God doing nothing but God’s mission on earth. I love my country and I love our president for trying his best to take care of our country's affairs. He needs a helping hand," Bushiri said.
Bushiri, who has helped over hundred students with educational funds global wide and has evidently provided global impacts, is set on providing extensive aid to his home country whether it be through educational, humanitarian or spiritual means.
The pastor had since categorically established that his charitable acts are by no means a campaign for the country's presidency as speculated by rumours that he intend to stand for Malawi presidency come 2019.
Substantial sources reveal that the economic state of Malawi has hit rock bottom, with inflation rates proliferating by the hour and hunger strikes taking toll of over 75% of the entire nation. This economic backlash and financial boom has induced the Prophet to aid the nation in all various sectors.
Despite mixed reactions as to the intent of his donations, Bushiri has announced that he is going to fund the Mzuni students with finances to build and establish the university library.
Teachers[/caption]
Teachers Union of Malawi (Tum) has since given government an ultimatum to address their grievances by May 9 or else they will mobilise the teachers to withdraw their labour nationwide.
Tum said the sit-in will involve all primary and secondary school teachers.
The body says government should consider salary adjustment for teachers who were promoted in 2013.
The grievances include adjustment of salaries for all teachers promoted in 2013 to Grade TK (PT3) as well salary adjustment for teachers promoted in 2013 to Grade TJ (PT2).
“TUM maintains that it is the responsibility of your Ministry to provide transport to all teachers who were promoted to Grade TJ in 2013 and ferry them to their new duty stations. Let it be brought to your attention that the said teachers have already reported to their new District Education Managers, travelling all such long distances using their own money. We hope it is within your knowledge that some of the teachers were posted all the way from Blantyre Urban to Mzimba South; Chikwawa to Nkhotakota; Mzuzu to Mzimba South and many more distant areas. To expect the teachers to transport themselves is totally inhuman and unacceptable by all teachers,” reads part of the petition sent to Ministry of Education
TUM demand that the teachers be provided with transport and award them their hard earned promotion or promote them while working in their initial schools.
The teachers body also demand Minister of Education Emmanuel Fabiano to retract his statement which he made that Ministry of Education has withdrawn the promotions because of failure of the teachers to report to their new duty stations.
“We wonder who is a failure in this particular case,” reads the statement in part.
Added the statement: “TUM has learnt with great shock that many of the teachers who were promoted in 2013 to Grade TK (PT3) and whose letters of promotion have already been issued to the said teachers cannot have their salaries adjusted until vacancies are established in their various districts through deaths and retirement of the existing holders. This is incomprehensible and unacceptable by all means.”
Ministry of Education spokesperson said rather than threatening "unnecessary strike action" the teachers should engage government for dialogue.
Ndovi: We will resolve this[/caption]
Ministry of Education spokesperson Manfred Ndovie said the government want to resolve the grievances, 24 in number amicably without TUM withdrawing labour of its teachers.
“We will meet TUM soon. We were supposed to meet them sometime back but we indeed failed to turn up, not because out of disrespect but because we needed to thoroughly consult on some of the issues, as you might be aware that there is an issue of K160 million arrears, we needed to consult treasury on the issue,” he said.
TUM president Chauluka Muwake said it was a joke for the government to tell those who successfully passed interviews and were promoted to Grade K or PT3 that they would get to their new position after someone on the same grade dies so the government would just make a replacement.
Most teachers in Lilongwe confirmed this an interview and Nyasa Times has copies of one of the teachers who successfully passed the interviews and the government wrote her a promotion letter only to hold the promotion later until someone dies so that she could be replaced.
Muwake also said most secondary school teachers were not paid in March and the government has not yet paid them until now.
TUM also accuses the government of threatening to withdraw promotions of some primary school teachers who were promoted on understanding that they would take up rural school positions.
“The ministry says it wants to withdraw the promotions because they had not gone to the schools where they were posted yet the government has not given them transport. Let the government provide transport,” he said.
He also claimed some secondary school teachers have not yet received leave grants for the last school calendar.
The four winners with Facebook official in US[/caption]
While in US the young students met one of the world’s most admired 21st century ICT guru, the founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg at this year’s Global Developer’s conference held in San Francisco, California.
The four Panache Jere, Daniel Mvalo, Walter Moyo and Thandie Magasa were in USA for a 10 day after emerging the winners of country’s first ever ICT competition ,TNM Smart Challenge.
Jere, a 10-year old Grade 6 six pupil from Christian Heritage Primary School in Lilongwe, won in the Smart Kid category of the competition after developing an application, ‘Talk To Me’, while the trio developed a health service app, ‘Martenitech’ in the Smart Student category.
In his congratulatory message posted on his Facebook page, Muthalika said the achievements at the Facebook F8 conference in Silicon Valley was an inspiration to young people.
“The first lady and I would like to congratulate the young Malawians who recently made headlines for their innovations. The stories of Panashe, Walter, Daniel and Thandie and their achievements at the Facebook F8 Conference in Silicon Valley is inspiration to other young and budding software developers and Malawi’s youth in general,” said Mutharika.
Mutharika who is also UNFPA Global Champion for the youth encouraged other young people to be innovative.
“We are pleased with how the four flew high the Malawi flag on the international stage at the F8 conference,” he said
Commenting on the president message, one of the winners Walter Moyo described president’s remarks as inspiration.
“It’s inspiring to have our efforts being recognised by the first citizen and we feel humbled and encouraged. Once again let me thank TNM for this innovative competition that really exposed ou talents on international level,” said Moyo.
The team toured Facebook, Google, Apple and Stanford University and also attended an ICT International conference in San Francisco, California. They departed on April 9 and returned home on April 18, 2016.
Launched on October 5, 2015 the TNM Smart Challenge provided students, pupils and their communities a platform to showcase innovation in mobile application .TNM engaged MHub, Facebook, Google, Opera Software and IBM as technology partners for this initiative.