Mutharika Asks Huawei Mobile To Bring Knowledge To Malawi

Mutharika with Mr. Wan Wei

Malawi President Professor Peter Mutharika yesterday asked one of the largest smart phone companies, Huawei Technologies to start training Malawians to assemble some of its gadgets particularly phones.

Mutharika made the call when he visited Huawei pavilion during the launch of the Buy Malawi Strategy in Lilongwe.

Huawei was one of the sponsors for the event held at Bingu International Conference Centre.

When he visited the pavilion Mutharika asked Mr. Wan Wei, Managing Director for the company in Malawi ‘’You assemble them here?’’ then he asked ‘’I encourage you to train local people to bring the knowledge and technology in order to create jobs and exports’’

This is pictorial focus of the Launch of Buy Malawi Strategy

Mutharika lift Buy Malawi Strategy booklet

Honara dance 

Mutharika visits Fadet pavilion 

Mutharika interacting with Ministry of Industry and Trade
officials  

Mutharika speaking to Mtalimanja Holdings Limited

Vimbuza dance

Govt Commends JTI Leaf For Launching Food Aid Initiative Targeting 3, 500 Households

Allan Chiyembekeza, Fries Vanneste
Handing ovet maize to beneficiary 

Malawi Government hails one of the leading tobacco buying company, JTI for coming up with food humanitarian response program targeting 3, 3500 households across the country. 

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Alllan Chiyembekeza commended the JTI on Wednesday when launching the initiative at Namitete in the area of Traditional Authority Kalolo in Lilongwe.

Beneficiaries from T/A Kalolo

For a period of three months, JTI Drought Relief Program will involve distribution of food ratios to tobacco growers and their dependants even other families who are not in tobacco farming.

Allan Chiyembekeza

Allan Chiyembekeza said this is a welcome idea at this time when up to 3 million Malawians are experiencing hunger due to droughts and floods.

“Well it’s a very welcome idea, remember we have been talking that we are in a crisis, so many people need food and I don’t think Government alone can manage, this is why JTI decided to came forward to assist government on one side to assist by distributing this food to their farmers.’’ Said Chiyembekeza

An old woman, Magene Chisenga from Lemwe village got her first ration at the launch and could not hide her excitement “Am very happy to receive this food.’’

‘’This is like a dream, our eating pattern changed; we would eat today and go without food the next day so the life has been like that, for so many days I and my five grand children have been going to bed without food.” Narrates Chisenga, and continued ‘‘We never knew where we are going to get food but now I know that this night we are going to eat and I am assured that we will eat for the next three months.”

Fries Vanneste 

Speaking at the launch, Managing Director for JTI, Fries Vanneste said their humanitarian response comes after the company’s leaf technicians had made a national wide assessment of the severity of the drought and food situation in communities where JTI buy its tobacco.

“The reason to embark on this project is our contractual relationship we have with the farmers called pure IPS. IPS is not only looking after contracts with the farmer just to buy the tobacco but also looking further on the interests and their wellbeing as farmers and their families.” Said Vanneste

He mentioned that the estimated target of 3, 500 households translates to 24 thousand people beneficiaries who includes the elderly, widows, single-headed families and youths.

According to Vanneste, every month, every household will get one 50kg bag of maize, one 10kg bag of beans and 2 litres of vegetable oil. He also indicated that the project will cost about US$310, 000, involving total of 525 tons of maize and 105 tons of beans.

Up to 89,203 households are estimated to be in hunger in Lilongwe district alone, according to Lilongwe district Principal Administration Officer, Mariette Kadewere. Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report of 2015 indicated that over 2.8 million Malawians requires humanitarian response following adverse weather conditions that the country experienced in early 2015, which resulted in declining production of maize and other food crops across the country.

LL City Mayor Commends DAPP TTC For Cross-border Education Tour Programme

Mayor Chaponders posing with DAPP students 

Students will travel by buses 

Lilongwe City Mayor, has commended DAPP Malawi Teacher Training College (DAPP TTC) for being the first teacher school in the country embarking cross-border education tour programme for its students.

His Worship, Willie Chapondera made the remarks in Lilongwe on Friday at a send off ceremony of Mzimba DAPP TTC students who are among a total of 354 first year students from four DAPP TTC’s who are on their three months education tour to some African Countries.

The first year students from all four DAPP TTC compasses are now spread across the country visiting various districts for three weeks beginning 1st March this year, and will leave the country in two weeks time for Zambia, Botswana and return through Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Chapondera

Speaking to Mzimba students who are visiting Lilongwe and other districts, His Worship Chapondera said he was pleased to note that DAPP TTC has included international field trips for the students.

"Education tours like this one are very important and must be encouraged because they assist learners come into direct contact with a different environment or even a new culture or language.” He said

He mentioned that educational trips stimulate learning beyond what textbooks can provide to the learning environment and has also encouraged the traveling students to make the most of the trip as well as carry Malawi flag wherever they go.

“It is very encouraging that DAPP is taking these students to various countries. We know that these students will gain a lot of knowledge within this three months period because they will be sharing experiences with other students as well as observing and learning about other things also" Said Chapondera later in an interview

Nozipho

Partnership Officer for DAPP Malawi, Nozipho Mguquka, said DAPP introduced this tour programe in 2013 as part of the first year students training called Crossing the Rubicon. She emphasized that these tours are very important because students are offered opportunity not only just to travel to Southern African countries but as well learn different things including on economic development, traditions, education, political systems and the basic facts about the countries.

“At DAPP Teachers Training College we appreciate the importance of educational tours and this is why we always make sure that we organize tours to other countries in order to give our students exposure.” said Mguquka

Some of the students meeting with Mayor 

Mguquka said these tours are helping in academic performance of students and that through experiences and knowledge learn from such trips some who completed their studies at DAPP have introduced various initiatives including adult literacy education to rural communities they are working as primary schools teachers.

Among others, she also indicated that the 354 students will travel by buses and will visit historical sites, learn about countries they are visiting and share experiences with other schools.

DAPP Malawi has four primary school Teacher Training Colleges; Amalika, Chilangoma, Dowa and Mzimba.

President Mutharika Invites American Companies To Invest In Malawi: Meets Six US Congressmen

As Malawi continues to market to the global community its endowed resources and investiment opportunities, President Peter Mutharika on Friday asked American investors to come and invest in Malawi.

Mutharika was speaking in Lilongwe when meeting with a Six member delegation of Republican Senators and Representatives from the United States of America who were on five hour visit to Malawi. The members of Congress are on their trip to some African Countries.

Mutharika informed the Congressmen that there are investment opportunities in Malawi that the country is seeking investors from around the globe. He therefore invited American Investors to come to explore opportunities in Malawi and also to participate in the second Malawi Investment Forum to be hosted later this year in October.

"We are hosting the second Malawi Investment Forum this year possibly on 11th October and it will be bigger. So I would like to call American companies to come" said Mutharika

He said Malawi is wooing investors across the globe because this is one way that will make the country to move away from donor dependece to an economically independent nation.

"We want to move away from aid dependency to economic independence" said Mutharika further expressing hope that through its investiment goals Malawi will attain economic independence in few years time

Malawi leader also thanked American Government through the delegation for continued support to Malawi Government in areas of human rights, economy, energy, and peace and security through bilateral and multilateral support. 

He further thanked US Government for the support in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He mentioned that US government has been influential in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Malawi and expressed hope and determination that through such support Malawi will achieve ending the pandemic by 2030. He addes that the country has already demonstrated its willingness to achieve this by putting many people on ART treatment and being the first country to adopt Option B+. 

He further thanked American Government for the humanitarian assistance to Malawians who experience floods that hit most parts of the country early last year. 

"United States of America continues to to play an instrumental role in Africa and Malawi." Added President Mutharika

Senator James Inhofe, a ranking member senate of armed services Committee said the visit to Malawi was to appreciate number of achievements the country is making.

Inhofe added that USA Government consider Malawi as one of its strong friend.

US Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer hinted that the coming of these Senators was also to appreciate the impact of US government assistance to Malawi.

The five hour visit to Malawi  by the delegation had first stop-over in Tanzania and are proceeding to Rwanda and Ethiopia.

The six Congressmen are: U.S. Senator James Inhofe R-OK, a ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee; Mike Enzi R. WY, Republican leader of the Sub Committee on Children and Families; Mike Rounds, Services on the Senate Armed Services; Rep. Randy Hultgren, Services on the Financial and Science, Space and Technology Committees; Rep. Tim Welberg and Rep. Reid Ribble.

Malawi Social Cash Transfer Programme Receives 18 Vehicles From EU, KfW

Cross section of EU, KfW vehicles 

Cutting the tape

The European Union (EU) and the German government-owned development bank KfW has donated 18 vehicles to Malawi Government to ease transport problems in the Social Cash Transfer programme 

Kaliati

Speaking at handover ceremony on Wednesday, in Lilongwe, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare said the donation has come at a right time as the ministry was finding challenges in reaching out to remote rural areas.

“We have been having problems in reaching into our 18 districts which are our targeted areas and to travel from one place to another we used to borrow vehicles from other ministries and district councils” said Kaliati

“On behalf of Government and through you Ambassador Marchel Gerrmann, I would like to thank European Union and German Government through KfW for the support of the programme and buying of these 18 vehicles to assist us in implementation of this programme and make sure that our people are reached in this program.”

The Gender Minister then indicated that the continue financial support from European Union and KfW of German towards the programme is bearing fruit as lives of many beneficiaries are being transformed in many ways.

Kaliati said at the moment the programme is now reaching to over 50 percent of the targeted vulnerable utra-poor families and that most of the beneficiaries are beginning to graduate from the initiative.

Through Cash Transfer Programme, she said, utra-poor families are being empowered economicaly because they are now able to do small scale businesses, farming and owning livestock as well as do savings through village banking. She added that through these economic activities such targeted families are now building and living in better houses, becoming food secure, able to provide their children with basic needs and sending them to school a development which has led to an improvement in school enrollment with 40 percent in all pilot districts.

“If we are to bail out our people from extreme poverty, these are programmes that we need to support because they target utra-poor families both men and women.” said Kaliati

Kaliati receiving car keys from
Ambassador Marchel Gerrmann

However, she noted that there are 10 remaining districts that which Government wants to be reached with the programme and she asked EU and KfW and all institutions to help Government to roll out programme in those remaining districts.

“We want to rollout also in districts like Dowa and Chiradzulu where we are experiencing a lot of gender based violence, defilement cases, problems of wills and inheritance. And if we are going to roll out Cash Transfer into these districts we are going to reduce all gender based violence because men and women are going to be busy and also they are going to benefit from programmes that comes along with Social Cash Transfer including adult literacy and nutrition programmes. And this is gong to propel our goal of achieving Sustainable Goals by 2030”

Kaliati also assured EU and KfW that effective measure are already in place to ensure that the donated vehicles are being taken care to achieve results.

On his part, Head of EU Delegation to Malawi Ambassador Marchel Gerrmann said EU is happy to support the programme because it is changing people’s lives and also hinted that the 18 vehicles have been bought at Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euro (€ 650, 000) which is just 2% of the total support to the programme.

“The Cash Transfer Programme is a very important programme, it is helping the poorest of the poor of Malawi and am very proud actually that together with development partners we are supporting 700 thousand people who get these Cash Transfers. Out of this, 40% are being supported by European Union and we are working in 8 district and most of them are very large and hard to reach. So the vehicles are important to deliver in the programme.” he said

"I am very proud with the programme because it helps poorest of the poor to send children to school, buying some livestock helping them when they need health services, it helps to save a little bit, so very concrete ways of improving their lives and am very pround as EU that we are supporting this and also we are thankful to the Government and KfW of German organization and other partners implementing this programme.”

Responding to Government request to help in rollout in remaining districts he said "As EU we are currently active in 8 district and we still have two years of this programme to deliver so I think that is what we will do. 

I think we have to be careful that we cannot be active in all districts and I think it is also important that part of this programme is delivered by the Government because if not then actually Government will become completely depending on donors for this and that is not good at the time when we are also thinking on how can Malawi make the next move towards trade and investment agenda and lower its dependency, but nevertheless for the coming two years, we are fully committed  and to support this important programme.”

The Cash Transfer Programme was created to help contribute to national efforts to reduce poverty and hunger among ultra-poor and labor constrained households, increase school enrolment and attendance of children, improve health, nutrition, protection and well-being of vulnerable children. 

The Social Cash Transfer programme was launched as a pilot study in Mchinji district in 2006 and currently is in an additional 16 districts. However government plans to extend the programme to all parts of the country. The programme is funded through help from organisations such as European Union, German Government, Irish Aid, World Bank, UNICEF and the government of Malawi.

Programme support it self by EU is 35 million Euro and the 18 cars are valued at 650, 000 thousand Euro which is about 2% of their contribution.

KCNU To Construct Cafeteria Worth US$ 50 Thousand At Mwera Learning Centre

KNCU Secretary Dong-Seok Min in 2015 with
Malawi Minister of Gender Patricia Kaliati

One of the Bridge project sites, Mwera Community Learning Centre in Lilongwe has been earmarked for a US$ 50 thousand worth cafeteria project which after its completion it is expected to support lives of communities and enhance skills for learners.

Dong-Seok Min

When confirming the development Dong-Seok MIN, Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU) said the construction works are expeted to begin this year. 

“It has not finally been decided but on my way to Lilongwe I had a telephone conversation with CEO of a company whom I suggested to work with us in constructing cafeteria as we did to the Community Learning Center of Ha-motsu in Lesotho last year." Said the KNCU Secretary 

"It will be a good facility of providing food to the student’s studying at Community Learning center of Mwera area and more importantly it will play a role of enhancing learners skills for making food for restaurants in that area so we could use the cafeteria once completed for number of ways.” He said

Through its Bridge Africa Project, KNCU operates three project sites in Malawi namely; Mwera, Namiyango (Blantyre) and Naphini located in Songani (Zomba) Community Learning Centres. The project is done in partnership with Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, National Centre for Literacy and Adult Education (NCLAE).

At the recent joint media briefing between Malawi Government and KNCU, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honorable Patricia Kaliati commended KNCU for the life changing programmes that KNCU is implementing in Malawi especially in literacy and vocational training. 

Kaliati also urged Malawians to unite and support Government in its quest of promoting pre-schools and literacy saying this helped to transform Korea from a recipient country to a donor country after war that broke out in the country in 1950 which left the country in ruins and despair.

For the past five years, KNCU has developed Community Learning Centres in various African Countries and provided them with support to implement their own projects as well as providing intensive training workshops and educational materials.

Scottish Govt Donates K63 Billion To Malawi Towards Food Response

Mutharika and Mundell

Government of Scotland says is going to assist Malawi with £4.5 million translating to K63 billion,  to assist the country on humanitarian response for the population which was adversely affected by droughts and floods.

David Mundell, MP, Secretary of State for Scotland told Journalists after holding camera talks with President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe that Scotland would like to help Malawi with money which will be used to buy food for the flood victims.

"We are increasing our humanitarian support to Malawi by donating £ 4.5 million. This support is for the procurement of food for the people who are facing hunger due to floods" 

He explained that Scottish Government is through this humanitarian response going to work with the World Food Programme (WFP) in the procurement and distribution of the food to vulnerable Malawians.

This announcement brings the UK’s humanitarian support in Malawi since October 2015 to £14.5m. In total, the UK’s £14.5m support will ensure:  The World Food Programme (WFP) can deliver emergency food packages including basic rations of maize and nutrient-rich cereals for over 800,000 people;  UNICEF can undertake mass screening of up to 800,000 children to identify urgent nutritional support needs;  A Save the Children-led consortium can provide small cash transfers to over 450,000 people to buy basic food supplies for their families at food markets, helping stimulate local maize and other food markets.  WFP and UNICEF can provide specialist supplies for up to 140,000 people suffering from acute malnutrition, including children under five, pregnant women and people who are HIV-positive or suffering from tuberculosis;  Vital protection support to vulnerable people, including women and girls, in displacement and refugee camps through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  Support to improve livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable households, including vaccinations for over 150,000 livestock through the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Mundell also promised that Scottish Government will continue to support Malawi in several areas including health, education agriculture among others.

"Even though there might be some changes in donors approach but UK will continue with its support to support Malawi through number of areas that it is supporting. We are supporting the building blocks of Malawi but we rely on Malawians to lead the self efficiency” he added

During talks with President Mutharika, the Scottish Secretary of State said his Government welcomes Malawi's agenda of reforms and investments and expressed hope that investors from Scotland will also look into investment opportunities that Malawi has and hoped that president Mutharika's visit to Scotland later this year will offer opportunity for him to connect with prospective investors.

Scottish Secretary of state said was delighted to be in Malawi and believes that his visit will strength ties with Malawi and also promised that Scotland will “remain strong partner of Malawi”

The news of this assistance has been warmly welcomed by Malawi Government.

Minister of Foreign Affairs George Chaponda described the Scottish Government gesture as "true friend indeed"

"On behalf of Malawi Government I would like to appreciate the Scottish Government for this timely assistance."

He said this support will go along way at this time when the country is still looking for humanitarian support for 2.8 million people who are in need of food support following the adverse climate condition which caused reduction in food production in the country.

Chaponda further noted that as government is trying its best to make available of maize through ADMARC, therefore the support from Scotland will further give assurance of food availability throughout the year.


Earlier, President Peter Mutharika described the visit as “Clear testimony for cordial and bilateral relations with Scotland”


He said Malawi continues to enjoy long history with Scotland of 175 years and also appreciates continued support it receives from Scotland through Malawi Scotland Partnership and in number of areas including health, education among others.


He informed the Scottish Minister of climatic challenges that Malawi is experiencing to extent that there is significant reduction in country's food production as well as how his government is tirelessly trying to resolve the problem among others by crop diversification and taking several measures that mitigates climate change effects.


"We had unprecedented floods in some parts of the country, and dry spells in others. Consequently our national output dwindled significantly. So reduced , was the amount of food and export crop, and this led to significant macroeconomic challenges. My government appealed for humanitarian food assistance to the tune of US$146 million to avert the critical food shortages and so far, we have received support approximately US$100 million, with a shortfall of US$46 million.We are still looking for additional support to close the gap.


In our view, in order to avert the perennial droughts and dry spells, my government needs to aggressively embark on diversifying our economy through, among others, revamping the irrigation sub sector, through the Green Belt Initiative (GBI)." He said


He further mentioned number of measures on macro-economic stability to restore Malawi economy now going through difficult time.


"On the macroeconomic side, our low export earnings have translated into high inflation, high interest rates and depreciating currency. My government has, therefore, put in place measures to restore macroeconomic stability, through tight fiscal and monetary policies, as well as expediting implementation of Public Financial Management Reforms.


He continued "My government is prioritising skills development among our youth, through the establishment of Technical Community Colleges. This is to take advantage of the youth bulge of our country and ensure that they are properly trained and skilled to contribute better to economic growth. We believe this is an area too that Scotland can support us.


Honourable Minister, we will certainly invite Scotland to assist Malawi in industrial and technological development, through technical assistance and capacity building programmes." He said and appealed that further support from Scotland in all these areas to Malawi is welcome.


"My government also aims at improving our ranking on Cost of Doing Business. I am pleased to report, Honourable Minister, that for the first time in many years, Malawi has made recognisable improvements. According to the World Bank Business Index for 2016, Malawi has now been ranked 141 from 164 out of the 189 global economies. However, our main target is to achieve 100 top ranking as soon as possible." He said


He among others highlighted his Government efforts of wooing investors into the country and said Malawi recall promise made by Scottish investors and and that the Scottish Government agreed to set up an investment fund named ‘The African Lakes Corporation’ in memory of John and Fredrick Moir, to promote Scottish investments to Malawi. He, therefore said is hopeful that this initiative will be realized soon.


The Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, will make a three-day visit to Malawi from 16 th to 18 th February 2016. Mr Mundell’s visit will further promote the strong ties between the UK and Malawi, and the close historical and modern relationship between Malawi and Scotland in particular.


While in Malawi, Mr Mundell will meet staff and partner organisations working to deliver the £80m UK Aid development programme, including those involved in providing the humanitarian response to Malawi’s current maize shortage. Mr Mundell will also meet a wide range of individuals and groups who contribute to the breadth of the UK - Malawi bilateral relationship, and those involved in promoting ever deeper Scotland – Malawi ties, such as the Malawi- Scotland Partnership.


He will also launch the next phase of the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme, which has included exchanges with schools in Scotland.


In his engagements with the Malawi Government, Mr Mundell is expected to highlight close cooperation with Malawi across a range of bilateral, regional and international issues and to encourage progress on the process of wide-ranging reform under the Government of President Mutharika.

Youth Rights Activists Differ With Drug Fight Body On Future Of Youth After Industrial Hemp Legalization

Sativa type not Industrial Hemp

Youth rights activists differ with drug fight body opinion that Industrial Hemp legalization will increase Marijuana smoking among Malawi youths.

Zakeyo faulted for his analysis 

Drug Fight Malawi analysis signed by its Executive Director, Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyu objects legalization of Industrial Hemp with fear that the hemp will increase Marijuana smoking among the youth, and bring negative impact than much anticipated positive hopes that the product is likely to alleviate poverty and bring economic prosperity to the country.

In the analysis Zakeyu draws attention to the 2004 country’s rapid situation analysis on the relationship between use of drugs and HIV by Ministry of Health and Centre for Social Studies at Chancellor College which found that tobacco and Marijuana were among most abused drugs by many Malawians due to accessibility and affordability since they are grown locally.

He stated in an interview that such previous studies are a lesson that legalizing unknown hemp to Malawians which also has thin distinct between it and Marijuana, it is hazardous attempt which may result in creating “a big Marijuana” in the country and worsen Marijuana smoking.

“Legalizing Industrial Hemp creates potential for broad scale development, manufacture and marketing of Marijuana products.” Warns Zakeyo

He further cautioned that just like how malfunctioned legal drug markets of alcohol and tobacco have created health problems in the country, legalizing Industrial Hemp will worsen poverty and poor health of people due to the known direct links of drug’s to non-communicable dieses.

Indica type: feared to be mistaken for Industrial
Hemp

“It is therefore far not right to think that legalizing Marijuana would actually have a positive impact in alleviation of poverty to the country in fact, doing so would worsen the situation, heavily and negatively impacting young people.” Advised Zakeyo further urging Government to tread carefully and “not play with danger” that will harm young people

However, in separate interview, two V

Youth Rights Activists, Lucky Mbewe and Charles Kajoloweka, Executive Directors for Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CYECE) and Executive Director for Youth and Society (YAS) respectively have dismissed the drug fight body reservations, calling them as mare phobia and urged the body to bring objective ideas that will help to effectively curb smoking but not stopping the country from exploring ways diversifying the economy through growing of profitable cash crops.

Lucky Mbewe said to the contrary, Industrial Hemp legalization will bring more economic benefits to the country and not cause any harm to the youth or influence them to smoke Marijuana.

Said Lucky Mbewe; “Perhaps what I would propagate is, we should look at the dimensions in terms of the use of Industrial Hemp. This type of hemp can be used for medical or other industrial uses which may in turn boost our economy and not necessarily smoking. More importantly, a lot of youth will get economic empowerment from cultivating this type of Hemp. So we need to look at this issue on economic and health gains” 

On his part Charles Kajoloweka said “It is in our considered view that legalization of the Industrial Hemp for industrial purposes must be understood from the scientific perspective, that it is going to work for the Industry, which we already know that currently it is already working. And we know its economic benefits through number of studies that have indicated how Industrial Hemp is being used for industrial purposes.”

“Growing of Industrial Hemp could be another way of going forward as a country in terms of exploring possibilities of other cash crops” he added

Growing Industrial Hemp will bring benefits of
manufacturing industry of the above materials 

As of prevention of possible abuse of the hemp as feared by the Drug Fight Malawi which draws lessons from malfunctioned legal drug markets of alcohol and tobacco where children as young as 10 could access, both Mbewe and Kajoloweka have emphasized the needed for good regulatory framework and its enforcement once the hemp is legalized.

“In terms of this fear, it goes back to how it is going to be regulated and how regulatory framework to be put in place is going to be enforced. It just the same with alcohol, we have the laws that regulate the selling, production and consumption of alcohol in this country. But the question is to what extent do we enforce the regulatory framework.

So, we cannot continue remaining behind as the country to explore the possible opportunities in development because we are afraid that there will be some spillovers in terms of negative impact. So for us if there is proper legal framework put in place that regulates industrial use of the hemp then we should not be worried as a country.” observed Kajoloweka 

The two youth rights activists also concurred that effective engagement with key stakeholders and all Malawians to sensitize them on the pros and cons of the Industrial Hemp is imperative in order to avoid misconceptions around the hemp incessantly spread like a wildfire.

“People have a perception that every hemp is meant for smoking, those are some of the issues that requires masses to be sensitized on and publicize accordingly.” comments Mbewe 

Meanwhile, Private Sector Development Expert working with Invegrow on the trials and development of Industrial Hemp in Malawi, Nebert Nyirenda says Drug Fight Malawi fears are misleading and are mare misconception about Industrial Hemp.

“In Industrial Hemp does not contain intoxicating Psychoactive chemicals like Marijuana has. This means that our youths will not be interested to some this hemp and instead, due to its economic benefits, we highly anticipate our youths to be empowered economically through cultivation of this profitable cash crop.” Said Nyirenda 

He further indicated that in 36 countries worldwide where the hemp is cultivated, there are no cases of its abuse and has also acknowledged that there is need for more sensitization about the crop.

Clarke; Industrial Hemp is harmless 

Also, Invegrow Limited founder, Tanya Clarke concurred with Nyirenda that Industrial Hemp is harmless and is an economic viable crop. She said unlike its genetic cousin marijuana, hemp, which is grown for its seeds and fibers, contains only minuscule amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, an ingredient that creates a sense of euphoria when smoked.

She underlined that the hemp is grown as agricultural commodity used in a wide range of products that include, health food, biofuels, building materials, cosmetics, textiles and much more. She assured that allowing and regulating legal cultivation of hemp would create a development opportunity for many Malawians and stimulate new industries and increase the country’s export base.

Currently, Invegrow Limited is working with the Government at Chitedze Research Station to trial different cultivars of low THC hemp and demonstrate small- scale production of growing the Industrial Hemp and according to Clarke, the data of the results will be out by April this year.

Malawi has already shown interest to grow Industrial Hemp as a new cash crop with hopes that Malawi stands to greatly benefit from such a versatile crop however, currently, the laws indicate that although cannabis products could be produced in Malawi under licence, (being part of the former British empire that was traditionally a major consumer of hemp products), its cultivation is not legal.

Urban Music Artists To Voice Out Children, Youth Issues Through Timveni Child And Youth Media Project

KBG, Lawi, Faith Mussa, Classic, Jonathan Dube,
Sangie, Sam Nkagula & Kim (from Left to right)

Timveni Child and Youth Media Organisation has teamed up some renown urban artists in country to produce songs that reflect on the real issues affecting young people and children. The project, Amplifying Childrens Voices Through Participation is being implemented with funding from Plan Malawi.