Alick learns to walk, again

Ivy’s son, Alick, had been ill for
two years. During this time, Ivy
tried traditional medicine but
to no avail. She thought that her
son was bewitched, but clinical
examinations showed that he was
suffering from severe malnutrition.
Thanks to a special highly
nutritious food, supplied by
Concern, Alick is now back on his
feet.
Ivy had been abandoned by her
husband after he married another
wife. In order to feed her
children, she started a firewood
business.
“There are no trees in our
area, so it was a difficult business.
But I had to forage for pieces of
wood as this was the only
business which does not need any
capital,” she said.
On a good day Ivy could get
MK100, which she would buy food
for her two children. However, in
most situations, she would fail to
even gather enough firewood for
sale and this meant a day without
a meal.
Alick has been ill for two years.
In these two years of the young
boy’s illness, Ivy tried traditional
medicine but to no avail. She
thought that her son was
bewitched but clinical
examinations show that he was
suffering from severe acute
malnutrition.
His body was swelling and he
had continuous diarrhoea attacks,
which made him weak. Eventually,
Alick gave up on walking as it was
too taxing, considering how weak
he was.
“I almost gave up on Alick,” she
said.“He didn’t look like a human
anymore. He couldn’t even keep
his head upright and I had to tie
him at my back with a cloth so
that I protect his neck.”
Alick’s condition was critical.
The Dwambazi Health Centre
admitted him in the nutritional
Page 5
Community Therapeutic Care
rehabilitation unit .
Alick was put under treatment
with a strict diet of ready to use
therapeutic food (RUTF), which is
supplied by Concern Worldwide,
to boost his nutrition status.
After two weeks of intensive
feeding with RUTF, Alick regained
his health and made an attempt to
walk again.
“At first he didn’t make it, but I
kept on encouraging him to try,”
said Phiri.
A few days latter, Alick
astonished everyone by walking
on his own. His health is improving
and the swelling is subsidising.
According to Phiri, Alick could be
on his way out of the NRU to join
the outpatient programme,
commonly known as OTP.

Concern launches education programme in Nsanje

Concern Worldwide recently launched
a new education programme in
Nsanje district, which has been hailed
by stakeholders as a timely intervention
in promoting the education of the girl
child in the district.
Speaking during the official launch at
Phokera, Deputy Director of Basic
Education, Chikondi Mussa said
Government was pleased with
programme and pledged support to make
the programme a success.
“The programme goal for Concern is
impressive. It shows that things are not
okay in Nsanje hence the need for this
kind of intervention. Although Concern’s
approach is not all that new it’s,
however, unique in that it recognizes
that it’s everyone’s job to solve the
problems being faced, especially by the
girl child in Nsanje,” explained Mussa.
Mussa, who was the guest of honour
during the launch, said her Ministry has
introduced a number of initiatives in the
district, which will complement the
programme and assure its success.
“As government, we know there are
problems in our education system such
as shortage of teachers. But we are
putting up strategies to fill in the gaps
like the Open Distance Learning
Programme (ODL), which has already
kick started in Nsanje. Also, government
is constructing better facilities to
entice pupils, especially, the girl child
to go to school. We know that many
structures are not friendly to girls,
hence our efforts to upgrade the
water and sanitation facilities in
Nsanje and other schools across the
country,” she said.
In his remarks, Country Director
of Concern Worldwide, Johnson
Byamukama said his organisation is
privileged to support Malawi realize
its education goals in line with the
Millennium Development Goals 2 and
3.
“We look forward to work ing with
the Ministry of Education and the
Nsanje District Education department
to implement this programme so that
we help realize the dreams of many
children in the district ,” he said.
“We believe by empowering
communities, there will be a sea of
change in attitude and practices that
will eventually lead to the freeing of
more children to access and be retained
in the school system. We will also use
our presence and experience in the
education sector to contribute to
relevant policy debates and on issues
that inhibit the full participation of girls
and vulnerable children in Nsanje,” he
explained.
Mussa’s concerns were also shared
by the traditional leadership, which was
represented by Senior Chief Tengani,
“I know there are chiefs in Nsanje who
still condone the harmful practices of
early marriages. This is a bad practice,
which I will not condone.
“Instead of marrying off our
daughters, let’s catch them young and
make them understand the importance
of education. It’s now up to us to
encourage our girls to seize this
opportunity and as parents and
guardians we should be behind them for
support. It’s high time Nsanje features
in the news for good things. That’s why
this project is good for Nsanje,” said
Chief Tengani. n
ment of girl’s education by actively
engaging the communities and the
education department during
implementation.
Byamukama added that the
programme will seek to change the
negative behaviours that have
traditionally hindered progress.

Rabbit project helps man fend for family

Stefano Amosi was ecstatic
when he was selected by his
area village development
committee to be one of the
beneficiaries of a rabbit pass over
project supported by Concern.
Stefano, a father of four,
could not contain his happiness
on the prospect of venturing into
rabbit farming. But many people
around Stefano’s village down
played the impact of such a
project.
“What difference would two
rabbits make in the life of a man
who has known nothing but
poverty and misfortune,” they
would say, recalls Stefano.
“When I went to receive the
rabbits, I just did it for formality
sake. All my hopes were dashed by
the negative things my neighbours
were saying about the rabbit
project. I started believing more
in them than in what I could
achieve from the project,”
Stefano mused.
But circumstances forced him
to make the most out of the
project.
Earlier in the year, Stefano,
who comes from Chikanga village
in Lilongwe, was struck by double
tragedy. His maize crop withered
as rains abruptly stopped during
the flowering stages. Within a
space of a few months, his sister
died leaving behind three
children. As the only living uncle,
Stefano was obligated to shoulder
responsibility of their up keep.
“I had no food, no money or
anything to give to my now larger
family. I knew being given the
rabbits was an act of God. He
gave me something small so that I
should think big,” he said.
“I followed all the instruction
on rabbits farming and within a
Page 4
L i v e l i h o o d s
few months,” said Stefano, “the
rabbits gave birth. When the
rabbits came of age I sold some
and from the proceeds I managed
to get money to buy things like
soap and maize meal on the
market to feed my family.”
Stefano also saw an opportunity
to start a vegetable garden which
he fertilised using the rabbits’
droppings as manure.
“One small idea led to
another,” he says. “Never before
had I dreamed of gardening, but
now I have one. I use some of the
vegetables to feed my rabbits,
some I use for food and the rest I
sell.”
From the income, Stefano has
managed to buy ten chickens. “I
have all the hope that in the
future I will expand my livestock
production. I am thinking of
buying goats or even a cow,” he
says.
Currently, he has eleven
rabbits and says he wants to
extend the kraal as some are
expectant.
“Those neighbours who were
discouraging me are now the ones
coming to me for advice on how
to start a rabbit project. They
can see that my life has changed
for the better. I now can afford to
send my children to school and
remain with extra money to buy
food,” explains Stefano.
The rabbit pass over project is
being implemented by a local
partner,Hope for the Heart
Missions, with financial support
from Concern Worldwide. The
project aims to improve the lives
of the extreme poor households
in Lilongwe by providing them
with a source of livelihood.
Currently, 50 households are
benefiting from the programme
and Stefano is one of them.

European Investment Bank, African Development Bank Finance Large-Scale Wind Farm in Africa

Lilongwe 12 October 2010


European Investment Bank and African Development Bank Finance First Large-Scale Wind Farm in Africa

The European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank have agreed to provide €45 million to design, build and operate on-shore wind farms on four islands in the Cape Verde archipelago. This will be the first large-scale wind project in Africa, and the first re¬newable-energy, public-private partnership in sub-Saharan Africa. The project will introduce modern wind-power technology in Cap Verde and enable wind power to be established there as the primary alter¬native to electricity that is produced by means of fuel-oil or diesel. More specifically, the project will provide over 28 megawatts of electric¬ity-generating capacity. It will help Cap Verde reach an ambi¬tious target of ensuring that 25 per cent of its local power needs are provided by renewable energy by 2012, and 50 per cent by 2020. It will also help reduce Cap Verde's need to import fuel that is priced in foreign currency. All wind farms are ex¬pected to be operational by the end of 2011.

Said Cristina Duarte, Cape Verde's finance minister: “Cape Verde is pleased to host the first large-scale wind farm project in Africa. The project will help Cape Verde provide 50 per cent of elec¬tricity from renewable sources by 2020. We thank the European Investment Bank and the African Develop¬ment Bank for their financial support and expertise in making this project possible”.

Plutarchos Sakellaris, European Investment Bank Vice President responsible for Africa, added: “This project establishes wind energy as a competitive alternative to traditional diesel generation in Cape Verde. Enabling small island states to use renewable energy contribute to the global fight against climate change. Close cooperation between the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank demonstrates the contribution that long-term public finance can make to developing renewable energy projects in a challenging economic climate”.

African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka noted: “Climate change seriously threatens sustainable development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. How-ever, climate change also provides new incentives and opportunities for Africa to pursue low car-bon-intensive development. Sustainable growth requires access to diverse, reliable, affordable clean and renewable energy”.

Notice on Political Islam, Christian postings: No room for religious disenfranchisation on Zachimalawi

This is to inform you, dear reader, that Zachimalawi will no longer be posting anything to do with political Islam, persecution of the Jews and the like because some of the readers belong to the said religions and feel attacked.

As you know, Zachimalawi is a fair Brand; we believe in fairness and goodwill. We will be posting things that will unite us, both in Malawi and the world at large.

So, good people, worry not. Your request to me has been granted. Zachimalawi loves you.

It is imperative that we concentrate on things that unite us, and build our nation.

So, Mohammed Issa, Ibrahim Satar, Abdul Mussa (Egypt, Libya, United Kingdom, respectively),and Michael Linga (Mzuzu), Fineas Mzeremu (Salima), George Mwamadi (Mangochi), among others,we have taken note of your request.

Continue reading Zachimalawi.

Climate goes haywire

BY RICHARD CHIROMBO
Malawi, like the rest of the world, was once regulated by the sun;
everything- time, animal and plant life- revolved around the sun.
Time when the earth was an integral part of man, and man a loving part
of it. The perfumed flowers were man’s sister; the deer, the horse,
the great eagle- his brothers. Humming insects evoked holy memories
and experiences in people, just as rocky crests, juices of the
meadows, the body heat of the pony and warm worms- all belonged to one
family.
Before the famed Dziwe Lankhalamba on Mulanje Mountain turned violent
and started swallowing human souls, shining water moved peacefully in
such rivers as Linthipe, Shire, Mudi, Lilongwe, and lagoons like Chia
without causing floods. The water was not just any other liquid to the
then caring people of Malawi- it was the blood of our ancestors.
Mid-day ghostly reflections in the clear waters of the lakes- Lake
Malawi, Chiuta, Kazuni and Chilwa- told of memories and forthcoming
events in the lives of the people.
The water’s murmur was the voice of our ancestors, and the rivers and
lagoons were our brothers and sisters because they quenched our
thirst, carried our canoes and fed fish to our children. The Akafula,
or Abathwa, the early inhabitants of Malawi, then gave the best
treatment to the rivers, the sought of kindness you would give to your
only brother or sister.
The earth and its people were connected like blood which unites one
family. Whatever befell the earth befell the sons and daughters of
earth. It is as simple as that and a web: man did not weave the web of
life; he is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he
does to himself.
For a long time, this realization remained the settled conviction of a
larger group of people, at least until the formation of independent
nation states of people begun to take effect because, not long after,
things went haywire.
Take language vocabulary, for instance. It is a fact that the British
word ‘scheme’ quickly translates to the American ‘plan’ or ‘proposal’.
Yet the two countries were once one, when Britain was an unmistakable
colony of the United States of America.
They say the world has conflict built into it; a factor that continues
to haunt the modern world.
December 2009 will go down the annals of our world story as a month
when world leaders, both from developed and developing countries, as
well as experts from different fields, met in Copenhagen, Denmark,
under this carpet of on-going confusion, disagreements and conflict.
They gathered under the United (?) Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) to draw
the way forward on tackling climate change and its associated impacts.
Issues tackled included land use, changes in land use, forestry and
rising global temperatures, all manifestations of man made
concoctions. Malawi’s president, Bingu wa Mutharika, did not make it
to the high level meeting as he wanted to serve the country’s drying
foreign currency reserves. Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental
Minister Grain Malunga wore his shoes.
However, Mutharika was home talking about climate change. He went to
Chiradzulu and planted two trees when the country launched the
National Forestry Season on December 15, 2009.
He remembered his good ole days, when the rains honoured their
Southern region promises early November, keeping those (promises) for
the Central and Northern region for somewhere between late November
and early December, respectively. Always, before the word ‘excuse’
crept into the language of the rains.
“The story is different now. We have prolonged dry spells, which have
already started affecting districts like Chiradzulu. These are the
effects of climate change,” said Mutharika.
Mutharika felt so sorry that, as the children of ‘ancient’ Chiradzulu
and Thyolo used to run and bathe in the rains on days like December
15, there was nothing but the sun and a dry spell for children of
modern-day Chiradzulu and Thyolo!
Sentiments echoed by Natural Resources, Energy and Environment
Principal Secretary, Dr. Denis Kayambazinthu. He bemoaned that
climate change was fast becoming part of the warm-heartedness that is
Malawi.
“The country has experienced a number of adverse effects of climate
change. The most serious have been dry spells, seasonal droughts,
intense rainfall, river line floods, flush floods and unpredictable
rainfall patterns,” said Kayambazinthu.
The scary part of it, he said, is that these are impacting negatively
on food security, water quality, energy and sustainable rural
communities’ livelihoods.
Malawi is at a crossroads. Some of the events attributed to climate
change include the severe drought conditions of the 1991/92
agriculture season and extreme flood events in 2000/01.
An Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change report reveals that
Malawians cut an average 70, 000 trees each year and that, while more
trees are planted during the National Forestry Season, only 60 per
cent survive.
While climate change and global warming are global phenomena, a US
National Environmental Trust report indicates that Malawi is paying an
exorbitant price for the activities of rich nations such as USA,
China, and Britain. The report says Malawi emits less than a quarter
of a million metric tones of carbon equivalent a year, as compared to
over 1,500 million tones emitted by the USA in 2002 alone.
Yet, this is no time for finger pointing, enthuses Elina Mkululanga-
Head of Public Weather Services in the Department of Climate Change
and Meteorological Services at the Meteorological Services Department.
“We are really seeing the effects of climate change, but this is no
time for finger-pointing It’s time to bear responsibility and act,”
says Mkululanga.

It's a good joke; when a girl rapes an innocent boy

Today, I laughed my lungs out.
Reason: I read in papers that a 17 year-old girl from Bangwe Township in Blantyre is on the run, after raping a two year-old boy.
Seventeen year-old girl on the run?
After raping a two year-old boy?
That's laughable!

When Myanmar's Not Free, None Of Us Are Free

Dear Richard,
Myanmar is about to hold its first national election in two decades.

In the last elections in 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory — only for the military government to ignore the results and arrest scores of opposition activists who threatened their grip on power.

We cannot let this happen again

Many of Myanmar's 50 million people live in poverty. And those who express views contrary to that of the ruling authorities face harassment, arrest, torture, imprisonment and, sometimes, execution. Many are held in solitary confinement, denied access to medical care and cut off from their families and loved ones.

More than 2,200 political prisoners are behind bars in Myanmar - silenced simply for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.

Now is the time to act


The eyes of the world are on Myanmar as they prepare for elections. As the moment draws near, foreign ministers of Myanmar's neighbouring countries are under pressure to speak out against the military government.

Now is a critical time to put pressure on these Ministers and defend the three freedoms - expression, assembly and association - in Myanmar.

We cannot let the repression continue while Myanmar's election goes ahead. With your help, we can work towards a global outcry that ensures the people of Myanmar are protected in the lead up to the 2010 elections and beyond.

Write a letter to 9 Foreign Ministers from Myanmar’s neighbouring countries


In Solidarity

Online Communities Team
Alaphia, Buddha, Jennifer and Jeremy

Hail the Queens of African netball: Malawi

Malawi were African Queens before President Bingu wa Mutharika took over the African Union Chairmanship earlier this year; they are African Queens now, making it Malawi's twin victory as the males' soccer side still walks towards the remarkable sport mark that has eluded them since independence.
In New Delhi, where Commmonwealth Games are currently in full throng, the netball Queens did it again, pummeling proud South Africa by 59 baskets to 47. It was so sweet the Queens, led by veteran Mary 'Atcheya' Waya and Mwawi Kumwenda, danced their bodies out.
It must have been so frustrating to South Africa, who took over fifth position in the world albeit temporarily, to surrender it to their arch-rivals Malawi.
The two sides were rocked in disagreements lately, after Malawi turned down an invitation at the 11th hour. South Africa, in turn, connived with the continent's netball association to exclude Malawi from a netball tournament held in South Africa, saying it was was teams that set their eyes at qualifying for the India games.
It was a blue tactic, and justice has decided on the pitch.
This means Malawi are fifth in the world, having failed to break into the top four, but remain Number One in Africa- to the chagrin of South Africa.

Something about the Immigration Department Headquarters

People from the village come to Immigration Department Headquarters in Blantyre. They have hopes, they have things to do, they are busy people.
There, at the good Immigration Department, they become 'useless', humans no longer being.
If not, why are they tossed around?
Pushed from one office to another?
The Immigration Department should think twice for sure. Didn't I hear that its offices were decentralised? Why do people come from Mangochi, Machinga, others Lilongwe and Mzuzu, to have their travel documents processed?
And, then, why do they stand on long lines; lines that never end, as Amwenye, Azungu and others pack their expensive vehicles in front of the Bible Society of Malawi, and enter from 'behind' (excuse me the pun)?.
There, behind, they get their passports within minutes- after coughing something but minutes.
Today, that's where I went: The Immigration Department. I saw the lines. A hungry woman, with a child at the back. She was eating raw cassava, white staff falling from the mouth that is but centrally-located.
Why do Malawians suffer, in their own country?
Why should they wait, for something they paid for, in the first place.
Of course, the officers at the Immigration Department try their best. But if you have no car, good clothes and a nice shave, you are lost.
Let us change our mind set; torment the Malawian no more.
Let us treat each other with dignity.
And our country will develop.

Hail the Queens of African netball: Malawi

Malawi were African Queens before President Bingu wa Mutharika took over the African Union Chairmanship earlier this year; they are African Queens now, making it Malawi's twin victory as the males' soccer side still walks towards the remarkable sport mark that has eluded them since independence.
In New Delhi, where Commmonwealth Games are currently in full throng, the netball Queens did it again, pummeling proud South Africa by 59 baskets to 47. It was so sweet the Queens, led by veteran Mary 'Atcheya' Waya and Mwawi Kumwenda, danced their bodies out.
It must have been so frustrating to South Africa, who took over fifth position in the world albeit temporarily, to surrender it to their arch-rivals Malawi.
The two sides were rocked in disagreements lately, after Malawi turned down an invitation at the 11th hour. South Africa, in turn, connived with the continent's netball association to exclude Malawi from a netball tournament held in South Africa, saying it was was teams that set their eyes at qualifying for the India games.
It was a blue tactic, and justice has decided on the pitch.
This means Malawi are fifth in the world, having failed to break into the top four, but remain Number One in Africa- to the chagrin of South Africa.

Fuel crisis normalising

Malawi has been hit by another wave of fuel crises, but the lines are now clearing at various pump stations.
Life has been hard the past two weeks, reminding Malawians of another fuel crisis that hit the country's filling station pumps in September last year, a problem that lastd a whopping two months.
This year, however, things have cleared up alit quickly, lighting the mood in Malawi's towns and streets.
The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority and Petroleum Importers Limited have been busy, clearing the way for fuel because fuel also rules the products' shelves.
Any shortage also affects the salt, sugar consumer, making it a hard knock in the head of the average citizen.
In Blantyre, filling stations are heaving a sigh of relief.
For people who were joking that- apart from 'exporting' the African Food Basket idea- the country should also 'export' the idea of fuel shortages to Libya, Nigeria and Angola (among other African countries with huge oil wells and resources), their lips are going dry now.

Malawi Netball Team in Delhi, India: Fixtures

Pool A

1 Australia New Zealand
2 Jamaica
3 Malawi
4 Samoa
5 Trinidad
6 India Papua

Pool B
1. New Zealand
2. England
3. South Africa
4. Cook Islands
5. Barbados
6. New Guinea

Waiting for a giant sadness: When the curtain closes on BBA All Stars this Sunday

Next week, by 9 O'clock evening, Big Brother Africa All Stars (my favourity Reality Television Series) will comew to an end.
Whenever the Big Brother Africa Season ends, I feel empty inside. When in season, I always feel like a warm hand has touched my heart, letting it (the heart) rest there, 'until further notice'.
Sunday evening next week, this hand will leave the heart, to rest wherever fun sleeps after BBA.
It is this prospect that is making me sad.
However, let me say that this Season has been fantastic- though I will never understand why Africa doesn't love Code Admore Sangala, the giant son from Malawi.
I think our ladies, starting with Hazel Warren and, then, Mzamose Chibambo, have found a soft soft on Africa. Not the case with ana athu andevu. I don't know why people hate good thinks.
I am saying this Season has been fantastic. Uti and Munya are the faourites, of course, but Munya will go back to Zimbabwe with the moola (cash). That is a fact this Sunday stands to validate.
And many people have asked why Africa seems to have fallen in love with Munyaradzi Chidzonga. The reason is simple: Africa saw that the rest of the housemates- except Code, of course- hated Munya so much. They hated him with all their hearts, and hands, and might, and will.
Africa saw through it, and knew that it would be through them, and them only, that Munya will overcome all that hatred and survive. So, it is sympathy that has finally materialised into love, real love, for Munya that the black-lipped boy (fodya mwana uja) is going back to Harare with 200 United States Dollars. Over 200 times President Comrade Robert Mugabe's actual (official) salary!
It will be good for Africa; it will be good for Munya;it will be good for Zimbabwe.
This BBA All Stars Season has also highlighted lies churned out by our reputable media houses. The guys got facts embarrassingly wrong at times, misleading the unsuspecting reader.
There was a time, two weeks ago, when one of the papers wrote that Africa had voted Lerato back into the House, when she remains an 'envelope girl'. The other time, they said Tatiana was banned from the game for violence when it was, actually, Hannington.
Should I continue? No. It will spoil the good game that is BBA All Stars.
This week, I will watch the 'game' extensively. What's more: We are on Mid-Semester Holiday the whole of this week.
Time to flex. Yes, us the Bombocrat type.
Long live Code; you are our hero.

The tale of a Malawian civil servant

I decided to go to Blantyre Main Market over lunch today. There, an old friend (no, the guy is in his late 50s) popped up, holding what appeared like the head of a small bird. It (the head) was as small as a Yao-Namwali’s mkanda!
It has become a common sight at Blantyre Market (not in Blantyre Market; for these heads, and their ‘murdered’ bird-owners, are laid down, in typical pelete fashion, outside the market along the Kioshikia.. -something, something road; as we go towards Inde Bank in Blantyre Top Mandala) to find women selling these ‘full-chickens’.
The guy is a well-meaning civil servant. He has worked for the government of Malawi from 1972. That was a time government was a big orphan in the Southern Region, without an office of its own. Yes, government was a tenant then, and its offices lay like abandoned feathers in Vanmali, Chibisa and other houses.
And this guy was there, being tossed around like a stubborn stone.
When the Bakili Muluzi administration set about constructing the ‘plastic’ building that is the New Southern Region Government Offices, the guy- a driver- was there to bear witness. He had hopes, too.
No more.
Things, he said, are not Okay in the Civil Service.
He had ready examples. He has just secured 15 hectares of land in Chiradzulu for rent. The cost, to an ordinary citizen, is fair: K6000 per growing season. All that stretch of land!
But the guy is complaining, saying he cannot manage to pay K6000, buy farm inputs (since Civil Servants with a big stomach like him are wrongly perceived to be well-to-do!), and pay casual labourers. He said he wishes he could do the farming himself, but it’s to hot out there. Again, he will be robbing government of its time.
That is the problem with God-fearing Civil Servants. They know that theft is as serious as murder, fornication, abortion…you name it.
All these years working for the government and he is still poor; can’t afford life’s basics.
I felt sad, seeing him ‘finishing off’ that head of a small, innocent bird, a head with no other tangible use but to ‘serve’ Malawi’s civil servants and other low income earners.
It felt even sadder seeing him going back to work, since it was now 01:20pm.
He said he had more work to do, to serve his government.
He loves the government; but the government doesn’t love him.
Why give him peanuts, after all.
There has been this talk that most civil servants are lazy; that they spend much time adoring women’s bottoms; that they deserve what they receive; that they are government’s little thieves. And many more.
This is not true.
We have civil servants so honest, hardworking and accountable.
Such people deserve better.
Thanks our Civil Servants. You have done a lot. Continue to do a lot.
Let The Government give them their just reward.
I rest my case, but my head: It remembers that honest civil servant.
In my mind, he will always carry a bird’s severed head.
We never know; perhaps, if he manages to source K6000, he may be able to ‘kill’ his own birds- in his own rented munda (garden, field, farm). In his mind, he has won his wishes; on the ground, poverty. As hard as nothing; as hot as intimacy.
Should I say, 'May His Soul Rest in Peace'?
No. He lives.
But he lives in poverty.

What is wrong with Globemw.net?

The guys’ internet services are as unreliable as electrical energy offered by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).
I have failed, so many times, to upload my blog because of these guys. But I pay, always. And in time. Only to be kissed by the big lip of poor service.
The internet service often runs away, like a mad hare (if you know Kalulu-the-Hare) ,and I have to chase this Hare with patience. Yet, patience, by its very nature, is static.
How do we make the best out of this? By speaking out. But that is a problem, too.
Words have no skin, to push the high, concrete wars of reliability.
We just hope that our internet service providers with jack up. After all, we are already paying a lot of mitanda yansima just to access the internet. Do you know how much “crosses” (Mitanda) of Nsima we would consume if we used financial resources to buy things Nsima-related?
Please, our internet guys, you service our tourists. The least we can do is give them a wrong impression of the Warm-Heartedness that is Malawi.
Welcome to reality. Welcome to Malawi. The land of Nsima and nothing else.

boNGO Worldwide works wonders among Malawian communities

Born in Czechoslovakia, Tereza Mirovicova looks more of a Malawian now. Everyday, she thinks about new innovations, the main purpose of which is to transform lives of Malawian children.
Just one such innovation is a news movie, titled 'Zione', in which Mirovicova reflects about life in Malawi in face of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Twenty minutes ago, I was with Tereza at the Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organisations (Manaso) Headquarters in Blantyre. The business was simple To accord Manaso member organisations the opportunity to sample and critique the movie, and contributions came in handy.
'Zione' is a story of a girl whose father dies of HIV and AIDS, leaving an ailing mother (who is also infected) and a dilapidated home. This forces Zione to venture into commercial sex work, at the instigation of friends including Linda.
It is Zione who suffers in the end, getting pregnant and the deadly HIV, while the friends who coaxed her into the trade to help bail her our of the tentacles of poverty go about sleeping with men.
Zione dies, leaving her HIV-infected mother alive. The mother, whose health is deteriorating, now has to face up to the reality that the rest of her children will have nobody older to look up to, since Zione took the first train to the grave yard.
Plans are that the movie be shown in schools; perhaps, it will change the situation- perhaps, it will save a life. Perhaps, it may contribute to an HIV-free Malawi.
In short, boNGO is a Non-Governmental Organisation that aims at raising standards of children through child care centres, and works in Blantyre.

Villagers descend on two naked men caught 'in the act'

Confusion ensued at Sangachazi Rest House in Nkhotakota when people descended on two men found 'on top of each other' in the wee hours of Wednesday this week, owner of the place confirmed to Zachimalawi.
Apparently, one of the men- identified as Mark- booked a room for one night accommodation. The room accommodates one customer, and costs K550, according to Rest House owner Kumkeyani Benito Santhe.
However, Mark (who booked in using simply the first name Mark) sneaked out of the room around 9pm to fetch an unknown male friend, whom he brought to the room, contravening the place's rules and regulations.
Santhe said the two men's ordeal started with a power outage,but when Electricity Supply Corparation of Malawi (Escom) officials restored power, darkness prevailed at the Resthouse.
This forced Santhe and staff to suspect that the problem had to do with the main electrical switch, which, incidentally, is located in the room the two men booked.
"Our of our two guards, Lasten Cassam, escorted me to the room to check on the switch. We were surprised that the two kept us waiting for as long as six minutes when we knocked at the door, which forced us to use a spare key to get into the room,"said Santhe,adding it was "scary" to find the men "pulling out of each other".
He said, "actually, we found both of them naked and sweating. We were surprised to find two people instead of one, and engaging in something very strange. We thus called for help from other members of the community, including local traditional leaders. Unfortunately, these people descended on the two and beat them severely".
Mark and his friend were later whisked away by workers at the rest house, though they were forced to pay six times for room service despite not spending the rest of the night in the controversial room.
Santhe said it was sad that, within the past two years alone, he has caught at least four men engaging in "abominable acts", adding he suspected that his rivals were behind the spate of these "shameful acts".
"I wonder where this country is heading to," he said.
Linda Mzeremu, one of the community members, said she was awakened by shouts from the Rest house and, when she went to find what the problem was, she was so shocked to find the two men being beaten.
"They deserved it. These people want to bring bad luck to all of us. People should realise that rains can stop coming in this country if we allow people to commit 'stupid' acts. I am happy they were beaten," she said.
Sangachazi is a 20 bed-roomed Rest House established in 1999. It serves traders in second-hand clothes, dry fish sellers who come to buy fish in the district, and field workers.

Statistical Islam, Part 1 of 9

One of the great questions of the 21st century is: What is the true nature of Islam? There are two distinct answers to this question from the media and leaders. The popular message is that Islam is one of the great world religions, a peaceful religion, a foundation of world civilization, its Golden Age was the highpoint of history, and it preserved Western thought while we were in the Dark Ages. The alternative message is that Islam is a brutal, backward, woman abusing, violent, intellectually narrow ideology that is out to annihilate civilization.

Which side is right? How do we resolve this issue? Can it even be resolved? If we turn to the “experts” of any of the opinions, they will tell you that their view is correct. What then is the ultimate authority that will give us a firm foundation for reasoning and judgment about Islam? Is it possible to use critical thought or must we just accept the authority of experts?

There is way to achieve consensus about ideas that goes beyond expert opinion. The use of facts along with logic is the basis of critical thought. The ultimate form of critical thought uses measurements and numbers to resolve questions. This paper will use the foundational texts of Islam and measure the importance of ideas by how many words are given to concepts. The assumption is that the more content that is devoted to a subject, the greater the importance of the subject is. As an example: the Koran devotes 64% of its text to the subject of the unbeliever. This is assumed to imply that the unbeliever is important in Islamic doctrine.

The use of critical thought may seem counter-intuitive since many people view Islam as a religion that does not have a rational basis. Actually, Islam is not only rational; it is hyper-rational, but it uses another form of logic than the one we take for granted.

If we are to use critical thought, we must have a firm foundation. All Muslims agree that:

“There is no god, but Allah and Mohammed is His messenger.”

When this is repeated as a public testimony, you become a Muslim. However, this statement is not only the beginning of Islam, it is also the foundation and totality of Islam. It is not enough to worship Allah; you must worship as Mohammed worshipped.

Who is Allah and where do we learn about Him? This question points directly to the Koran.

Then the Koran, in turn, points directly to Mohammed. It says 91 times that Mohammed is the perfect Muslim. He is the divine human prototype, the only pattern acceptable to Allah. The actions and words of Mohammed are so important that they have a special name—Sunna. We find the Sunna in two texts. The Sira is the biography of Mohammed and the Hadith is the collection of hadiths (small stories, traditions) about Mohammed.

Islam is based on Koran and Sunna. Since the Sunna is found in the Sira and the Hadith, this means that three books contain all the doctrine of Islam—the Trilogy. If it is in the Trilogy (Koran, Sira, Hadith), then it is Islam. If something is not in the Trilogy, then it is not Islam. All of the Islamic doctrine is found in the Trilogy. Now, we have the complete information with no missing pieces.

We have established our first criteria of knowledge. All authoritative statements about Islam must include a reference to the Trilogy to be authenticated. It does not matter what a scholar, imam, media guru, or anyone else says, if what they say cannot be supported by the doctrine in the Trilogy, then it is not Islam. If it is supported by the Trilogy, then it is Islam.

We have been taught that the Koran is the source of Islamic doctrine. However, the Koran is only 14% of the total sacred texts . Actually, the Sira and the Hadith are 86% of the total textual doctrine . Islam is 14% Allah and 86% Mohammed. This is very good news. The Koran is obscure, but anyone can understand the life and sayings of Mohammed. These statistics point to the easy way to know Islam—know Mohammed. Anyone, absolutely anyone, can understand Mohammed and hence, Islam.



Islam is a text-based doctrine, so the nature of these texts must be made clear. A Muslim believes that the Koran is perfect, complete, universal and eternal. It does not contain the slightest error and it is the exact words of the only god of the universe. Mohammed is the perfect example of how to live the sacred life. This idea of complete, final, universal, and perfect textual truth is very hard for non-Muslims to comprehend. Most people read the Koran with the attitude of: “Oh, they don’t really believe this.” When Muslims read the Koran, their attitude is: “These are the perfect words of Allah.” Muslims call themselves the “believers” and by that they mean that they believe the Koran is perfect and Mohammed is the perfect pattern of life.

Remember, we started with the question: Can we evaluate what the media commentators, politicians, imams and other “experts” say about the true nature of Islam? Yes, we can know the true nature of Islam—it is found in the Trilogy. If what the expert has to say can be supported by the doctrine found in the Trilogy, then it is valid, since the Trilogy is the final arbiter of all opinions and statements about Islam.

Critical thought provides a powerful first step. Now, let us measure the doctrine of Islam. The following cases show how the technique of counting the number of words that are devoted to a topic can be used to discover the dominant themes of Islamic texts and, hence, Islamic doctrine.

The Political Violence of the Bible and the Koran

One of the most frequently used arguments heard in the defense of Islam is that the Bible is just as violent as the Koran. The logic goes like this. If the Koran is no more violent than the Bible, then why should we worry about Islam? This argument is that Islam is the same as Christianity and Judaism. This is false, but this analogy is very popular, since it allows someone who knows nothing about the actual doctrine of Islam to talk about it. “See, Islam is like Christianity, Christians are just as violent as Muslims.” If this is true, then you don’t have to learn anything about the actual Islamic doctrine.
However, this is not a theological argument. It is a political one. This argument is not about what goes on in a house of worship, but what goes on the in the marketplace of ideas.
Now, is the doctrine of Islam more violent than the Bible? There is only one way to prove or disprove the comparison and that is to measure the differences in violence in the Koran and the Bible.
The first item is to define violence. The only violence that matters to someone outside of either Islam or Christianity or Judaism is what they do to the “other”, political violence. Cain killing Able is not political violence. Political violence is not killing a lamb for a meal or making an animal sacrifice. Note, however, a vegan or a PETA member considers both of these actions to be violent, but it is not violence against them.
The next item is to compare the doctrines both quantitatively and qualitatively. The political violence of the Koran is called “fighting in Allah’s cause”, or jihad.
We must do more than measure the jihad in the Koran. Islam has three sacred texts: Koran, Sira and Hadith, the Islamic Trilogy. The Sira is Mohammed’s biography. The Hadith are his traditions—what he did and said. Sira and Hadith form the Sunna, the perfect pattern of all Islamic behavior.
The Koran is the smallest of the three books, the Trilogy. It is only 16% of the Trilogy text . This means that the Sunna is 84% of the word content of Islam’s sacred texts. This statistic alone has large implications. Most of the Islamic doctrine is about Mohammed, not Allah. The Koran says 91 different times that Mohammed is the perfect pattern of life. It is much more important to know Mohammed than the Koran. This is very good news. It is easy to understand a biography about a man. To know Islam, know Mohammed.
It turns out that jihad occurs in large proportion in all three texts. Here is a chart about the results:
It is very significant that the Sira devotes 67% of its text to jihad. Mohammed averaged an event of violence every 6 weeks for the last 9 years of his life. Jihad was what made Mohammed successful. Here is a chart of the growth of Islam.
Basically, when Mohammed was a preacher of religion, Islam grew at the rate of 10 new Muslims per year. But when he turned to jihad, Islam grew at an average rate of 10,000 per year. All of the details of how to wage jihad are recorded in great detail. The Koran gives the great vision of jihad—world conquest by the political process. The Sira is a strategic manual and the Hadith is a tactical manual of jihad.
Now let’s go to the Hebrew Bible. When we count all of the political violence, we find that 5.6% of the text is devoted to it. There is no admonition towards political violence in the New Testament.
When we count the magnitude of words devoted to political violence, we have 327,547 words in the Trilogy and 34,039 words in the Hebrew Bible . The Trilogy has 9.6 times as much wordage devoted to political violence as the Hebrew Bible.
The real problem goes far beyond the quantitative measurement of ten times as much violent material; there is the qualitative measurement. The political violence of the Koran is eternal and universal. The political violence of the Bible was for that particular historical time and place. This is the vast difference between Islam and other ideologies. The violence remains a constant threat to all non-Islamic cultures, now and into the future. Islam is not analogous to Christianity and Judaism in any practical way. Beyond the one-god doctrine, Islam is unique unto itself.

Another measurement of the difference between the violence found in the Judeo/Christian texts as opposed to that of Islam is found in the use of fear of violence against artists, critics and intellectuals. What artist, critic or intellectual ever feels a twinge of fear if condemning anything Christian or Jewish? However, look at the examples of the violent political threats and murders of Salman Rushdie, Theo van Gogh, Pim Fortune, Kurt Westergaard of the Danish Mohammed cartoons, and many others. What artist, critic or intellectual has not had a twinge of fear about Islam when it comes to free expression? The political difference in the response to the two different doctrines is enormous. The political fruit from the two trees is as different as night and day.

It is time for so-called intellectuals to get down to the basics of judging Islam by its actual doctrine, not making lame analogies that are sophomoric assertions. Fact-based reasoning should replace fantasies that are based upon political correctness and multiculturalism.