Education: The Malawian Girl-Child's Struggle to Remain in School

Her maiden goal was to go a step further than her ancestors’ education levels and, like a squirrel, catch some glimpse of the heaven that education promises.

But, as has become the norm among school-going girls from the area of Traditional Authority Juma in Mulanje, her present situation is a canvass of failed dreams, a development attributed to the day 15-year-old Juliet Kalima decided to desert the place where joy resides- the classroom- and venture into the world on uncertainties far beyond.

Today, those wishing to appreciate her predicament just have to visit Namphongo Market on a market day (Thursday) and they will be hit by the full force of illiteracy levels among girls. The market, located a stone-throw away from Juma’s courts, is congested with girl-vendors, mostly aged between 10 and 18.

Kalima revealed in mid-April that she was forced to drop out of school after getting pregnant in Standard 7.

“That is two years ago. I used to school at Chambe Primary School but was forced out because, they said, they wanted me to deliver and take care of the baby first, yet they left the boy who impregnated me in school,” Kalima said.

That was 13 months ago. Today, having successfully delivered, Kalima said she has no intention of going back to school.

“I am married now, but not to the boy who impregnated me. He told me he wanted to finish school first and I thought that I could not wait for that. I married a business man who, thankfully, happens to be an understanding,” Kalima said, before adding:

“He is the one who gave me K20, 000 to venture into my small scale business of selling pieces of clothes here.”

But, while dropping out of school may, to many, mark the beginning of the loss of all the future promises, that is not the case with Kalima, as she professes to be happy.

It is, therefore, another school drop-out, 17-year-old Agnes Mbulaje who, in tandem with the saying that it is the “the dead who, under the world’s rough pelt, sink into the blindness of despair”, has a sad tale to tell.

“I fell pregnant while in Standard 8, but the man who impregnated meabandoned me a year later on the pretext that I was too young,” Mbulaje said.

However, all may not be lost because the youth themselves, through Tiyamike Youth Alliance for Social Development (Tiyasode), are trying to reverse the situation in Namphongo.

Tiyasode Executive Director, Simon Walima, said the organisation has, since its establishment in 2005, tried to reach out to the girls through clubs such as Luwangwa Girls Club, Malire Girls Club, Timvane Girls Club, Langizo Youth Club, Tayamba Youth Club, Tithandizane Youth Club, Ayin, and Lonjezo Girls Club.

“We have tried, through livelihhod and disaster risk management programmes to reverse the situation. We have tried to run a resource centre for youth, provide vocational training and promote girls education, as well as reafforestation and advocacy programmes on the elimination of harmful cultural practices. Little by little, we are seeing changes, but that is not happening quick enough,” Walima said.

So pathetic is the situation that Mulanje District Youth Officer, Daud Chikwanje, has expressed concern that, if not checked, the situation could go out of hand.

“Namphungo is known for all the bad things in the district. We have issues of high school drop-out rates, early marriages, defilement. We even have parents who offer Standard 6 pupils as wives to teachers,” Chikwanje said.

This year alone, revealed Chikwanje, six girls had dropped out of school at Namphungo Community Day Secondary School, while 23 pupils from Standard 4 to 8 had dropped out of school in the past year alone.

The Ministry of Education has, meanwhile, decried the trend.

“We have noted that many girls are dropping out (of school) on different grounds such as pregnancy, lack of school fees, especially at secondary level, early marriages in other areas of the country, and other factors,” said ministry spokesperson Lindiwe Chide. 

She said the ministry was pinning on the bursary scheme, which has a cash transfer component that caters for out-of-school needs; the re-admission policy, which encourages girls to go back to school after delivery, and; role modeling programmes that use female professionals within the vicinity of target girls to promote the retention of girls in school.

“You may wish to note that some of the girls drop out (of school) just because they do not have models who can inspire them in their areas,” Chide said, adding that mother groups, which are established in schools and are managed by school management committees, were also assisting the ministry’s cause.

Chide hoped that these programmes, along with the school meals programme, would help make the classroom attractive to the girl child.

A 2010 report compiled by Advancing Girls Education in Africa (Age Africa) and titled ‘The State of Girl’s Education in Malawi’ quotes a 2010 World Bank  report which indicates that, of the 27 percent of girls that enroll in secondary schools in Malawi, only 13 percent end up attending secondary education.

It adds that only 13 percent of the girls finish the 4 years of secondary school, while only 5 percent of women nationally have passed their Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations.

“In Malawi, gender inequity in educational enrolment is evidenced by the relative under-enrollment of girls in secondary education. In rural areas alone, girls are outnumbered 10:1 by their male counterparts. Girls also consistently perform worse in national examinations and face dropout at a much higher rate,” reads part of the Age Africa report.

The report blames the situation on gender-based violence, inability to pay school fees, poor quality education, lack of knowledge and resources around sexual and reproductive health issues, lack of female role models, long distance to school, among others.

Observing that high school education was not free in Malawi, the report says a girls’ likelihood of attending and staying in school depends in large part on her ability to pay both fees and associated costs (uniforms, examination fees, supplies), ability to get to school, and the girl’s ability to avoid pregnancy and access to accurate information about her own sexual and reproductive.

Another research, released in August 2009 and conducted by G. Holkamp of Hogeschool Windesheim and titled “Reasons for Girl Drop-Out in Malawi’ indicates that there’s a high drop-out rate in Malawi, especially among girls.

“In 2008, 360, 771 learners were enrolled in primary schools of Malawi in total. Of those learners, 37 percent dropped out,” says the report.

The report also cites early marriages and pregnancies, poverty (orphans), lack of parental care, bad school condition and health problems as some of the reasons fueling the trend.

On the surface, these statistics ma appear as if they were dark shadows on a long, winding road to victory but, on the ground, Chide says things are ticking.

UTHENGA WA PAPA FRANCIS WA PA TSIKU LOKUMBUKIRA ODWALA PA DZIKO LONSE LAPANSI 11 FEBRUARY 2015.

UTHENGA WA PAPA FRANCIS WA PA TSIKU LOKUMBUKIRA ODWALA PA DZIKO LONSE LAPANSI 11 FEBRUARY 2015.

“Ndinali ngati maso kwa anthu osapenya

Ndinali ngati mapazi kwa anthu opunduka”

(Yobu 29:15)

Abale mwa Khristu,

Pa tsiku ili la 11 February 2015 lokumbukira ndi kuganizira odwala pa dziko lonse lapansi, lidakhazikitsidwa ndi Papa Yohane Paulo Wachiwiri Woyera, ndikuyang’ana kwa inu nonse olemedwa ndi matenda ndipo muli olumikizidwa mwa njira zosiyanasiyana ku thupi la Yesu Khristu ozunzidwa. Komanso ndikuyang’ana kwa inu nonse madokotala ndi anthu ena onse ogwira ntchito zaumoyo modzipereka chabe.

Mfundo ya chaka chino ikutipempha kuti tisinkhesinkhe pa mau a m’Buku la Yobu onena kuti, “Ndinali ngati maso kwa anthu osapenya, ndinali ngati mapazi kwa anthu opunduka” (Yobu29:15). Ndidakakonda kusinkhasinkha mau amenewa potsamira pa mau awa “sapientia cordis” kutanthauza nzeru zamumtima.

1. “Nzeru izi” simaganizo chabe kapena chinthu chosaoneka chochokera m’mutu chabe. Koma ndi chinthu chomwe monga adanenera Yakobe Woyera m’kalata yake, “Koma nzeru zochokera kumwamba, poyamba nzangwiro, kuwonjezera apo nzamtendere, zofatsa ndi zomvera bwino. Ndi zachifundo chambiri, ndipo zipatso zake zabwino nzochuluka. Nzeruzo sizikondera kapena kuchita chiphamaso.” (Yakobe 3:17). Ndi njira yoonera zinthu zoikidwa ndi Mzimu Woyera m’maganizo ndi m’mitima ya amene amakhudzidwa ndi mavuto a abale ndi alongo ao ndiponso amene angaone mwa abalewo chithunzi cha Mulungu. Pa chifukwa ichi, tiyeni titenge pemphero la mlakatuli wa Masalimo; “Tsono tiphunzitseni kuwerenga masiku athu, kuti tikhale ndi mtima wanzeru.” (Salimo 90:12). “Nzeru izi zamumtima,” zomwe ndi mphatso yochokera kwa Mulungu ndi zipatso za Tsiku Lokumbukira ndi Kuganizira Odwala.

2. Kukhala ndi nzeru zamumtima kutanthauza kutumikira abale ndi alongo athu. Mau a Yobu oti, “Ndinali ngati maso kwa osapenya, ndinali ngati mapazi kwa opunduka,” akunena za munthu wolungama amene adasangalala chifukwa cha udindo kapena mphamvu zaulamuliro umene anali nawo pakati pa akuluakulu amumzinda umene umaperekedwa kwa amene anali osowa. Chimwemwe chake chinali kutsamira pakupereka thandizo kwa osauka amene ankasowa thandizo lake ndiponso pakusamalira ana ndi akazi amasiye (Yobu 29:12-13).

Masiku ano, ndi Akhristu angati amene amaonetsa, osati ndi mau ao chabe, koma ndi moyo ndiponso ndi ntchito zao zotsamira pa chikhulupiriro, kuti iwo ndi “Maso kwa osapenya” ndiponso “Mapazi kwa opunduka?” Iwo amakhala pafupi ndi odwala amene amasowa chisamaliro pafupipafupi ndipo amasowa thandizo loti nkuwachapira, kuwaveka ndiponso kuwadyetsa. Utumiki umenewu, makamaka pamene ukhala wotenga nthawi yaitali umatopetsa ndi kulemetsa. Ndi chapafupi kuthandiza munthu masiku ochepa, koma chimakhala chovuta kusamalira wodwala kwa miyezi kapena kwa zaka zingapo, ndipo chimakhala chokhumudwitsa pa zomwe akuchita. Komatu njira iyi ndi yopambana chifukwa imachititsa munthu kukhala woyera. Mu nthawi ya masautso ndi imene mwapadera, tiyenera kukhala pafupi ndi kudalira Ambuye Yesu, potero, timathandizira pa utumiki wa Mpingo.

3. Nzeru zamumtima zitanthauza kukhala limodzi ndi abale ndi alongo athu. Nthawi yokhala ndi odwala ndi nthawi yoyera. Ndi njira yotamandira Mulungu amene amatichititsa kuti tikhale ndi nkhope/chithunzi cha Mwana wake, amene “adabwera osati kuti ena adzamtumikire ai, koma kuti Iyeyo adzatumikire anthu ndi kupereka moyo wake kuti aombole anthu ochuluka. Yesu yemwe adati, “Koma Ine ndili pakati panu ngati wotumikira.” (Luka 22:27).

Ndi chikhulupiriro cholimba tiyeni tipemphe Mzimu Woyera kuti atipatse chaulere chotithandiza kuti tizipeza nthawi yokhala pafupi ndi abale ndi alongo odwala. Kukhala nawo pafupi chifukwa chokhudzidwa ndi matenda awo, odwala amalandira chikondi ndipo amathuzitsidwa mtima. Ku mbali inayi zimakhala zodabwitsa kuti anthu ena amalankhula za kufunika kokhala ndi “Moyo wabwino” ngati kuti kukhala ndi moyo wodwaladwala kwambiri sichinthu chomuyenera munthu.

4. Nzeru zamumtima zitanthauza kudzipereka ndi kudziiwala pofuna kutumikira abale ndi alongo athu odwala. Nthawi zina dziko lapansi limaiwala kufunikira kokhala pafupi ndi bedi la wodwala chifukwa timaoneka kuti tili ofulumira nthawi zonse, pamene tikutanganidwa ndi zathu zokha nkumaiwala zoti nthawi zina tizipeza nthawi yokhala pafupi ndi odwala nkumawathuzitsa mtima. Mchitidwe osalabadira odwala umalimbikitsidwa ndi chikhulupiriro chochepa chomwe chimatiiwalitsa mau a Ambuye athu Yesu Khristu oti, “Munkachitira Ine amene” (Mateo 25:40).

Chifukwa cha ichi, ndikubwerezanso kutsindika pa mfundo yakuti pa zonse, “Tizitsogoza mtima wakudziiwala ndi wodzipereka chifukwa chofuna kutumikira abale ndi alongo athu odwala ngati njira yokwaniritsa lamulo lalikulu lachikondi ndiponso ngati njira ya moyo wathu wauzimu pothokoza chifukwa cha mphatso yaulere imene Mulungu adatipatsa. (Evangelii Gandium, 179). Utumiki wa Mpingo ndiye kasupe wa mtima wopereka mwaulere ndiponso wa mtima womvetsa, wothandiza ndi kupititsa patsogolo ntchito zachifundo”.

5. Nzeru zamumtima zitanthauza kukhala ndi mtima wokhala amodzi ndi anzathu odwala kwinaku tisakuwaweruza. Chifundo chimatenga nthawi yaitali. Monga adachitira abwenzi a Yobu: Adakhala ndi Yobuyo masiku asanu ndi awiri, usana ndi usiku womwe. Koma panalibe ndi mmodzi yemwe amene ankalankhula naye. Chifukwa chozindikira kuti Yobuyo akuvutika kwambiri. Ngakhale zinali choncho, abwenzi a Yobuyo anali kumuweruza m’mitima mwao: ankaganiza kuti mazunzo a Yobu anali chilango chochokera kwa Mulungu chifukwa cha machimo ake. Chikondi ndiponso chifundo chenicheni ndi chimene chimalola kugawana popanda kuweruza kapena chiphamaso. Chikondi chotere chimangoyamika ndi kukhutira pa zabwinozo.

Kuzunzika kwa Yobu kumapeza mayankho enieni pa mtanda wa Yesu, amene ali chizindikiro chakuti Mulungu ali nafe, mwaufulu ndi mwachifundo chodzaza. Chikondi chotere chokonda munthu wozunzika, makamaka kwa amene amazunzika popanda zifukwa, chimakhala pa thupi la Yesu wouka kwa akufa mpaka muyaya; zilonda zake zaulemerero ndi chitsimikizo cha chikhulupiriro (Malaliko a Papa Francis pa otchula Yohane wa XXIII ndi Yohane Paulo WAchiwiri kuti ndi Oyera, pa 27 April, 2014)

Ngakhale kuti matenda kapena zinthu zina zokhoma zimatilepheretsa kufikira abale athu, kuzunzika kungathe kukhala mwai wopereka zaulere ndiponso kungathe kusanduka kasupe wa kupeza ndi kukula m’nzeru. Timafika pomvetsa momwe Yobu, kumapeto kwa moyo wake adanena kuti, “Ndinkangomva za inu ndi makutu koma tsopano ndakuwonani chamaso.” (Yobu 42:5). Anthu amene ali m’mavuto ndi mu ululu, akavomereza mazunzo ao ndi chikhulupiriro, angathe kusanduka mboni zenizeni za chikhulupiriro chotha kulandira mazunzo, ngakhale asamvetse tanthauzo lake.

6. Ndikupereka tsiku ili Lokumbukira ndi Kuganizira Odwala pa dziko lonse lapansi m’chitetezo cha Amai Maria, amene adatenga pathupi ndi kubereka Nzeru: Yesu Khristu, Ambuye athu.

O! Amai Maria, Mpando wa Nzeru, pemphererani, ngati Mai wathu, odwala onse ndi onse amene akuwasamalira, kudzera mu utumiki wathu kwa abale athu odwala, ndipo kuti kudzera m’kudwala tithe kulandira ndi kukhala ndi mtima wanzeru!

Ndi pemphero ili lopempherera inu nonse, ndikukupatsani Madalitso Aupostoli wanga.

Kuchokera ku Vatikani, 3 December, 2014.

Tsiku lokumbukira Francis Xavier Woyera.

FRANCIS

High Court Upholds CFTC Decision Against Airtel Malawi

The telecommunication company, Airtel Malawi Limited has lost its appeal case against the decision of the Competition and Fair Trading Commission regarding its application for authorization of an Exclusive Distribution Arrangement.

In May 2013 Airtel applied to the Commission for authorization of its Exclusive Distribution Arrangement for its recharge vouchers and other products in line with Section 44 of the Competition and Fair Trading Act Cap 48:09 of the Laws of Malawi.

In its determination of 31^st July 2013, the Commission approved the Exclusive Distribution Arrangement subject to amendments of some clauses in the Standard Distribution Agreement which were found to likely aggravate the lessening of competition in the distribution of Airtel recharge vouchers and other products.

Specifically, Airtel appealed against the Commission’s order that required the company to remove or amend a clause which imposed restrictions on the use of employees engaged by designated distributors not to be used to distribute products of Airtel competitors.

In his ruling delivered in the High Court Commercial Division in Blantyre on 10^th February, 2015 Justice Dr. M.C. Mtambo upheld the decision of the Commission that the clause in question was competition restrictive.

The Court ruled that Airtel was, through the clause in question, attempting to regulate the business affairs and conduct of its distributors which are independent businesspersons by leveraging its dominant market power.

LIST OF NOMINEES AND THE VOTING PROCESS FOR THE SECOND MUMA AWARDS

Thursday February 12, 2015

PRESS RELEASE

LIST OF NOMINEES AND THE VOTING PROCESS FOR THE SECOND MUMA AWARDS

The organisers of the annual Music Malawi (MUMA) Awards, MediaCorp Limited and

Trocadero Consulting in partnership with the Musicians Union of Malawi (MUM) are

pleased to unveil the list of nominees for the Second Edition of the MUMA Awards. This

edition has fifteen (15) categories covering different genre and artists/groups that have

made an impact on the local music scene in the 2014 season.

The list of nominees follows submissions of best acts by various players in the local music

industry that included journalists, complimented by a dedicated team of seven (7) judges

who were appointed to oversee the process, and MUM

VOTING PROCESS

To vote for your favourite artists for 2014, send an SMS with the keyword to 58411. For

example to vote for Adrian Kwelepeta in the Best New Artist category send bn1 to 58411.

Each SMS costs K25 only. The voting starts at 06.00 hours on Thursday February 12, 2015.

Note: This is for Airtel subscribers only.

A full list of nominees and the voting codes can also be accessed on the MUM Facebook

page http://www.facebook.com/mumaawards or follow us on twitter @MUMA_awards,

and the website: http://mumaawards.tumblr.com

The Second Edition of the MUMA Awards will be held at the Bingu International

Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Friday February 27, 2015.

The mission for the MUMA Awards is to positively impact on the growth of the local music

industry through recognizing, encouraging, nurturing and supporting overall professional

excellence and the best of Malawi’s local music talent

Radio as a True Medium for Citizen Empowerment

World Radio Day Statement

For immediate release, February 12, 2015

As we will be commemorating World Radio Day on Friday, February 13, the Media Institute of Southern Africa - Malawi Chapter, joins Malawians in celebrating the importance of radio broadcasting and the role it plays in the socio-economic development of the country.

The United Nations set aside February 13 as World Radio Day to raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio and enhance networking among broadcasters.

The celebrations in 2015 are being held under the theme “Youth and Innovation in Radio”.

MISA Malawi appreciates the valuable role that radio broadcasters – both national and community, play in promoting innovations among the youth through the airtime they give to various youth-led initiatives in education, science, technology, economics, arts, sports and various other spheres of life.

Radio also plays a critical role in the development of the youth through job creation for those working for radio stations and related industry. The radio is also a key platform for disseminating information on social issues affecting the youth such as HIV/Aids, alcohol and drug abuse, unemployment and gender inequalities.

 In addition to the youth, the radio also does not only inform and entertain people, but also helps in raising their awareness levels through programs on health, agriculture, climate change and education.

MISA-Malawi would like to take this opportunity to call upon broadcasters in Malawi to ensure that ordinary citizens, including the youth and all vulnerable groups, are given an opportunity to be heard by engaging them not just as listeners but also as active producers and creators of content.

We commend the Malawi government – through the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), for issuing about 50 broadcasting licenses over the last 4 (four) years.

 We, however, appeal to the authorities to do more for communities in hard to reach areas and for government to consider scraping off tax on broadcasting equipment as high import and domestic taxes make it difficult or impossible for broadcasters, especially those at community level, to sustain their operations.

 

MISA Malawi believes that radio remains a low-cost medium suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people, the illiterate, the disabled, women, youth and the poor and stands out as the only true medium for citizen empowerment.

Radio is an effective medium to broadcast news, features, weather reports and entertainment and is a medium that is available everywhere at home, work or on the move. But we need to do more to ensure that we hear the voices of the poor, the vulnerable, the youth and others.  

Radio in Malawi has evolved from a one way top-down political mouth piece to a participatory two-way medium giving citizens a platform to air their views through phone in programs and text messages among others. Through radios, people in rural areas have been able access news and hold local authorities accountable.

The affordability of radio, its portability and ability to reach people irrespective of creed, status and background has made radio to be a dominant medium of communication in the country which is also helping in the advancement of issues affecting the youth.

Signed

THOM KHANJE

MISA MALAWI CHAIRPERSON

2014/2015 MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW STATEMENT

2014/2015 MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW STATEMENT

Delivered in the

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF MALAWI

By

HONOURABLE GOODALL E. GONDWE,

MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC PLANNING

AND DEVELOPMENT

At

THE NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING

LILONGWE

Friday, 6^th February, 2015

MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW STATEMENT

1. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is our tradition in Malawi that before the expiry of the financial year, the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Government, should provide a mid-year review of the performance of the budget to this honourable house.  The Public Finance Management Act of 2003 in Section 17 requires that as Minister responsible to the President and the house for the economy, I should also publish a report that updates the economic and financial policy for the coming financial year before the year expires.  I intend to carryout both these responsibilities at the same time.  For this reason, in the document that is being circulated to honourable members, we have included a summary relating to the highlights of our economy during 2014 and an outlook for 2015.  What follows in the document is a detailed mid-year review of the fiscal performance for the first half of this financial year and a projection of the financial needs of the budget for the coming second half of the year that will end on 30 June 2015.   This statement therefore, will be short and only give emphasis where this is required in the documentation.

2. The economy, as is well known by all Honourable Members, is still passing through turbulent times in that although there are encouraging signs that we are succeeding to stabilise it, we are yet to reach a sustainable macroeconomic environment.  Mr Speaker, Sir, it is important that we should have a common understanding of what economic normality means.  Economic normality refers to an economy where low inflation and interest rates prevail, exchange rate variability is narrow and predictable foreign exchange availability is permanently assured.  In such an economic environment; confidence is generated and economic activity becomes vibrant.  These are basic conditions for the attainment of high quality economic growth rates.  In rural areas, such an environment enables people to experience a comfortable livelihood, because food is plentiful, farmers stimulated to boost their crop production that generate adequate incomes.  The APM Government is determined to sound macroeconomic conditions as means of achieving high quality growth rates.

3. The house is aware that since the shock devaluation of 2012, when prices shot up, inflation has stubbornly remained high.  Despite reasonable expectations that in 2014 inflation would sufficiently decline for interests rates to fall, the rate has remained high at an average of 23 percent.  In fact in November of 2014, it picked to a high of 23.5 percent.   In the circumstances, interest rates have also remained high, with the policy interest rate at the Reserve Bank of Malawi remaining for a long time at 25 percent and in tandem prime lending interest rates at commercial banks have also remained painfully high. 

4. The exchange rate that was allowed to float freely in May 2012 has not stabilised ever since.  The rate, depreciated massively during the latter part of 2014, reaching at one time K520 per US$.  However, the  policy measures that the Reserve Bank of Malawi took and the “currency swap” that involved the purchasing of government debt denominated in Kwacha by the PTA Bank using dollars, have restored order in the foreign exchange market and the exchange rate has steadily appreciated to just about K450 per dollar (middle rate).  The “Swap” transaction also has helped to increase official foreign exchange reserves to more than US$620 million - the highest ever reached since independence. 

5. Prior to the disaster that has just engulfed the country, our forecast was that, although the rate of inflation has been crawling up during the past three months, it would steadily fall characteristically, as it does seasonally during the harvest season beginning in April/May.  But the after effects of the disaster has shattered all these expectations that would have seen the achievement of normality during the third quarter of 2015. 

6. Without the delude the country has experienced, it is likely that our objective of reaching orderly macroeconomic conditions would have been attained quite soon. What is still true, however, is that without the disaster the economy could have seen light at the end of the tunnel in April/May 2015.  We would then have confirmed the IMF forecast that the growth rate in 2015 will surpass that of 2014 which was 6.5 percent.  It is still true however that with such high reserves, there are still signs that Malawi could resume high economic growth rates soon after the effects of the disaster have cleared.

6. And now Mr. Speaker, Sir, to the main subject of this statement – the Mid-year Review of the budget.  The House will recall that it was indicated in the Budget Statement that there was a possibility that at mid-year some votes could be revised upwards in the context of the mid-year budget review if some budgetary support recommenced.  I would like Mr. Speaker, Sir, to inform the house that regrettably despite many meetings with the donors that are still being held alongside public finance management reforms; so far,  only the ADB has decided to release the sum of K8 billion as budgetary support, during the latter part of this financial year of 2014/15.  However, there are indications that both the World Bank and the EU could release their pledged budget support during the next financial year i.e. in 2015/16.  In the event therefore, it is only possible to provide extra resources to the few votes - about 5 votes that cannot operate up to the end of the financial year i.e. up to June 30, 2015 because they will have exhausted their resources long before that date.  These 5 are out of 53 votes.  As will be obvious later, this is proposed to be done by scaling down the 2014/15 development programme to these votes and transferring resources between votes as appears necessary.

7. There will be a number of people who will consider the continued drought of budgetary aid as a failure. However, equally there will still be others that will see the fact that we seem to be surviving the drought as a good sign that augurs well for the times when as an independent country we are bound to be left alone except for foreign loans which every economy – advanced or developing – universally needs to either develop or in the management of an economy. It is true that we need the support of our donors.  Our budget has been designed with the expectation that ten percent of it, at least should be covered by budgetary support.  The lack of it is, therefore, painful because it requires everybody to accept sacrifices in different forms.  I hope, therefore, as it has been indicated, that the multilaterals will resume budgetary support as they have indicated.  In this context, on behalf of the Government I wish to express to the ADB our thanks for having decided to resume budgetary support.

8. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the House will recall that it approved revenue and grants estimated at K641.0 billion for the financial 2014/15.  Of this amount K530 billion were domestic revenue while total grants were set at K110.0 billion.  For the mid-year, total revenue and grants were targeted at K313 billion comprising K244 billion as domestic revenue and K68.8 billion as grants.  The house will wish to note that at the end of December 2014, both domestic revenue and grants underperformed by K36.6 billion.  In fact the total actual inflow of budgetary resources was K276.7 billion during the period in question which is only 88.2 percent of the expected amount.   Of this amount of inflows K243.3 billion was domestic revenue and K36.5 billion were grants. 

9. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to invite the house to review the document that is being circulated to them to see the details of our revenue and grant performance where each category of tax has been fully analysed and each class of grant has been subjected to the same analysis.  There it will be seen that although as a whole domestic Revenue underperformed, tax revenue overperformed somewhat but non-tax domestic revenues fell sharply below the expected target.  It will also be seen that all categories of grants underperformed considerably.  Thus although formally we did not expect any budgetary support, even dedicated grants  that are received for agreed designated activities and project grants that are received for agreed projects also were well below agreed targets.

10. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also like to invite Honourable Members to view the materials regarding expenditures in the document.  As Members will recall, total expenditure and lending was set at K748 billion of which K549.9 billion was recurrent expenditure and K196.1 billion was development expenditure.   Mid-year recurrent expenditure target was K365.7 billion in total.  Honourable Members should note that for the first time in years the Government slightly underspent this amount by 1.5 percent.  While the recurrent account was overspent by 3.7 percent, the development account was underspent by 23.0 percent.  The document provides a detailed discussion of how major expenditure categories performed such as wages and salaries, interest payment, pension and gratuities, other recurrent expenditures and the development account.  It will be noted Mr. Speaker, Sir, that there was a marked improvement in the use of financial resources by a majority of Ministries this year.

11. Incidentally Mr. Speaker, Sir, it should be noted in nearly all votes the personal emoluments budgetary line is higher than the approved amount in the budget, because an amount of K21 billion that was housed in the Human Resource Management vote has now been distributed to all the votes to take care of the salary increases after announcement of new salary scales.  In studying which votes have been overspent and which have not, personal emoluments should be excluded for the reason I have just given.  There are few notable Ministries whose excess expenditure is particularly notable.  The Malawi Defence Force for example spent (63 percent) of its annual vote by 31 December, 2014.  Others include: the National Assembly (63 percent), Accountant General’s Department (60 percent), Malawi Police Service (156 percent), Malawi Electoral Commission (99 percent), and Immigration (62 percent).  These, therefore, are among the votes that will require supplement resources to allow them to operate to the end of the financial year.  A few subverted public institutions will also require supplementary resources particularly the Malawi National Examination Board with spent (95 percent) of its annual budget allocation.  Public universities will also require slight increases of resources to take care of their intervening problems. 

12. The House will recall that out of the accumulated K157 billion arrears, K10 billion was programmed to be cleared during the 2014/15 financial year.  However, in order not to starve the small scale businesses and statutory bodies, the amount has been increased to K18 billion.   The rest has been paid in “zero coupon bonds”.  The bonds are being issued as the Auditor General audits and clears the outstanding arrears.

13. Returning to the expenditures, it will be seen from the document that painfully the implementation of the development programme has not progressed well as reflected in the amounts that have been spent under the development account of the budget.  The approved total development expenditure was K196.0 billion of which   K48.7 billion was for domestic financing (Part II) and K147.4 billion was for Foreign Financing (Part I).  The mid-year total expenditure projection was K72 billion.  From the document, it will be seen that only K14.5 billion was spent under Part II instead of K17.9 billion and  K41.7 billion was spent under Part I instead of K55.0 billion.   In the event, it is being proposed that some resources from the development account be transferred to some votes that require supplementary funding as it is highly unlikely that new projects that have not yet started will start in the remaining 5 months.  On the other hand, the Part I development programme is being adjusted upwards by K4.9 billion particularly on account of exchange rate depreciation that took place during the latter part of 2014.

14. All in all Mr. Speaker, Sir, therefore considering that this was a zero budgetary aid budget that even the grants that were pledged have not been received, it is noteworthy that through rigorous budgetary management, we have been able to pass through this turbulent half year quite well with a domestic borrowing that is less than what was projected.  This amount mirror images the shortfall in total revenue and grants which is K37 billion.

15. The document also provides Honourable Members with the performance of each vote and also the proposals for supplementary expenditures which amount to K32 billion so that the total budget is being revised from K748 billion to K780 billion an increase of K32  billion.  This requested extra expenditure is due to interest bill that increased by K26 billion (see attachment I) and FISP that increased by K10 billion.  Total “Other Recurrent transactions however will be K4 billion lower than expected, demonstrating a good amount of fiscal discipline during the half year.  The House is, therefore, being requested for a supplementary approval of this amount of K32 billion that will entail an equal amount of borrowing.

16. The house is therefore requested to consider and approve supplementary resources of K32 billion.

N.B.: Of this increase in resources:

(a) K13 billion will be pledged additional grants

(b) K8 billion will be excess tax revenue from existing approved taxes

(c) K10 billion will be borrowed locally.

17. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is the end of the review, I hope very much that it could be fairly discussed after the detailed study of the document being circulated  Honourable Members,  I would like to thank you for listening.

The Story of Actor Extraordinaire Mbene Mbunga Mwambene

He is fresh from Germany where he toured the country with incredible performances of The Story Of The Tiger, a play authored by the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Italian Dario Fo, and adapted by Nanzikambe Arts.

 At best, his lone act as the tiger in the play sets him apart as one of Malawi’s exceptional majority-of-one. He, all alone, executes more than eight roles in the play.

Among other characters, the 26-year-old, pint-sized Mbene Mwambene from Ishalikira village, T/A Mwabulambya, Chitipa, plays the 20 July 2011 demonstrator, in which he is a female, male, old and youthful demonstrator.

He also plays the police officer, the journalist, the tigress, the tiger, the tiger cab, the Chinese martial artist, a bunch of kids, three different politicians, and the environment.

Of course, another dramatist, Max DC has ever done the same in the past, becoming Malawi’s other majority-of-one for his solo acts. And at some point, Du Chisiza Jr also staged a one-man act.

Motivation

But what drives Mbene to effectively stage scene after scene in The Story Of A Tiger for close to one hour?

“What I like about the play is that it serves as a personal motivation. I realised that, when 20 demonstrators were gunned down in July 2011, I had no powers to convene a meeting, or take any action. Art is the only channel through which to express myself,” he explains.

In the play, which Fo adopted from an ancient Chinese folktale about a wounded and abandoned soldier who was healed by a tigress, Mbene does not advocate for a revolution, as Fo attempted to do. But he still manages to turn it into a socio-political critique.

 “I, specifically, enjoy the scene where I am playing the environment. This means I have to react to the environment and, at the same time, be the environment. For example, when I am the mountain, curve, or river, I have to show that I am those things by, for instance, diving to show that I am talking of water,” Mbene says.

Mbene confesses that he has never seen a tiger in his entire life as such he had to research on the behaviour of the animal for him to breathe life into the production.

“I had to subscribe to DSTV and, for three months, I was watching Nat Geo Wild (TV channel). I wanted to see how tigers and tigresses behave, take care of their kids, their eating and walking habits. I also wanted to know how these wild creatures react when angry,” Mbene says.

That is how he got to understand the mythical characters of a tigress, namely, strength, smartness, and respect.  

Journey into acting

Mbene started amateur acting in 1995, while at Machona Middle Basic School in Kitwe Copper-belt Province, Zambia.  He was born in Zambia because his father had secured employment in one of the copper mines there.

“But I started professional acting in 2007. I first worked for Nanzikambe Theatre Organisation from 2007 to 2008. I, then, joined The Story Workshop, working as Community Mobilisation Officer,” he says.

He is back at Nanzikambe, where he works as Community Arts Club facilitator.

But how did he find himself being identified to feature in ‘The Story Of The Tiger’?

“There is a partnership between Nanzikambe and Konstanz Theatre Company of Germany. When, in 2010, the Germans first came to Malawi, their director Nix noticed the talent I have as we attended some workshops.

“Nix said he liked my talent and physical skill and promised that, once back in Germany, he would send me a book about the story of a tigress written in 1978 by Fo. A month later, he sent the book and asked me to do a one-man play. He asked me to choose a director, and I settled for Thokozani Kapiri,” Mbene discloses.

That is how Kapiri found himself doing the blocking, text analysis, timing, and adaptation of the story to suit the local scenario.

“We had to localise it by bringing in events that happened last year”.

The play

However, Mbene says that contrary to what has been written about the play before, the title is not supposed to be ‘The Story Of The Tiger’ but ‘The Story Of The Tigress’ as the story revolves around a tigress which takes care of a wounded demonstrator in the jungle.

The play can be described as a critique of political leaders who - in pretending to be palsied by the dictates of their followers, feign extraordinary solicitude, thereby flattering citizens’ prejudices as they minister to their (people’s) passions, and soothe their transient opinions - begin to take people for granted.

That is why the play features most recent socio-political developments in Malawi with the July 20 demonstrations being one of the motifs. In factoring in Malawi’s realities, it takes a thinly-veiled swipe at three top officials in the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party administration.

“At best, the play helps us reflect on the ills in our society,” Mbene says.

Memories from Germany

The actor says he learned a lot about theatre in Europe.

“Theatre is a professional industry characterised by high-level organisation. Imagine, during three days of my rehearsals, I had six people working around me: Two technicians, three directors, and one make-up artist.

“I liked the way they marketed our performances. Patronage was good, and people were time-conscious.”

The actors also went to Switzerland, where 30 theatre companies from Germany, Austria, Italy and France took part in a soccer tournament.

“We were the second-worst team. The Italians were really magical. We played the games at Basel’s ground and I, as a Manchester United fan, found the experience fascinating because Basel brought us down in the Champions League. I actually brought one ball home,” he says.

STATEMENT ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE CURRENT SITTING OF PARLIAMENT

Monday, 2^nd February, 2015

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

STATEMENT ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE CURRENT SITTING OF PARLIAMENT

 

The Media Institute of Southern Africa – Malawi Chapter (MISA-Malawi) has learned with shock that the much awaited Access to Information (ATI) Bill is not on the agenda for tabling during the sitting of Parliament which starts today in Lilongwe.

 

The bill was not tabled during the last August House due to what government called ‘limited time to review the bill.’ The technocrats at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs indicated that they needed time to review the bill and we were told that the bill would be tabled during the next session of the August House – which is the one which starts in Lilongwe today.  

 

MISA-Malawi is disappointed because ATI ranked highly in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) campaign and manifesto and President Peter Mutharika also committed his administration to promote free flow of information and enact the ATI Bill.

 

We therefore find government’s failure to bring the bill in the current sitting of Parliament as a sign of laxity and lack of seriousness on the part of some officials in the present administration considering that the President has repeatedly promised to enact the bill since he was sworn in as President in May last year.

 

MISA-Malawi appeals to President Mutharika to intervene on the matter and ensure that the bill is prepared for discussion and consideration in the present sitting of Parliament. Failure by the government to bring the bill in Parliament this time around will put into question the integrity and commitment of his administration on the bill which is important not only to the media but also to all Malawians who are currently being denied access to a lot of basic information they need to make informed decisions and exercise their democratic and economic rights.

 

MISA-Malawi would like to assure its members, the entire media fraternity and the general public that it will continue to lobby for the enactment of the Access to Information Bill to ensure that Malawians enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed right to access information.    

 

SIGNED

 

THOM KHANJE

CHAIRPERSON, MISA-MALAWI 

 

The Malawian Nurse's Experience

The Malawian health facility remains, largely, a net- catching up committed workers in a trap of adverse ‘circumstances’. These workers include nurses, midwives, medical assistants, clinical technicians, doctors, among others.

But what are the circumstances?   

“Human resource constraints, failure to retain staff and disparities between number of workers in rural and urban areas,” says Martha Kwataine, national coordinator for the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN).

These circumstances have particularly pinned one medical worker, the nurse, down. In rural health facilities, the nurse is the ‘doctor’, and often triples as nurse, midwife and medical assistant.

Not that no one cares, though; just that policymakers still drop, from time to time, in a vacuum of policy objectives that take us nowhere, enthuses Kwataine.

Indicators are that, unless Malawi presents better ‘Commitment Deeds’ towards its 13,066,320 population, it will be tough to fill this vacuum. On one hand, MHEN estimates that Malawi only has half the required number of nurses.

Against the national requirement of 10,000 nurses, for example, Malawi has 5000. One mind does the work of two.

It has been like this since independence that, in 2007, the Ministry of Health had 54 out of every 100 posts for nurses unfilled, a health system the Malawi Health Report described as “…close to collapse.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), on the other hand, indicates that Malawi is nursing a medical personnel crisis because, instead of 100 nurses serving 100,000 patients, 59 Malawian nurses serve 100,000 patients.

“This is why the nurse’s role remains unappreciated in our society,” says Dorothy Ng’oma, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) executive director.

She says moral courage of nurses alone is insufficient to register national success unless it is executed as part of that greater entity called ‘collective action’.

Health Minister, Dr. Jean Kalirani, claims just that. She says Malawi has recently been taking the right direction, as seen by increased enrollment numbers. Over the past five six years, the intake to Kamuzu College of Nursing and Christian Health Association of Malawi training colleges has doubled.

This comes against the background of the national scare of 2009, when The Sector Wide Approach programme for medical students ended, and government officials were forced to withdraw student scholarships. Consequently, the majority of nursing students withdrew due to failure to raise K350, 000 for one year’s learning.

It was a temporary predicament, though, because, during the 2010/2011 Fiscal Year, government rescinded its decision and channeled K398 million towards tuition scholarships meant to benefit 1,200 medical students.

“This administration is very much committed to improve the situation, as seen by high level involvement in Safe Motherhood issues. The First Lady’s initiative is a sign of commitment on government’s part,” says Dr. Kalirani.

But Ng’oma maintains that nurses continue to face enormous challenges. She adds, however, that, against all these odds, Malawian nurses still play the lamb, and resist the human urge to make inconsistent demands for all their unsatisfied grievances.

“The nurse is the bastion of love and compassion,” says Ng’oma. “The issue of compromise also comes into play.”

Indeed, for the Malawian nurse, being there is a compromise because job opportunities abound Western countries, rife with better salaries and conditions. Ng’oma says local nurses do a ‘sacrificial and commendable’ job

Go to Mulanje Mission Hospital to get the real meaning of ‘commendable’. There, Blantyre C.C.A.P. Synod’s Health and Development Commission (BSHDC) is running a programme on Safe Motherhood.

 Before October 2010, Mulanje District Health Office’s reports were awash with statistics of deaths that could be avoided, adding on to Malawi’s tally of 675 deaths per 100,000 live births. But a 30 September 2011 report points to positive changes.

By working with 250 safe motherhood committee members in 25 villages, the initiative has strengthened referral systems for SRH services by increasing health-seeking behaviour among pregnant women.

Says Anthony Kanyoma, BSHDC Programmes Manager: “Among other outcomes, we have reduced community members’ dependence on Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). We have also engaged nurses to follow up on hospital attendance while midwives follow up on home deliveries,” says Kanyoma.

One of the success points is that TBAs have been incorporated, and serve as ‘referral agents’ who refer women to health facilities for proper care. To ensure compliance, Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) are monitoring the TBAs.

So far, 72 traditional leaders in T/A Mabuka, Chikumbu and Mkanda have joined the campaign. In T/A Chikumbu’s area, for instance, women choose between K500 and a goat in fines for home deliveries.

“However, because Mulanje Mission Hospital serves both Malawian and Mozambican women, TBAs continue to carry out deliveries on Mozambican women. They argue that Malawian laws cannot apply to Mozambicans,” says Kanyoma.

But not all community members are happy. One of the dissatisfied is Maxwell Nazombe of Salamba village.

“We are disappointed that HSAs are not trained in midwifery. I have seen pregnant women die from labour complications in HSAs’ presence. I fear for their (HSAs) lives because people may beat them up one day,” says Nazombe.

The situation is, however, different in Mangochi district, where a College of Medicine’s Centre for Reproductive Health (CRH) initiative has unveiled new type of ‘nurses’- community members.

Andrew Ngwira, CRH Research Officer and project assistant on youth affairs, says cases of early marriages leading into teen-age pregnancies used to be common, chocking services at Lungwena Health Centre and St. Martin’s Hospital.

“This has changed now following our intervention to improve the maternal mortality situation in Malindi, Lungwena and Makanjira by promoting contraceptives’ use,” says Ngwira.

The Community-Based Distribution Agents’ approach, which engages community volunteers in promoting best SRH practices, has reduced burdens associated with nurse-to-patients ratio.

“We have trained nurses in customer care, so that they may cordially handle clients. Early marriage incidences have been reduced. Fish-for-sex practices have been minimized and, so, have cases of fistula- issues that contributed to high maternal mortality rates,” says Ngwira.

However, as the situation improves in Mulanje and Mangochi, an SRH disaster rooms in other parts of Malawi, according SRH expert, Timothy Bonyonga.

“Good SRH practices will not lead into improved conditions because young people continue to get pregnant before the right age. This is creating a wave of mentally disturbed children, children who show signs of poor physical development as well. These children may be so brilliant in class, but lack that human touch in their way of doing things,” says Bonyonga.

Bonyonga warns that this situation could turn Malawi into a nation of “stubborn, selfish, irrational individuals”.

“Nobody wants this to happen to Malawi,” says Bonyonga.