As the countdown to the 2010 FIFA world cup finals, holding in South Africa, begins, Malawi has stepped up efforts to curb human trafficking which could lead to prostitution.
Anti-human trafficking activists have the Malawi Network Against Child Trafficking (M-Nact), whose aims are to investigate, report and raise awareness on human trafficking ahead of the soccer fiesta.
The activists are afraid that Malawi's enormous social and economic problems could spark an exodus of Malawians towards South Africa which will host the biggest soccer event in the world in June 2010.
According to data released on Wednesday by M-nact, over 1,500 men, women and children in Malawi are trafficked for sexual and labour exploitations as well as organ removal every year.
Maxwell Matewere, a member of the network, warned that the football bonanza was poised to boost the leisure and tourism industries that may in turn spur human trafficking.
"There is already talk in South Africa to legalize prostitution," he said, adding: "This means poor Malawians will be enticed into such seemingly lucrative business."
Matewere, who is also the Executive Director of Eye of the Child - a child rights NGO, said it was necessary that the media acted with urgency to sensitize the masses of the negative implications of the World Cup frenzy on Malawians.
Naile Salima, a gender advisor with the British charity Oxfam Malawi, said reports reaching M-Nact indicated that traffickers were already recruiting people in central highland district of Dedza and the lakeshore resort district of Mangochi.
"The media have a role to educate the public on how to prevent human trafficking," she said.
The coordinator of the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) for the Prevention of trafficking in women and children, Habiba Osman, urged NGOs to be proactive in preventing recruitnment, transportation and exploitation of potential victims.
"Malawi has enacted a Trafficking Bill which, unlike before, lays emphasis on prison terms for offenders in preference to fines which are easily paid by convicted persons," she said.
"There is urgent need to educate the people, teach them life-saving skills and empower vulnerable children, youths and families economically," she added.
M-nact plans to set up social services to reintegrate victims when they return to the country.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Malawi's state broadcasters receive funding
State broadcasters, Malawi Television (TVM) and Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) received allocations after operating for two years without government subventions.
Malawi's previous National Assembly, which had an opposition majority, denied the two institutions financial allocations for two-year-running due to what it called its pro-government biased reporting.
But the ruling majority in parliament used its numerical might last Thursday, 23 July 2009 to give MBC K300m and TVM K120m.
However, the deliberations on the two votes for the two state controlled broadcasters was not without drama as opposition members of parliament this time round demanded that government should increase funding to the two institutions because they spearheaded the ruling Democratic Progressive Party elections land slide victory last May.
Malawi's previous National Assembly, which had an opposition majority, denied the two institutions financial allocations for two-year-running due to what it called its pro-government biased reporting.
But the ruling majority in parliament used its numerical might last Thursday, 23 July 2009 to give MBC K300m and TVM K120m.
However, the deliberations on the two votes for the two state controlled broadcasters was not without drama as opposition members of parliament this time round demanded that government should increase funding to the two institutions because they spearheaded the ruling Democratic Progressive Party elections land slide victory last May.
US medical experts in Malawi to investigate bizarre virus
Five American medical experts are in Malawi to conduct full investigations on a strange disease that has so far claimed lives of over 15 people in Neno district and the neighbouring Mozambique.
The five environmental health and neurology experts arrived in the country on July 20 and have already conducted a full investigation on the outbreak.
The United States (US) Embassy Office in Lilongwe said the specialists were brought into the country through the Centre for Disease Control (DCD) in response to a request from the Malawi Government for an intervention on the matter.
An undiagnosed disease broke out in Neno some three months ago and so far about 10 Malawians and nine Mozambicans have died after being attacked by the strange disease.
And close to 100 people in Neno district and about 40 in Tsangano district in Mozambique have so far been affected since the disease was first reported in May this year.
Affected people display unusual symptoms with neurological complications. However, patients with such symptoms have been treated with antibiotics and given supportive care including rehydration.
Initial laboratory and radiology examinations have not indicated any specific illness but the American experts have collected new samples which have been shipped to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA for analysis.
The Ministry of Health collected blood samples for further testing in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa, whose results were negative.
“The CDC’s official response includes specialists in the relevant health fields working with host country health officials to deal with epidemiological investigation, diagnosis and laboratory support, treatment and containment of the outbreak,” says a media statement from the US Embassy.
The five environmental health and neurology experts arrived in the country on July 20 and have already conducted a full investigation on the outbreak.
The United States (US) Embassy Office in Lilongwe said the specialists were brought into the country through the Centre for Disease Control (DCD) in response to a request from the Malawi Government for an intervention on the matter.
An undiagnosed disease broke out in Neno some three months ago and so far about 10 Malawians and nine Mozambicans have died after being attacked by the strange disease.
And close to 100 people in Neno district and about 40 in Tsangano district in Mozambique have so far been affected since the disease was first reported in May this year.
Affected people display unusual symptoms with neurological complications. However, patients with such symptoms have been treated with antibiotics and given supportive care including rehydration.
Initial laboratory and radiology examinations have not indicated any specific illness but the American experts have collected new samples which have been shipped to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA for analysis.
The Ministry of Health collected blood samples for further testing in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa, whose results were negative.
“The CDC’s official response includes specialists in the relevant health fields working with host country health officials to deal with epidemiological investigation, diagnosis and laboratory support, treatment and containment of the outbreak,” says a media statement from the US Embassy.
Malawi: Food security for farmers key to feeding families
SILVER SPRING, Md. — With the number of hungry people reaching record levels in parts of southern Africa, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has been working in central Malawi to improve food access among some 600 farming households in a region of the country characterized by chronic food insecurity.
The Kalumba Food Security Project, launched in 2006 with funding from ADRA Canada, is providing emergency food distribution, agricultural assistance and training, health and nutrition education, improved water access through well installation, and better employment opportunities, which are helping to increase household incomes through goat rearing initiatives and the installation of a new corn mill. By its completion in July, the project will have provided immediate and long-term assistance for 231 villages under the Kalumba Traditional Authority, in the Lilongwe District.
"One of the first things that we did was establish farmers clubs in the region," said Emanuel Costa, country director for ADRA Malawi. "This helped our participating members to take ownership of the project and build on the communitarian culture of Malawi. It also helped to ensure the sustainability of the work that has been done here even after we have left."
Through the project, ADRA was able to distribute corn, beans, and peanuts to vulnerable families within the targeted region. ADRA also distributed farming tools and inputs, including hoes, corn, groundnuts and vegetable seeds to participating farmers to help them increase their productivity. Beneficiaries also learned new farming methods that helped them improve organic fertilizer preparation, seed selection, and food storage.
By installing the corn mill, several project members have been able to take advantage of a new source of employment within the community, as the mill has improved the economic activity in the area. The proximity of the new mill has also meant that residents no longer have to walk the more than seven miles (12 kilometers) to reach the closest mill, an essential part of village life before the project began.
Communities also took part in a health and nutrition training, where they learned about HIV/AIDS prevention and ways to manage vegetable gardens in order to improve the overall nutrition of their families.
The goat rearing activity helped beneficiary families improve their incomes, as the animals provided meat, milk, and new calves, which can be sold for a profit. ADRA also installed 21 wells, improving their access to clean water throughout the region. Beneficiaries also learned the importance of natural resource management, planting cassia trees, which have already begun to provide shelter within the communities and are also an excellent source of firewood and commercial timber.
"This project has had many benefits, the most valuable, I think, is the feeling of unity that the project has fostered within the community," said Costa. "However, despite all of the benefits, there is still room for continued growth in the region."
Since 1982, ADRA Malawi has been working in the areas of disaster relief, water and sanitation, HIV and AIDS, family planning, agriculture, primary health, basic education, and empowerment of vulnerable groups, such as women and children.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
The Kalumba Food Security Project, launched in 2006 with funding from ADRA Canada, is providing emergency food distribution, agricultural assistance and training, health and nutrition education, improved water access through well installation, and better employment opportunities, which are helping to increase household incomes through goat rearing initiatives and the installation of a new corn mill. By its completion in July, the project will have provided immediate and long-term assistance for 231 villages under the Kalumba Traditional Authority, in the Lilongwe District.
"One of the first things that we did was establish farmers clubs in the region," said Emanuel Costa, country director for ADRA Malawi. "This helped our participating members to take ownership of the project and build on the communitarian culture of Malawi. It also helped to ensure the sustainability of the work that has been done here even after we have left."
Through the project, ADRA was able to distribute corn, beans, and peanuts to vulnerable families within the targeted region. ADRA also distributed farming tools and inputs, including hoes, corn, groundnuts and vegetable seeds to participating farmers to help them increase their productivity. Beneficiaries also learned new farming methods that helped them improve organic fertilizer preparation, seed selection, and food storage.
By installing the corn mill, several project members have been able to take advantage of a new source of employment within the community, as the mill has improved the economic activity in the area. The proximity of the new mill has also meant that residents no longer have to walk the more than seven miles (12 kilometers) to reach the closest mill, an essential part of village life before the project began.
Communities also took part in a health and nutrition training, where they learned about HIV/AIDS prevention and ways to manage vegetable gardens in order to improve the overall nutrition of their families.
The goat rearing activity helped beneficiary families improve their incomes, as the animals provided meat, milk, and new calves, which can be sold for a profit. ADRA also installed 21 wells, improving their access to clean water throughout the region. Beneficiaries also learned the importance of natural resource management, planting cassia trees, which have already begun to provide shelter within the communities and are also an excellent source of firewood and commercial timber.
"This project has had many benefits, the most valuable, I think, is the feeling of unity that the project has fostered within the community," said Costa. "However, despite all of the benefits, there is still room for continued growth in the region."
Since 1982, ADRA Malawi has been working in the areas of disaster relief, water and sanitation, HIV and AIDS, family planning, agriculture, primary health, basic education, and empowerment of vulnerable groups, such as women and children.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Concern to get $41m grant from Gates Foundation
THE CHARITY organisation Concern Worldwide is to receive a five-year $41 million grant (€28.7 million) from the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation to support child health initiatives in a number of countries.
The organisation’s chief executive, Tom Arnold, described the grant as a vote of confidence in Concern which would identify and test ideas to improve essential healthcare delivery to mothers, infants and children in Africa and south Asia.
The initiative will start in Malawi, India, and Sierra Leone, which face major obstacles to reaching the 2015 Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health.
Mr Arnold said Concern had been working on the project for 12 months and it was competing for funding for the project from the foundation against 14 other groups.
He said Concern had already recruited staff for the project and consultations would begin with the ministries of health, universities, the private sector and private individuals in the six countries seeking their solutions to the problems.
Mr Arnold said their ideas on how to scale up effective delivery of proven interventions which could save millions of lives, would be evaluated on a “dragon’s den” type system where the most effective systems would be aided.
The scheme will field-test and evaluate at least 27 breakthrough ideas which would come from mid-level and junior health workers, academia, civil society, the private sector and community members – stakeholders with traditionally limited influence or decision-making power in the health sector. In Sierra Leone, more than 25 per cent of children die before reaching their fifth birthday, and in Malawi, one in every 18 women dies during pregnancy or childbirth.
In India and Malawi, two-thirds of mothers and children lack essential health services like vaccinations, skilled care at birth and micronutrient supplements.
Proven interventions already exist, with the potential to save millions of lives.
The challenge is to scale up effective delivery to ensure the interventions reach all the people who need them.
“Even the most effective health interventions can only save lives if they reach the people who need them,’’ said Jaime Sepúlveda, director of the Integrated Health Solutions Development programme at the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. “Concern Worldwide’s commitment to seeking innovation from diverse, non-traditional sources will be a key ingredient in the success of this programme,” he said.
Mr Arnold said Concern had been working on such child survival programmes for the past 10 years and he welcomed the opportunity to work with the Gates Foundation on the programme, which is spread over a five-year period.
The organisation’s chief executive, Tom Arnold, described the grant as a vote of confidence in Concern which would identify and test ideas to improve essential healthcare delivery to mothers, infants and children in Africa and south Asia.
The initiative will start in Malawi, India, and Sierra Leone, which face major obstacles to reaching the 2015 Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health.
Mr Arnold said Concern had been working on the project for 12 months and it was competing for funding for the project from the foundation against 14 other groups.
He said Concern had already recruited staff for the project and consultations would begin with the ministries of health, universities, the private sector and private individuals in the six countries seeking their solutions to the problems.
Mr Arnold said their ideas on how to scale up effective delivery of proven interventions which could save millions of lives, would be evaluated on a “dragon’s den” type system where the most effective systems would be aided.
The scheme will field-test and evaluate at least 27 breakthrough ideas which would come from mid-level and junior health workers, academia, civil society, the private sector and community members – stakeholders with traditionally limited influence or decision-making power in the health sector. In Sierra Leone, more than 25 per cent of children die before reaching their fifth birthday, and in Malawi, one in every 18 women dies during pregnancy or childbirth.
In India and Malawi, two-thirds of mothers and children lack essential health services like vaccinations, skilled care at birth and micronutrient supplements.
Proven interventions already exist, with the potential to save millions of lives.
The challenge is to scale up effective delivery to ensure the interventions reach all the people who need them.
“Even the most effective health interventions can only save lives if they reach the people who need them,’’ said Jaime Sepúlveda, director of the Integrated Health Solutions Development programme at the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. “Concern Worldwide’s commitment to seeking innovation from diverse, non-traditional sources will be a key ingredient in the success of this programme,” he said.
Mr Arnold said Concern had been working on such child survival programmes for the past 10 years and he welcomed the opportunity to work with the Gates Foundation on the programme, which is spread over a five-year period.
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