A RECIPE book and a calendar put together by an Edinburgh midwife have helped raise £120,000 for hospital facilities in Malawi.
Linda McDonald, who works at the Royal Infirmary's Simpson Maternity Centre, started fundraising after a visit to a baby ward in the poverty-stricken African country.
The recipe book, endorsed by Sarah Brown - the wife of Chancellor Gordon - was published in October 2005.
Mrs McDonald said: "We printed 20,000 recipe books and have only 100 left.
"And the Royal Bank of Scotland, which sponsored the first book, has agreed to sponsor a second recipe book which we will publish this autumn."
The recipe book raised cash for Mums - the Malawi Underprivileged Mothers (MUMS) charity.
The organisation is helping to raise funds for a new high-risk maternity hospital being built in the Malawian capital Lilongwe, and a refurbishment of the city's Bottom Hospital.
Thursday, 19 April 2007
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Concert set to aid Malawi baby hospital
A MAJOR fundraising concert in aid of a maternity hospital in Malawi is being held in Edinburgh this weekend.
The Usher Hall is playing host to the Music for MUMs (Malawi Underprivileged Mums) event on Friday night.
More than 420 children and adult performers from both Malawi and Scotland will take to the stage for the event in aid of Malawi's Bottom Hospital, which has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant death anywhere in the world.
Funds raised from this weekend's concert, to be hosted by STV presenter and Evening News columnist Stephen Jardine, will go towards the building of a new maternity hospital for high-risk patients.
The show will feature a wide-ranging programme of music, including numbers from musicals Cabaret and Les Miserables, hits by the Eagles, Japanese drumming and choral singing.
Producer Linda McDonald said: "Having everyone with the same aim to help the mothers and babies less fortunate than us all under one roof is very exciting. The concert will be an uplifting and exciting evening, showcasing some fabulous Scottish and African talent."
The Usher Hall is playing host to the Music for MUMs (Malawi Underprivileged Mums) event on Friday night.
More than 420 children and adult performers from both Malawi and Scotland will take to the stage for the event in aid of Malawi's Bottom Hospital, which has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant death anywhere in the world.
Funds raised from this weekend's concert, to be hosted by STV presenter and Evening News columnist Stephen Jardine, will go towards the building of a new maternity hospital for high-risk patients.
The show will feature a wide-ranging programme of music, including numbers from musicals Cabaret and Les Miserables, hits by the Eagles, Japanese drumming and choral singing.
Producer Linda McDonald said: "Having everyone with the same aim to help the mothers and babies less fortunate than us all under one roof is very exciting. The concert will be an uplifting and exciting evening, showcasing some fabulous Scottish and African talent."
Being a ''Good Pupil'' Can be Bad for You
Pilirani Semu-Banda
BLANTYRE, Apr 17 (IPS) - Five years after the famine in which more than 1,000 Malawians died and 8 million of the country's 12 million people suffered from hunger, the bitter memory of bad policy advice still lingers on.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were blamed for the tragedy that hit Malawi during the 2002 famine. The international human rights organisation Action Aid, for instance, indicated in a report in October 2002 that the IMF had instructed the Malawian government to sell the strategic grain reserve to repay a debt incurred by the statutory National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA).
The report, ‘‘State of disaster: Causes, consequences and policy lessons from Malawi'', also mentioned the World Bank. Action Aid blamed the Bank for ‘‘forcing'' Malawi to sell maize to Kenya to service an outstanding loan which the country owed the Bank.
Then President Bakili Muluzi also publicly disclosed that the Bank had been encouraging the government to keep foreign exchange instead of grain reserves. The latter, the Bank argued, could lose value.
However, both the IMF and the World Bank parried off these accusations by saying they had ‘‘merely'' advised the government on its grain reserves.
They pointed out that the causes of food shortages in Malawi were complex and included lapses in the government's early warning systems, distortions in domestic markets and the mismanagement of food reserves.
Following the accusations and counter-accusation, relations between the donor agencies and the government were strained. This led to a delayed donor response to the continuing food crisis.
Malawi has been highly dependent on donor support for four decades. The donor funds it has received account for approximately 40 percent of the national budget. The country cannot afford to bite the hand that feeds.
Therefore, despite the alleged causes of the food crisis, the government completed economic reforms in adherence with conditionalities set by the Bank and the IMF. As reward, the institutions cancelled most of Malawi's external debt of about 2.97 billion US dollars in September 2006.
The memory of the famine and its possible causes lingers on. Some Malawians want the country to escape from the grip of these agencies.
Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, Thandika Mkandawire, a Malawian himself, is one person who is wary of the country's relations with donor countries and agencies.
He says despite Malawi being tagged a ‘‘good pupil'' of the Bank and the IMF between 1980 and 1990, the country stands out as an indictment of aid relations over the past three decades.
Between 1979 and 1999 Malawi earned a place among what the IMF characterises as ‘‘very prolonged users'' of its facilities. The country had six programmes with the IMF. In 17 years out of the 20-year-period Malawi was under one IMF programme or another.
‘‘In the IMF and World Bank documents evaluating the policy performance of African economies between 1981 and 1998, Malawi tops the list of ‘good adjusters' with seven appearances, followed by Uganda and Kenya with five each,'' says Mkandawire.
Despite such ‘‘accolades'', Malawi's per capita income fell from 156 US dollars in 1980 to 143 US dollars by 1990. Even by 2003 Malawi had yet to reach the 1979 level of per capita income, according to World Bank figures.
A poverty and vulnerability assessment released last year by the government and the World Bank shows that there has been little progress in reducing poverty and inequality.
The combination of bad policy advice and authoritarian rule has produced two lost decades for Malawi, states Mkandawire.
He is unimpressed by the agencies' admissions of error or by the Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. Their advice has led to the collapse of public investment in physical and human capital, he argues.
‘‘What they do not seem to recognize is that the accretion of errors has produced economies that are maladjusted and caught in a low growth trap,'' says Mkandawire.
Mkandawire is especially concerned about how the external interference contributes to the loss of African states' sovereignty. In 2002 the IMF suspended its economic assistance due to what it regarded as consistently poor economic management by former president Muluzi.
The IMF only renewed the programme after the Bingu wa Mutharika administration, which assumed office in May 2004, agreed to the implementation of the prescribed policies being monitored. In this way a consistent track record of policy execution was established in order to win back donor support.
The implementation of the policy in the first year saw the IMF and the Bank rewarding Malawi by cancelling 90 percent of the country's foreign debt.
The debt pardon translated into Malawi saving US $100 million of import cover annually as the country retained capital which would have been spent on servicing the debt.
Import cover is the available amount of foreign exchange reserves with which a country can import goods and services over a certain period of time even without fresh foreign exchange inflows.
Head of policy at Action Aid Malawi, Collins Magalasi, is also not satisfied with the conduct of donor agencies.
He calls on Malawi's biggest bilateral donor, the British government, to increase its financial aid which in the past five years has averaged about 54.1 million pounds per year, accounting for only 0.0009253 percent of the UK's gross national income.
Magalasi laments that 70,000 Malawians die every year from preventable diseases. People's incomes combined do not equal the agriculture subsidies that the European Union spends on its farmers.
While expressing his satisfaction with the donor aid the country receives, Mutharika has also called for ‘‘home-grown economic policies that should be supported by cooperating partners''.
In the 2005/2006 financial year the government started implementing a locally developed policy called the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), a plan that runs over five years.
Mutharika regards the new strategy as a vehicle to shift priorities as it was designed by Malawians. At the same time it works towards the restoration of fiscal discipline.
The donors have supported the policy, apparently agreeing to allow space for Malawian designed policies; and for ordinary people rather than just economists to be involved in the policy formulation to ensure ownership.
Executive director of the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn), Andrew Kumbatira, agrees that the MGDS is a home-grown economic policy in which local input has been given a lot of space.
He admits that ‘‘there are, of course, similar policies in other developing countries. This indicates that the policy is still donor-guided. But the good thing about this new policy is that the local consultations were extensive''. (END/2007)
BLANTYRE, Apr 17 (IPS) - Five years after the famine in which more than 1,000 Malawians died and 8 million of the country's 12 million people suffered from hunger, the bitter memory of bad policy advice still lingers on.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were blamed for the tragedy that hit Malawi during the 2002 famine. The international human rights organisation Action Aid, for instance, indicated in a report in October 2002 that the IMF had instructed the Malawian government to sell the strategic grain reserve to repay a debt incurred by the statutory National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA).
The report, ‘‘State of disaster: Causes, consequences and policy lessons from Malawi'', also mentioned the World Bank. Action Aid blamed the Bank for ‘‘forcing'' Malawi to sell maize to Kenya to service an outstanding loan which the country owed the Bank.
Then President Bakili Muluzi also publicly disclosed that the Bank had been encouraging the government to keep foreign exchange instead of grain reserves. The latter, the Bank argued, could lose value.
However, both the IMF and the World Bank parried off these accusations by saying they had ‘‘merely'' advised the government on its grain reserves.
They pointed out that the causes of food shortages in Malawi were complex and included lapses in the government's early warning systems, distortions in domestic markets and the mismanagement of food reserves.
Following the accusations and counter-accusation, relations between the donor agencies and the government were strained. This led to a delayed donor response to the continuing food crisis.
Malawi has been highly dependent on donor support for four decades. The donor funds it has received account for approximately 40 percent of the national budget. The country cannot afford to bite the hand that feeds.
Therefore, despite the alleged causes of the food crisis, the government completed economic reforms in adherence with conditionalities set by the Bank and the IMF. As reward, the institutions cancelled most of Malawi's external debt of about 2.97 billion US dollars in September 2006.
The memory of the famine and its possible causes lingers on. Some Malawians want the country to escape from the grip of these agencies.
Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, Thandika Mkandawire, a Malawian himself, is one person who is wary of the country's relations with donor countries and agencies.
He says despite Malawi being tagged a ‘‘good pupil'' of the Bank and the IMF between 1980 and 1990, the country stands out as an indictment of aid relations over the past three decades.
Between 1979 and 1999 Malawi earned a place among what the IMF characterises as ‘‘very prolonged users'' of its facilities. The country had six programmes with the IMF. In 17 years out of the 20-year-period Malawi was under one IMF programme or another.
‘‘In the IMF and World Bank documents evaluating the policy performance of African economies between 1981 and 1998, Malawi tops the list of ‘good adjusters' with seven appearances, followed by Uganda and Kenya with five each,'' says Mkandawire.
Despite such ‘‘accolades'', Malawi's per capita income fell from 156 US dollars in 1980 to 143 US dollars by 1990. Even by 2003 Malawi had yet to reach the 1979 level of per capita income, according to World Bank figures.
A poverty and vulnerability assessment released last year by the government and the World Bank shows that there has been little progress in reducing poverty and inequality.
The combination of bad policy advice and authoritarian rule has produced two lost decades for Malawi, states Mkandawire.
He is unimpressed by the agencies' admissions of error or by the Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. Their advice has led to the collapse of public investment in physical and human capital, he argues.
‘‘What they do not seem to recognize is that the accretion of errors has produced economies that are maladjusted and caught in a low growth trap,'' says Mkandawire.
Mkandawire is especially concerned about how the external interference contributes to the loss of African states' sovereignty. In 2002 the IMF suspended its economic assistance due to what it regarded as consistently poor economic management by former president Muluzi.
The IMF only renewed the programme after the Bingu wa Mutharika administration, which assumed office in May 2004, agreed to the implementation of the prescribed policies being monitored. In this way a consistent track record of policy execution was established in order to win back donor support.
The implementation of the policy in the first year saw the IMF and the Bank rewarding Malawi by cancelling 90 percent of the country's foreign debt.
The debt pardon translated into Malawi saving US $100 million of import cover annually as the country retained capital which would have been spent on servicing the debt.
Import cover is the available amount of foreign exchange reserves with which a country can import goods and services over a certain period of time even without fresh foreign exchange inflows.
Head of policy at Action Aid Malawi, Collins Magalasi, is also not satisfied with the conduct of donor agencies.
He calls on Malawi's biggest bilateral donor, the British government, to increase its financial aid which in the past five years has averaged about 54.1 million pounds per year, accounting for only 0.0009253 percent of the UK's gross national income.
Magalasi laments that 70,000 Malawians die every year from preventable diseases. People's incomes combined do not equal the agriculture subsidies that the European Union spends on its farmers.
While expressing his satisfaction with the donor aid the country receives, Mutharika has also called for ‘‘home-grown economic policies that should be supported by cooperating partners''.
In the 2005/2006 financial year the government started implementing a locally developed policy called the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), a plan that runs over five years.
Mutharika regards the new strategy as a vehicle to shift priorities as it was designed by Malawians. At the same time it works towards the restoration of fiscal discipline.
The donors have supported the policy, apparently agreeing to allow space for Malawian designed policies; and for ordinary people rather than just economists to be involved in the policy formulation to ensure ownership.
Executive director of the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn), Andrew Kumbatira, agrees that the MGDS is a home-grown economic policy in which local input has been given a lot of space.
He admits that ‘‘there are, of course, similar policies in other developing countries. This indicates that the policy is still donor-guided. But the good thing about this new policy is that the local consultations were extensive''. (END/2007)
Monday, 16 April 2007
Public get in step for virtual walk to Malawi
FUNDRAISERS are being given the opportunity to walk to Malawi without leaving Ayrshire.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran has teamed up with Cumnock GP Dr Gareth Powell, and Ayr Presbytery to raise cash for a healthcare facility in the district of Bandawe.
Instead of making the real journey, supporters can cover part of the distance by walking, running, cycling or swimming in their local area.
advertisement
The sponsored walk takes place on Saturday, 19 May along the River Ayr.
Dr Powell said: "We hope to employ a nurse and three health surveillance officers, who will be able to deliver basic but often life-saving healthcare to local people."
If you would like to take part, call Dorothy Gibson on 01292 885808.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran has teamed up with Cumnock GP Dr Gareth Powell, and Ayr Presbytery to raise cash for a healthcare facility in the district of Bandawe.
Instead of making the real journey, supporters can cover part of the distance by walking, running, cycling or swimming in their local area.
advertisement
The sponsored walk takes place on Saturday, 19 May along the River Ayr.
Dr Powell said: "We hope to employ a nurse and three health surveillance officers, who will be able to deliver basic but often life-saving healthcare to local people."
If you would like to take part, call Dorothy Gibson on 01292 885808.
Madonna in Malawi with son for visit
LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) -- Madonna flew to Malawi on a silver jet Monday to continue her charity work in the impoverished southern African country, bringing along the Malawian boy she is in the process of adopting.
The pop star, wearing a baseball cap, carried a small boy down the steps of the jet, and a child's seat was fixed into a waiting sports utility vehicle. Her three-vehicle motorcade then drove off at top speed to a luxury ranch, followed by journalists.
Madonna visited Malawi last fall to pick up 1-year-old David Banda, who was in an orphanage after the death of his mother. That visit set off a controversy over concerns that regulations were being swept aside to benefit a pop star who has been generous to the country.
Madonna, 48, and her filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie were granted an interim court order on Oct. 12 allowing them to take initial custody of David. Under Malawi regulations, prospective parents must undergo an 18-to-24 month assessment period, but Madonna was allowed to take the boy to her London home soon after the court order.
Malawian child welfare officials are expected to file a report on the suitability of Madonna and Ritchie as adoptive parents after two trips to their London residence in May and December. The singer says has followed the law.
Ahead of her latest visit, the grass was cut and hedges trimmed at the airport, the orphanages and care centers she has been involved with were painted, and security was tightened around the exclusive lodge where the star stayed last year.
Madonna's New York-based publicist Liz Rosenberg said the star was visiting to continue her work with her Raising Malawi organization and denied speculation of another adoption.
"She is overseeing the building of a children's health care center. She is absolutely not adopting another baby," Rosenberg said in a statement.
Yacinta Chapomba, a director of local aid group Consol Homes, said a childcare center built with the help of Madonna's organization would have an opening ceremony Monday. She could not confirm whether Madonna would attend.
The center in the impoverished village of Mphandula, 30 miles outside the capital, Lilongwe, will initially house 400 children who lost their parents to AIDS.
There has also been much activity at the Home of Hope orphanage where David was cared for. The road to the village of Mchinji have been graded, new flowers planted and the children have received new uniforms. Three local police officers have been posted at the orphanage.
David's father, Yohane Banda, surrendered his son to the orphanage after his wife died of childbirth complications. The couple's two other sons died in infancy from malaria.
After initial confusion, Banda has said he wants David to stay with Madonna and Ritchie, saying he was too poor to raise him.
The road to Banda's village on the Zambian border has also been cleared, but it was unclear whether Madonna would visit him.
Madonna's organization aims to provide food, education and shelter for up to 4,000 children.
Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world, with rampant disease and hunger, aggravated by periodic droughts and crop failure. Just over 14 percent of its 12 million people have HIV.
The pop star, wearing a baseball cap, carried a small boy down the steps of the jet, and a child's seat was fixed into a waiting sports utility vehicle. Her three-vehicle motorcade then drove off at top speed to a luxury ranch, followed by journalists.
Madonna visited Malawi last fall to pick up 1-year-old David Banda, who was in an orphanage after the death of his mother. That visit set off a controversy over concerns that regulations were being swept aside to benefit a pop star who has been generous to the country.
Madonna, 48, and her filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie were granted an interim court order on Oct. 12 allowing them to take initial custody of David. Under Malawi regulations, prospective parents must undergo an 18-to-24 month assessment period, but Madonna was allowed to take the boy to her London home soon after the court order.
Malawian child welfare officials are expected to file a report on the suitability of Madonna and Ritchie as adoptive parents after two trips to their London residence in May and December. The singer says has followed the law.
Ahead of her latest visit, the grass was cut and hedges trimmed at the airport, the orphanages and care centers she has been involved with were painted, and security was tightened around the exclusive lodge where the star stayed last year.
Madonna's New York-based publicist Liz Rosenberg said the star was visiting to continue her work with her Raising Malawi organization and denied speculation of another adoption.
"She is overseeing the building of a children's health care center. She is absolutely not adopting another baby," Rosenberg said in a statement.
Yacinta Chapomba, a director of local aid group Consol Homes, said a childcare center built with the help of Madonna's organization would have an opening ceremony Monday. She could not confirm whether Madonna would attend.
The center in the impoverished village of Mphandula, 30 miles outside the capital, Lilongwe, will initially house 400 children who lost their parents to AIDS.
There has also been much activity at the Home of Hope orphanage where David was cared for. The road to the village of Mchinji have been graded, new flowers planted and the children have received new uniforms. Three local police officers have been posted at the orphanage.
David's father, Yohane Banda, surrendered his son to the orphanage after his wife died of childbirth complications. The couple's two other sons died in infancy from malaria.
After initial confusion, Banda has said he wants David to stay with Madonna and Ritchie, saying he was too poor to raise him.
The road to Banda's village on the Zambian border has also been cleared, but it was unclear whether Madonna would visit him.
Madonna's organization aims to provide food, education and shelter for up to 4,000 children.
Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world, with rampant disease and hunger, aggravated by periodic droughts and crop failure. Just over 14 percent of its 12 million people have HIV.
Madonna - the movie
Madonna is set to make a movie about the plight of orphans in Malawi, which aims to put the spotlight on the country's suffering.
The singer hopes that the film, which has the working title Raising Malawi after the eponymous charity she founded, will raise the public's awareness about the Aids-ridden country.
Footage of Madge's adoption of orphaned baby David Banda will feature in the movie, which started out as a documentary.
It will publicise her Kabbalah beliefs and also show footage of her interviewing her hero Nelson Mandela.
A family friend said that Madonna had poured her heart and soul into the movie and believed it could have a similar effect on the world as the Live Aid concerts did in the 1980s.
The friend said Madonna wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to helping children and wanted to become the female Bono, putting the final nail in the coffin of her Material Girl days.
Most of the scenes will be filmed on Madonna's current trip to the African country.
The singer hopes that the film, which has the working title Raising Malawi after the eponymous charity she founded, will raise the public's awareness about the Aids-ridden country.
Footage of Madge's adoption of orphaned baby David Banda will feature in the movie, which started out as a documentary.
It will publicise her Kabbalah beliefs and also show footage of her interviewing her hero Nelson Mandela.
A family friend said that Madonna had poured her heart and soul into the movie and believed it could have a similar effect on the world as the Live Aid concerts did in the 1980s.
The friend said Madonna wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to helping children and wanted to become the female Bono, putting the final nail in the coffin of her Material Girl days.
Most of the scenes will be filmed on Madonna's current trip to the African country.
CALL FOR FUNDING FOR IDA - the INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
April 15, 2007-Wealthy nations have been called on to boost funding for the World Bank's concessional arm, IDA - the International Development Association - which provides financing to the world's poorest countries.
The call came from African ministers attending the weekend Spring Meetings of the Bank/IMF.
Ghana's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, said just as slavery was abolished so too could poverty.
He said donors needed to replenish IDA to make up for lost revenue as a result of debt relief and increase funding in general so African nations like Ghana could move their economies forward.
Baah-Wiredu said IDA funds have helped Ghana in its planning and investment in education, health, roads, water, and sanitation and also in food storage for export as well as the energy sector.
Liberia's Finance Minister, Antoinette Sayeh echoed the calls for donors to fund IDA in the next round, saying the funding would be critical to help her country consolidate its peace.
She said IDA was “exceptional in making available to Liberia pre-arrears clearance grants - significant amounts - that have helped us to start the arduous task of repairing our infrastructure that has been completely devastated by the 14-15 years of civil war.”
“So far it's helped us to re-build some roads and in process creating some jobs in the process. Of course, roads are critical from a perspective the economic impact of roads but also from the political impact - of reuniting a country that has been split apart and inaccessible.
“So having roads is important politically, socially and economically and IDA has made that a priority.”
Malawi's Deputy Minister of Finance, Ted Kalebe, said funding from the World Bank through IDA has had a major impact in Malawi - particularly programs like the Social Action Fund which has delivered services to people in rural communities.
“Malawi has gone through a lot of problems over the past 10 - but two years, because of mismanagement of resources,” he said. “We now think that the government which is in place is more serious now in terms of bringing development to the people and to do that it needs more resources from its partners, like the World Bank.”
The call came from African ministers attending the weekend Spring Meetings of the Bank/IMF.
Ghana's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, said just as slavery was abolished so too could poverty.
He said donors needed to replenish IDA to make up for lost revenue as a result of debt relief and increase funding in general so African nations like Ghana could move their economies forward.
Baah-Wiredu said IDA funds have helped Ghana in its planning and investment in education, health, roads, water, and sanitation and also in food storage for export as well as the energy sector.
Liberia's Finance Minister, Antoinette Sayeh echoed the calls for donors to fund IDA in the next round, saying the funding would be critical to help her country consolidate its peace.
She said IDA was “exceptional in making available to Liberia pre-arrears clearance grants - significant amounts - that have helped us to start the arduous task of repairing our infrastructure that has been completely devastated by the 14-15 years of civil war.”
“So far it's helped us to re-build some roads and in process creating some jobs in the process. Of course, roads are critical from a perspective the economic impact of roads but also from the political impact - of reuniting a country that has been split apart and inaccessible.
“So having roads is important politically, socially and economically and IDA has made that a priority.”
Malawi's Deputy Minister of Finance, Ted Kalebe, said funding from the World Bank through IDA has had a major impact in Malawi - particularly programs like the Social Action Fund which has delivered services to people in rural communities.
“Malawi has gone through a lot of problems over the past 10 - but two years, because of mismanagement of resources,” he said. “We now think that the government which is in place is more serious now in terms of bringing development to the people and to do that it needs more resources from its partners, like the World Bank.”
Sunday, 15 April 2007
Madonna on return trip to Malawi
Madonna is due to arrive in Malawi, the African country where her adopted son David Banda was born.
The singer is said to be taking David with her to see his natural father.
She says the main purpose of her trip is to see the work of a charity she supports, and denies reports that she plans to adopt a second African child.
The 48-year-old London-based American pop star sparked a furore when she adopted one-year-old David from an orphanage last year.
She was accused by adoption groups of using her celebrity status to bypass laws about foreigners adopting from Malawi - allegations she strenuously denied.
Speaking before Madonna set off for Malawi, her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said: "She is overseeing the building of a children's healthcare centre. She is absolutely not adopting another baby."
David is living with Madonna and her family in London, after the pop star was granted an interim custody order.
Under the court order, David can live with the singer for 18 months, during which time his progress will be reviewed by Malawi officials.
A High Court ruling allows a coalition of human rights groups to monitor the adoption.
'Saving a life'
The singer helped set up the Raising Malawi charity, which aims to provide accommodation, food, education and other support to orphans in the country.
Last year, she said she would donate $3m (£1.5m) to the country via the organisation.
In January, she told US talk show host David Letterman she was "saving a life" by taking the child to the UK.
Last November, the 48-year-old told the BBC's Newsnight programme she would consider adopting another child from abroad.
"I wouldn't rule it out... but I would like to experience David for a while and see how it works out," she said.
As well as her adopted son, Madonna has a 10-year-old daughter, Lourdes, and a six-year-old son, Rocco. She is married to British film director Guy Ritchie.
The singer is said to be taking David with her to see his natural father.
She says the main purpose of her trip is to see the work of a charity she supports, and denies reports that she plans to adopt a second African child.
The 48-year-old London-based American pop star sparked a furore when she adopted one-year-old David from an orphanage last year.
She was accused by adoption groups of using her celebrity status to bypass laws about foreigners adopting from Malawi - allegations she strenuously denied.
Speaking before Madonna set off for Malawi, her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said: "She is overseeing the building of a children's healthcare centre. She is absolutely not adopting another baby."
David is living with Madonna and her family in London, after the pop star was granted an interim custody order.
Under the court order, David can live with the singer for 18 months, during which time his progress will be reviewed by Malawi officials.
A High Court ruling allows a coalition of human rights groups to monitor the adoption.
'Saving a life'
The singer helped set up the Raising Malawi charity, which aims to provide accommodation, food, education and other support to orphans in the country.
Last year, she said she would donate $3m (£1.5m) to the country via the organisation.
In January, she told US talk show host David Letterman she was "saving a life" by taking the child to the UK.
Last November, the 48-year-old told the BBC's Newsnight programme she would consider adopting another child from abroad.
"I wouldn't rule it out... but I would like to experience David for a while and see how it works out," she said.
As well as her adopted son, Madonna has a 10-year-old daughter, Lourdes, and a six-year-old son, Rocco. She is married to British film director Guy Ritchie.
MADONNA BRINGS HOPE TO AFRICA
MADONNA will secure her legacy in Malawi by opening her orphan care centre early this week.
The Material Girl, who adopted her son David Banda from the tiny east African country, has so far spent £61,000 on the centre.
It’s estimated that nearly one million children have been orphaned by Aids in Malawi. Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi, has spent millions of pounds building and improving facilities to try to help them.
Construction started last October on the collection of buildings that will make up the Consol Homes Raising Malawi Orphan Care Centre at Namitete near Lilongwe, the capital. Madonna has pledged £86,000 over the next five years to keep it going.
The buildings, red brick, with green painted metal roofs, will help thousands of the neediest children living around Lilongwe.
The centre will be managed by Consol Homes, which is a non-profit, community-based organisation currently helping around 1,400 children.
Yasinta Chapomba, 45, programme officer for orphans and vulnerable children with Consol Homes in Lilongwe, said: “I am very excited about the opening.
“We have received so much money and help from Madonna and Raising Malawi and we are very grateful.”
Teacher Ruth Maulana, 23, who has started working for the new care centre, said: “I helped to set up the pre-school programme for the children.
“I expect to see at least 110 children aged under-six most days.”
The Material Girl, who adopted her son David Banda from the tiny east African country, has so far spent £61,000 on the centre.
It’s estimated that nearly one million children have been orphaned by Aids in Malawi. Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi, has spent millions of pounds building and improving facilities to try to help them.
Construction started last October on the collection of buildings that will make up the Consol Homes Raising Malawi Orphan Care Centre at Namitete near Lilongwe, the capital. Madonna has pledged £86,000 over the next five years to keep it going.
The buildings, red brick, with green painted metal roofs, will help thousands of the neediest children living around Lilongwe.
The centre will be managed by Consol Homes, which is a non-profit, community-based organisation currently helping around 1,400 children.
Yasinta Chapomba, 45, programme officer for orphans and vulnerable children with Consol Homes in Lilongwe, said: “I am very excited about the opening.
“We have received so much money and help from Madonna and Raising Malawi and we are very grateful.”
Teacher Ruth Maulana, 23, who has started working for the new care centre, said: “I helped to set up the pre-school programme for the children.
“I expect to see at least 110 children aged under-six most days.”
Friday, 13 April 2007
Malawi: Condoms Get a Bad Rap
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
Johannesburg
As we enter the third decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, prevention efforts have yet to come to grips with a deep-seated antipathy to condoms, particularly in southern Africa, the region worst affected by the crisis.
Much has been said and written about the myths and misconceptions inhibiting condom use, but little has been done to reflect these realities in existing HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns.
According to Amy Kaler, a sociologist who conducted research into men and behaviour change in Malawi, researchers have yet to move beyond making generalised sweeping statements "about African men hating condoms".
In the study, conducted as part of the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (MDICP) in the rural south of the country, men identified three forms of behaviour change: being more selective about their sexual partners; reducing the number of partners; and using condoms.
CLOUD HANGS OVER CONDOMS
The least popular form of behaviour change reported by the study was the use of condoms.
"Condoms were disparaged on many grounds: they were un-aesthetic and deprived both men and women of pleasure in sex; they were an insult to one's female partner because of their connotations of disease and adultery; they were ineffective against AIDS, or they were actually tainted with the virus or a cancer-causing agent, as part of the Malawian government or some unnamed international cabal's efforts to wipe out the population," the report noted.
Kaler warned that prevention campaigns could not dismiss these objections - particularly the notion that the prophylactics were a form of population control.
In a separate report taking a closer look at these findings, Kaler pointed out that interventions like condom promotion and distribution had been undermined by suspicions that the Malawian government and international donors were using HIV/AIDS as part of a population control conspiracy.
"Everyone knows that he/she is infected and we shall all die because the government has spread AIDS in many ways, such as condoms, injections, family planning methods, transfusions and many more," a study participant was reported as saying.
Kaler told PlusNews that these findings were not restricted to Malawi and were also common in countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa, where Africans had been subjected to white minority rule.
Given the historical and political context, it was clear that these misconceptions had to be confronted. "These views should not just be seen as crazy talk," she stressed.
In Swaziland, the country with the highest HIV prevalence figures in the world, condoms are the most readily available free commodity - they spill out of public bathroom dispensers and bowls on the counters of business and government office reception rooms - but, despite surveys showing awareness of how HIV is contracted, condom use remains unpopular among Swazis.
A new AIDS public awareness campaign involving government, health NGOs and faith-based organisations does not even mention condoms, and instead stresses abstinence and monogamy as ways of avoiding HIV/AIDS.
"We have to move on from condoms - that emphasis didn't work," said Nana Mdluli, public relations officer at the National Emergency Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA).
Churches and traditional leaders, which wield huge influence in Swazi life, have stood firm against condom usage since the AIDS crisis began. The conservative nation's top traditional leader, Jim Gama, and Nhlavana Maseko, who heads the Traditional Healers Organisation, have both condemned condoms as "unSwazi".
The Catholic Church has never compromised its stance against birth control, and other religious denominations have not pushed the use of prophylaxis either.
"Condoms never caught on - the churches and traditionalists won the battle, but at what cost? They may have lost the war," said a health official who asked not to be named.
"The human toll in lost lives, AIDS orphans, the economic cost - these have been very great. The country has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Even with ARVs, a quarter of the population will die prematurely - a small and poor country can't afford that. People may look back and see that a little latex condom could have meant national survival," he commented.
Part of the problem relates to the difficulty of understanding transmission of the infection. Because an HIV-positive person can live a long and healthy life before the infection becomes apparent, and not all exposures to HIV lead to transmission, the link between using condoms now and not having AIDS a few years down the line is hard to prove.
Johannesburg
As we enter the third decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, prevention efforts have yet to come to grips with a deep-seated antipathy to condoms, particularly in southern Africa, the region worst affected by the crisis.
Much has been said and written about the myths and misconceptions inhibiting condom use, but little has been done to reflect these realities in existing HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns.
According to Amy Kaler, a sociologist who conducted research into men and behaviour change in Malawi, researchers have yet to move beyond making generalised sweeping statements "about African men hating condoms".
In the study, conducted as part of the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (MDICP) in the rural south of the country, men identified three forms of behaviour change: being more selective about their sexual partners; reducing the number of partners; and using condoms.
CLOUD HANGS OVER CONDOMS
The least popular form of behaviour change reported by the study was the use of condoms.
"Condoms were disparaged on many grounds: they were un-aesthetic and deprived both men and women of pleasure in sex; they were an insult to one's female partner because of their connotations of disease and adultery; they were ineffective against AIDS, or they were actually tainted with the virus or a cancer-causing agent, as part of the Malawian government or some unnamed international cabal's efforts to wipe out the population," the report noted.
Kaler warned that prevention campaigns could not dismiss these objections - particularly the notion that the prophylactics were a form of population control.
In a separate report taking a closer look at these findings, Kaler pointed out that interventions like condom promotion and distribution had been undermined by suspicions that the Malawian government and international donors were using HIV/AIDS as part of a population control conspiracy.
"Everyone knows that he/she is infected and we shall all die because the government has spread AIDS in many ways, such as condoms, injections, family planning methods, transfusions and many more," a study participant was reported as saying.
Kaler told PlusNews that these findings were not restricted to Malawi and were also common in countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa, where Africans had been subjected to white minority rule.
Given the historical and political context, it was clear that these misconceptions had to be confronted. "These views should not just be seen as crazy talk," she stressed.
In Swaziland, the country with the highest HIV prevalence figures in the world, condoms are the most readily available free commodity - they spill out of public bathroom dispensers and bowls on the counters of business and government office reception rooms - but, despite surveys showing awareness of how HIV is contracted, condom use remains unpopular among Swazis.
A new AIDS public awareness campaign involving government, health NGOs and faith-based organisations does not even mention condoms, and instead stresses abstinence and monogamy as ways of avoiding HIV/AIDS.
"We have to move on from condoms - that emphasis didn't work," said Nana Mdluli, public relations officer at the National Emergency Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA).
Churches and traditional leaders, which wield huge influence in Swazi life, have stood firm against condom usage since the AIDS crisis began. The conservative nation's top traditional leader, Jim Gama, and Nhlavana Maseko, who heads the Traditional Healers Organisation, have both condemned condoms as "unSwazi".
The Catholic Church has never compromised its stance against birth control, and other religious denominations have not pushed the use of prophylaxis either.
"Condoms never caught on - the churches and traditionalists won the battle, but at what cost? They may have lost the war," said a health official who asked not to be named.
"The human toll in lost lives, AIDS orphans, the economic cost - these have been very great. The country has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Even with ARVs, a quarter of the population will die prematurely - a small and poor country can't afford that. People may look back and see that a little latex condom could have meant national survival," he commented.
Part of the problem relates to the difficulty of understanding transmission of the infection. Because an HIV-positive person can live a long and healthy life before the infection becomes apparent, and not all exposures to HIV lead to transmission, the link between using condoms now and not having AIDS a few years down the line is hard to prove.
Zimbabwe: International Tobacco Buyers Jump Over Land in Malawi
Paul Nyakazeya
ZIMBABWE stands to lose millions of dollars in potential earnings from tobacco as international buyers are flocking to Malawi, shunning the local auction floors where a dispute over prices and the exchange rate have delayed the selling season.
This comes as it also emerged that local farmers are smuggling their tobacco out of the country to get better prices. The farmers say they will hold on to their crop until the central bank agrees to their demands for a special exchange rate.
Farmers who spoke to businessdigest this week said merchants who had arrived a week after the scheduled opening of auction floors on March 14 left the country for Malawi a fortnight ago where auction floors opened last week. Some former commercial white farmers displaced by the land reform programme are now based in Malawi.
The Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association (ZTGA) confirmed that international buyers had become impatient with the prolonged deadlock and are seeking better deals in Malawi.
"Zimbabwe stand to lose millions of dollars to Malawi if the stalemate continues. The country's traditional international buyers are flocking to Malawi whose crop production has been increasing over the years," ZTGA said.
ZTGA said farmers are also smuggling tobacco to Malawi to seek better returns to remain in business and to prepare for the next season.
Farmers who had harvested their crop in January and early February said they now feared that their crop's grade would decline.
"By the time international buyers return to Zimbabwe, prices might have gone down which is a loss to both government and the farmer," a farmer said.
China is also reducing tobacco imports from the country.
According to Tobacco China Online China is planning to increase production of its import-substitute leaf tobacco to about 55 500 tonnes this year.
That will reduce its reliance on tobacco imported from Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has lost its place among the world's top five tobacco exporters due to dwindling output largely caused by disturbances on farms, lack of critical inputs and a fixed exchange rate.
According to January's global production figures from the US Department of Agriculture, the top five exporters are now listed as Brazil, the United States, India, Malawi and China.
ZIMBABWE stands to lose millions of dollars in potential earnings from tobacco as international buyers are flocking to Malawi, shunning the local auction floors where a dispute over prices and the exchange rate have delayed the selling season.
This comes as it also emerged that local farmers are smuggling their tobacco out of the country to get better prices. The farmers say they will hold on to their crop until the central bank agrees to their demands for a special exchange rate.
Farmers who spoke to businessdigest this week said merchants who had arrived a week after the scheduled opening of auction floors on March 14 left the country for Malawi a fortnight ago where auction floors opened last week. Some former commercial white farmers displaced by the land reform programme are now based in Malawi.
The Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association (ZTGA) confirmed that international buyers had become impatient with the prolonged deadlock and are seeking better deals in Malawi.
"Zimbabwe stand to lose millions of dollars to Malawi if the stalemate continues. The country's traditional international buyers are flocking to Malawi whose crop production has been increasing over the years," ZTGA said.
ZTGA said farmers are also smuggling tobacco to Malawi to seek better returns to remain in business and to prepare for the next season.
Farmers who had harvested their crop in January and early February said they now feared that their crop's grade would decline.
"By the time international buyers return to Zimbabwe, prices might have gone down which is a loss to both government and the farmer," a farmer said.
China is also reducing tobacco imports from the country.
According to Tobacco China Online China is planning to increase production of its import-substitute leaf tobacco to about 55 500 tonnes this year.
That will reduce its reliance on tobacco imported from Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has lost its place among the world's top five tobacco exporters due to dwindling output largely caused by disturbances on farms, lack of critical inputs and a fixed exchange rate.
According to January's global production figures from the US Department of Agriculture, the top five exporters are now listed as Brazil, the United States, India, Malawi and China.
MALAWI-BOUND MADONNA WORKING WITH TIMBERLAKE IN LONDON
LATEST: Reports that MADONNA jetted off to Malawi on Wednesday night (11Apr07) appear premature - she's hard at work on her new album with Justin Timberlake.
The actress was spotted in her adopted London, where she is recording with the SexyBack singer/songwriter and producer Timbaland, yesterday (12Apr07).
The confusion seems to stem from confirmation that Madonna is planning a trip back to Africa, where her adopted son David comes from, "soon." But her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, insists the pop superstar has musical matters to deal with before making her trip.
She says, "Madonna has been in a recording studio in London with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
"She is going to Malawi soon... It's a follow up visit as she's overseeing the building of a children's health care centre as part of Raising Malawi's efforts in that country." British newspaper The Sun today (13Apr) reports the pop star is planning to adopt a three year girl called Grace when she finally heads to Malawi. However Rosenberg has denied the claims, insisting, "There are no plans for another adoption."
The actress was spotted in her adopted London, where she is recording with the SexyBack singer/songwriter and producer Timbaland, yesterday (12Apr07).
The confusion seems to stem from confirmation that Madonna is planning a trip back to Africa, where her adopted son David comes from, "soon." But her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, insists the pop superstar has musical matters to deal with before making her trip.
She says, "Madonna has been in a recording studio in London with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
"She is going to Malawi soon... It's a follow up visit as she's overseeing the building of a children's health care centre as part of Raising Malawi's efforts in that country." British newspaper The Sun today (13Apr) reports the pop star is planning to adopt a three year girl called Grace when she finally heads to Malawi. However Rosenberg has denied the claims, insisting, "There are no plans for another adoption."
Thursday, 12 April 2007
Malawi gets US$22 million ADF loan for economic reforms
Dakar, Senegal 04/12 - The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF), an arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, has approved a US$22 million loan to support the implementation of Malawi`s poverty reduction programme.
The Bank said in a statement Wednesday, the loan would be used to reinforce economic reforms and good governance policies, and strengthen public financial management.
"The Poverty Reduction Support Loan (PRSL) is an operation to align the assistance strategies of the Bank Group and other donors with national priorities as articulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," the Bank said, adding that the operation had been designed to fully integrate and harmonize with the joint donor and government Common Approach to Budget Support (CABS) process.
It noted that Malawi`s economic reform effort "has gathered momentum in recent years and there is a more determined and coherent approach to the daunting task of poverty reduction," adding: "There has been dramatic improvement in macroeconomic management."
The Bank said in a statement Wednesday, the loan would be used to reinforce economic reforms and good governance policies, and strengthen public financial management.
"The Poverty Reduction Support Loan (PRSL) is an operation to align the assistance strategies of the Bank Group and other donors with national priorities as articulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," the Bank said, adding that the operation had been designed to fully integrate and harmonize with the joint donor and government Common Approach to Budget Support (CABS) process.
It noted that Malawi`s economic reform effort "has gathered momentum in recent years and there is a more determined and coherent approach to the daunting task of poverty reduction," adding: "There has been dramatic improvement in macroeconomic management."
MADONNA JETS BACK TO MALAWI
MADONNA reportedly flew back to Africa with her adopted son DAVID to meet with the boy's biological father last night (11APR07), according to US news reports. The pop star hopes to spend a few days with Yohane Banda in Malawi and open discussions concerning her plans to adopt another child, according to American publication Life + Style. An insider tells the magazine, "She wants David to have a relationship with his biological father. "She's going under the guise of a vacation, but she's not on vacation - she's on a mission." Madonna, who also runs a foundation for abandoned children in Malawi, was harshly criticised when she adopted Banda last October (06); critics accused her of using her wealth and fame to fast-track the adoption process. The source tells Life + Style that Madonna hopes her trip back to Malawi will help show her critics that the adoption was "an unselfish act of love." The insider adds, "She plans on having David's father be part of the extended family. She wants to show that her adoption was not what it was portrayed as in the media." Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, has confirmed the trip, stating, "She's going to continue her work with the Raising Malawi Orphan Care Initiative, including the building of a children's care centre."
A MINISTRY OF HOPE IN MALAWI
One year ago, Dr. Kenneth Root, a member of Valley Presbyterian Church, Paradise Valley, AZ who is a physician specializing in neurology joined with a group of medical missionaries to work with the Ministry of Hope in Malawi, an extremely poor sub-Saharan African country. Upon his return, he shared his experience with fellow members, telling them that he had personally been changed by the experience, saying, “The infants and children of Malawi have placed upon my heart a new life calling for me.” Now, other members of Valley Presbyterian Church have been inspired to reach out with Ken to the children of Malawi. Photo: Dr. Ken Root
On April 16, 2007 a Malawi Mission Team from Valley Presbyterian Church Valley will leave on an eighteen day journey to Malawi, where they expect to experience the “warm heart of Africa”.
In 1999, a young Malawian college student name Fletcher Matandika was deeply moved by the plight of so many orphans. He established one small feeding center in Matapila, a village outside the capital city of Lilongwe. Demand grew quickly and what began as a mission serving a few children has grown into the Ministry of Hope (MOH) with six regional centers, serving a daily meal to over five thousand children. The ministry is under the Mkuza Presbyterian Church of the Nkhoma Synod in Malawi.
MOH also supports a crisis nursing care facility for a growing number of abandoned and critically ill babies. The center opened in late 2002 and has cared for nearly a hundred infants, nursing them back to health and returning them to their extended families or placing into adoptive families.
MOH also sponsors a high school scholarship program for those orphans who pass rigorous qualification exams to enter high school but cannot afford the tuition. A $350 scholarship can cover student school expenses for a whole year. MOH believes that to break the cycle of poverty, it is important for these bright students to continue their education, so that they can become teachers, health care workers, and other professionals serving the people of Malawi.
In response to this human need in Malawi, hundreds of people, many groups, young and old alike at Valley Presbyterian Church are supporting the Ministry of Hope in Malawi by sending a Malawi Mission Team.
Their Malawi Mission Team consists of Dr. Root and his son, Brandon; Carmel Courtright and her daughter Katy; and Dr. Marilyn Manning, Valley’s Pastor for Missions, who will be traveling to Malawi.
Led by efforts of fourteen year-old Katy Courtright, over $50,000 was raised to help purchase goats and chickens for an orphanage farm, build a yogurt factory, buy a maize mill, and dig a water well. The team will also be bringing some medical supplies for diabetics, homemade blankets and some infant clothing for the Malawi Crisis Nursery.
Youth made and sold bracelets, and Sunday School “Kids with a Mission” saved coins. Malawi Mission T-shirts were designed and sold. These combined efforts raised over $1,200 for Malawi student scholarships.
The original Malawi Mission Team goal was to raise $50,000 for this mission. Entering the last month before leaving, the Mission Team decided to try to raise another $5,000 for the renovation of the Nkoma Synod Hospital in Malawi. Once again, the Courtright’s came up with a grand plan to make contact with 500 people in 10 days with an objective to raising and average of $10 from each contact. Carmel and Katie raised $1500 in one day alone and the amount is growing!
Valley Presbyterian Church asks for prayers and support for their mission team and the people of Malawi as they prepare to witness for Christ on this mission.
On April 16, 2007 a Malawi Mission Team from Valley Presbyterian Church Valley will leave on an eighteen day journey to Malawi, where they expect to experience the “warm heart of Africa”.
In 1999, a young Malawian college student name Fletcher Matandika was deeply moved by the plight of so many orphans. He established one small feeding center in Matapila, a village outside the capital city of Lilongwe. Demand grew quickly and what began as a mission serving a few children has grown into the Ministry of Hope (MOH) with six regional centers, serving a daily meal to over five thousand children. The ministry is under the Mkuza Presbyterian Church of the Nkhoma Synod in Malawi.
MOH also supports a crisis nursing care facility for a growing number of abandoned and critically ill babies. The center opened in late 2002 and has cared for nearly a hundred infants, nursing them back to health and returning them to their extended families or placing into adoptive families.
MOH also sponsors a high school scholarship program for those orphans who pass rigorous qualification exams to enter high school but cannot afford the tuition. A $350 scholarship can cover student school expenses for a whole year. MOH believes that to break the cycle of poverty, it is important for these bright students to continue their education, so that they can become teachers, health care workers, and other professionals serving the people of Malawi.
In response to this human need in Malawi, hundreds of people, many groups, young and old alike at Valley Presbyterian Church are supporting the Ministry of Hope in Malawi by sending a Malawi Mission Team.
Their Malawi Mission Team consists of Dr. Root and his son, Brandon; Carmel Courtright and her daughter Katy; and Dr. Marilyn Manning, Valley’s Pastor for Missions, who will be traveling to Malawi.
Led by efforts of fourteen year-old Katy Courtright, over $50,000 was raised to help purchase goats and chickens for an orphanage farm, build a yogurt factory, buy a maize mill, and dig a water well. The team will also be bringing some medical supplies for diabetics, homemade blankets and some infant clothing for the Malawi Crisis Nursery.
Youth made and sold bracelets, and Sunday School “Kids with a Mission” saved coins. Malawi Mission T-shirts were designed and sold. These combined efforts raised over $1,200 for Malawi student scholarships.
The original Malawi Mission Team goal was to raise $50,000 for this mission. Entering the last month before leaving, the Mission Team decided to try to raise another $5,000 for the renovation of the Nkoma Synod Hospital in Malawi. Once again, the Courtright’s came up with a grand plan to make contact with 500 people in 10 days with an objective to raising and average of $10 from each contact. Carmel and Katie raised $1500 in one day alone and the amount is growing!
Valley Presbyterian Church asks for prayers and support for their mission team and the people of Malawi as they prepare to witness for Christ on this mission.
Madonna Making Her Way Back to Malawi, Considering Another Adoption?
April 12, 2007 04:40:51 GMT
by Peter Rooley
Reports on her working on her next studio album with the help of pop singer Justin Timberlake has been confirmed. Meanwhile, words got around that Madonna is making her way back to Malawi, Africa with her adopted son David Banda to meet with the boy's biological father.
Greater than that, as reported by Life & Style magazine, Madonna also is considering the option for another adoption, about which an unnamed insider revealed, "She wants David to have a relationship with his biological father. She's going under the guise of a vacation, but she's not on vacation - she's on a mission. She intends to adopt another baby soon, but first she wants to repair her image from all the bad press she got over David's adoption."
Liz Rosenberg, a publicist for the star does confirm her visit to Malawi, yet denied any adoption speculation, saying "I can confirm that Madonna is planning a trip to Malawi quite soon. She's going to continue her work with the Raising Malawi Orphan Care Initiative, including the building of a children's care center. If her trip there brings attention to the tremendous need to help the children of that country, then so be it. No one objects to that."
Adopting or not, let's just take the silver lining form her visit there.
by Peter Rooley
Reports on her working on her next studio album with the help of pop singer Justin Timberlake has been confirmed. Meanwhile, words got around that Madonna is making her way back to Malawi, Africa with her adopted son David Banda to meet with the boy's biological father.
Greater than that, as reported by Life & Style magazine, Madonna also is considering the option for another adoption, about which an unnamed insider revealed, "She wants David to have a relationship with his biological father. She's going under the guise of a vacation, but she's not on vacation - she's on a mission. She intends to adopt another baby soon, but first she wants to repair her image from all the bad press she got over David's adoption."
Liz Rosenberg, a publicist for the star does confirm her visit to Malawi, yet denied any adoption speculation, saying "I can confirm that Madonna is planning a trip to Malawi quite soon. She's going to continue her work with the Raising Malawi Orphan Care Initiative, including the building of a children's care center. If her trip there brings attention to the tremendous need to help the children of that country, then so be it. No one objects to that."
Adopting or not, let's just take the silver lining form her visit there.
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Politics with a capital P
Intelligent Giving have slated Barnado's boss Martin Narey for his forthright appeal to prevent a seven year old Malawi boy being deported with his parents - all three of them have HIV and have no hope of treatment back in Malawi.
Adam Rothwell's stance is that this is political campaigning and therefore the 'omnipresent Martin Narey' as he is described and the charity he heads should not therefore be involved.
Adam goes on to say -
"Charities are barred from being too 'political'. But increasingly it seems that what some charities - and the Charity Commission - see as 'political' bears little resemblance to what most ordinary people would think."
I don't think so.
Of course as we often hear politics is a grey area but as one of those ordinary people I feel Barnado's has every right to campaign on behalf of vulnerable children in the UK. If that means questioning a deportation order placed on a young seven year old boy with HIV then I'm comfortable that they are keeping within their charitable boundaries.
If not Barnados then who will?
Posted by Gareth Jenkins at 8:07 AM
Adam Rothwell's stance is that this is political campaigning and therefore the 'omnipresent Martin Narey' as he is described and the charity he heads should not therefore be involved.
Adam goes on to say -
"Charities are barred from being too 'political'. But increasingly it seems that what some charities - and the Charity Commission - see as 'political' bears little resemblance to what most ordinary people would think."
I don't think so.
Of course as we often hear politics is a grey area but as one of those ordinary people I feel Barnado's has every right to campaign on behalf of vulnerable children in the UK. If that means questioning a deportation order placed on a young seven year old boy with HIV then I'm comfortable that they are keeping within their charitable boundaries.
If not Barnados then who will?
Posted by Gareth Jenkins at 8:07 AM
G4S threatens legal action in Malawi
After the appearance of newspaper articles which are highly critical of the G4S treatment of workers in Malawi, the company contacted the Minister of Labor and threatened legal action against the union.
A delegation representing unions, NGOs and others will visit Malawi soon to investigate claims of underpayment of overtime and harsh treatment. The company's policy in Malawi is to pay workers a LOWER hourly wage after the employee has worked for 8 hours.
A delegation representing unions, NGOs and others will visit Malawi soon to investigate claims of underpayment of overtime and harsh treatment. The company's policy in Malawi is to pay workers a LOWER hourly wage after the employee has worked for 8 hours.
Malawi to export maize to Zim
Malawi, swamped with surplus maize from two bumper harvests, will export 400,000 tons of the staple to cash-strapped Zimbabwe, the head of the state-run strategic maize reserve agency said.
"Malawi has had two good years of bumper maize harvest and is in surplus of about 1.1 million tons," Nasinuku Saukila, general manager of the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) told AFP.
"Zimbabwe has been shopping around for maize. We will be exporting 400 mega tons of maize following a demand from that country.
"The general picture in the region is that there is a problem and there is demand for our maize and we will export on first come first served basis," the NFRA chief said.
Saukila said maize exports this year would give "local farmers and traders a steady market for their surplus maize."
Millions of Malawians depend on maize for their food needs, which is grown on small plots.
"Maize traders were looking for a market and if we buy from them, it will have a multiplier effect as rural farmers are also likely to benefit," Saukila said.
The poor southeastern African nation, which annually needs two million tons to feed its 12 million people, had a maize surplus of 500,000 tons last year and is set for a bumper harvest in 2007 of three million tons, a 22 percent increase.
The surplus is due to subsidised fertiliser and prolonged periods of rainfall, agriculture experts say.
Malawi, where food security is a pressing issue with about 60 percent of the people living below the poverty line, met its food needs for the first time in seven years in 2006 with a harvest of 2.2 million tons.
Famine threatened up to five million people in 2005 following drought and the government spent over 100 million dollars to import more than 400,000 tons of food to avert hunger.
Zimbabwe, once the bread-basket of the region, recently announced it would need to import hundreds of thousands of tons of maize.
Harare blames the shortfall on lengthy drought but critics say its agricultural policy, including depriving hundreds of white commercial farmers of their land, is largely at fault.
Sapa-AFP
"Malawi has had two good years of bumper maize harvest and is in surplus of about 1.1 million tons," Nasinuku Saukila, general manager of the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) told AFP.
"Zimbabwe has been shopping around for maize. We will be exporting 400 mega tons of maize following a demand from that country.
"The general picture in the region is that there is a problem and there is demand for our maize and we will export on first come first served basis," the NFRA chief said.
Saukila said maize exports this year would give "local farmers and traders a steady market for their surplus maize."
Millions of Malawians depend on maize for their food needs, which is grown on small plots.
"Maize traders were looking for a market and if we buy from them, it will have a multiplier effect as rural farmers are also likely to benefit," Saukila said.
The poor southeastern African nation, which annually needs two million tons to feed its 12 million people, had a maize surplus of 500,000 tons last year and is set for a bumper harvest in 2007 of three million tons, a 22 percent increase.
The surplus is due to subsidised fertiliser and prolonged periods of rainfall, agriculture experts say.
Malawi, where food security is a pressing issue with about 60 percent of the people living below the poverty line, met its food needs for the first time in seven years in 2006 with a harvest of 2.2 million tons.
Famine threatened up to five million people in 2005 following drought and the government spent over 100 million dollars to import more than 400,000 tons of food to avert hunger.
Zimbabwe, once the bread-basket of the region, recently announced it would need to import hundreds of thousands of tons of maize.
Harare blames the shortfall on lengthy drought but critics say its agricultural policy, including depriving hundreds of white commercial farmers of their land, is largely at fault.
Sapa-AFP
Teacher's effort helps children in Malawi
By ISAAC KESTENBAUM, News Assistant
One Maine woman's effort to help a friend in Malawi has grown into a international nonprofit organization.
"It's kind of snowballed," said Hebron Academy teacher Janet Littlefield, founder of Friends of Little Field Home, which provides food, shelter, education and health care to orphaned children in Chigamba Village in Malawi, a country in southern Africa.
Originally from Union, Littlefield taught school in Malawi in 1998 as a Peace Corps volunteer, but had to cut her stay short when she fell ill. Instead of the usual two years, Littlefield spent a little under a year there.
But it was enough time to forge a lasting connection with Shaiebu Kaliati, an orphaned young man who had been one of her students.
In Malawi, high school is not free, and Littlefield began paying for Kaliati to attend.
"It just seemed so unfair to me," Littlefield said of her inspiration to pay for Kaliati's education. "I think a kid should never have to fight for food, shelter or education."
The two kept in touch after Kaliati graduated. Once, recalled Littlefield, "our conversation turned more into a philanthropic discussion of the state of Malawi and the plight of the kids." Malawi has many orphans, in part due to a high rate of AIDS.
Kaliati told Littlefield that it would cost $800 to build a home for 20 orphans in his home village of Chigamba.
"That's when it hit me that you don't have to be really wealthy to make a difference," Littlefield said. "I did a bake sale and a yard sale and raised money to help these 20 kids." The orphanage was named Little Field Home by its builders, in honor of its sponsor.
Littlefield began sending more money for more projects, paying for other students to attend school. "It was just me raising money and working on the weekends and sending money to help kids go to school,"she said.
It was not until last year that Friends of Little Field Home became an official charitable non profit organization, complete with an executive board and a five-year plan to build a medical facility, a school, more homes and send more students to high school. A 14-person committee, selected by Kaliati, runs the operation in Malawi.
Friends of Little Field Home have also planned several fundraisers. A benefit auction will take place at 6 p.m. April 28 at the Nutrition Center in Lewiston, and Hebron Academy will host a "walk-a-thon" at Hebron on 11 a.m. May 6.
This summer, for the second year in a row, Littlefield will lead an trip to Malawi, along with several teachers and two nurses. She's also bringing nine students. "It will definitely be an eye-opener for them," Littlefield said. "They'll see that one person can make a difference."
News Assistant Isaac Kestenbaum can be contacted at 791-6308 or at:
ikestenbaum@pressherald.com.
One Maine woman's effort to help a friend in Malawi has grown into a international nonprofit organization.
"It's kind of snowballed," said Hebron Academy teacher Janet Littlefield, founder of Friends of Little Field Home, which provides food, shelter, education and health care to orphaned children in Chigamba Village in Malawi, a country in southern Africa.
Originally from Union, Littlefield taught school in Malawi in 1998 as a Peace Corps volunteer, but had to cut her stay short when she fell ill. Instead of the usual two years, Littlefield spent a little under a year there.
But it was enough time to forge a lasting connection with Shaiebu Kaliati, an orphaned young man who had been one of her students.
In Malawi, high school is not free, and Littlefield began paying for Kaliati to attend.
"It just seemed so unfair to me," Littlefield said of her inspiration to pay for Kaliati's education. "I think a kid should never have to fight for food, shelter or education."
The two kept in touch after Kaliati graduated. Once, recalled Littlefield, "our conversation turned more into a philanthropic discussion of the state of Malawi and the plight of the kids." Malawi has many orphans, in part due to a high rate of AIDS.
Kaliati told Littlefield that it would cost $800 to build a home for 20 orphans in his home village of Chigamba.
"That's when it hit me that you don't have to be really wealthy to make a difference," Littlefield said. "I did a bake sale and a yard sale and raised money to help these 20 kids." The orphanage was named Little Field Home by its builders, in honor of its sponsor.
Littlefield began sending more money for more projects, paying for other students to attend school. "It was just me raising money and working on the weekends and sending money to help kids go to school,"she said.
It was not until last year that Friends of Little Field Home became an official charitable non profit organization, complete with an executive board and a five-year plan to build a medical facility, a school, more homes and send more students to high school. A 14-person committee, selected by Kaliati, runs the operation in Malawi.
Friends of Little Field Home have also planned several fundraisers. A benefit auction will take place at 6 p.m. April 28 at the Nutrition Center in Lewiston, and Hebron Academy will host a "walk-a-thon" at Hebron on 11 a.m. May 6.
This summer, for the second year in a row, Littlefield will lead an trip to Malawi, along with several teachers and two nurses. She's also bringing nine students. "It will definitely be an eye-opener for them," Littlefield said. "They'll see that one person can make a difference."
News Assistant Isaac Kestenbaum can be contacted at 791-6308 or at:
ikestenbaum@pressherald.com.
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