MZUNI GRADUATES THREE HUNDRED 64 STUDENTS

By Frank Kauteka Tembo

Mzuzu University (MZUNI) on Saturday graduated three hundred and sixty four students pursuing certificates, diplomas, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorial degrees from various courses despite hardships it went through past two years, Voice of Kanyawazi has established.

some MZUNI graduates

MZUNI for past two years has been in economic and leadership adversity a development that led to numerous students’ demonstrations and staff strikes in a bid to improve the situations.

With the coming of the new Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr. Robert Ridley things have changed to a better in terms of the university’s administration.

Presiding over the graduation ceremony the VC told Voice of Kanyawazi that it has been not easy producing such overwhelming results passing through   such crisis.

“As I said in my speech there are continuing challenges but I think what this graduation shows is that even in those challenges were happening over past two years, a lot of work of education and teaching was going on.

“This graduation shows that if we focus on the basics of what a university is about thus research and teaching then we will lay the foundation possibility and we will be able to grow and develop,” he said.

 The Principal Secretary for Higher Education Patrick Kabambe responding to the university’s concerns said government has increased the funds with 20% for the public universities.

He further applauded the African Development Bank and World Bank for coming in to assisting with resources aiming at higher education.

Joyce and Moses Mlenga (a couple) marked the first doctorial graduates from MZUNI who pursued degrees of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology and Religious Studies.

HOTELS IN MZUZU BLAME GOVT FOR INSTIGATING POOR SERVICES

By Frank Kauteka Tembo

Some hotel owners in Mzuzu calls on authorities to seriously take their welfare at heart in addressing the various challenges faced in the tourism industry.

Speaking in an interview with Voice of Kanyawazi Managing Director for Lubinga Lodge Robert Mkandawire alleged government among other concerns, has done very little in marketing the tourism units across the country.

He said that an aggressive marketing tourism sector is vital for the social economic development of this country as Malawi have potential tourism sites that can drive foreign currency.

“Malawi tourism sector really has a lot of potential but it hasn’t been exploited and marketed well enough to attract the potential tourist.

“The government through its tourism sector should do enough to get where we should be, we should aim at making Malawi a preferred tourists destination and for us to get there we need to make sure that we have developed our industry, we have marketed what we have and then we are ready to receive these tourist,” he said.

Mkandawire said the industry has mushroomed in various sectors such accommodation, travel, food it offers and the infrastructures in general are not of standards they are supposed to be.

Mkandawire added that various sector of the industry in the country are not in standards that they are supposed to be to attract more tourists in the country that need to be upgraded.

He said various sectors have no standards to define that this is a hotel, motel, guest house, and lodge among others a development that deter tourism development in the country.

In another interview with Mphatso motel Manager Aaron Makwakwa said the standards that govern the tourism sector in the process of setting up hotels are not implemented.

“As Mphatso Motel we share the same as outlined by our colleagues, the only thing that I can add on top is that government should uplift the standards of workers in the sector because the standards that it set are not yet implemented,” he said.

On his part, Northern Region Tourism Officer Fixon Mkanda blushed aside the allegations arguing that marketing is not government’s responsibility but the owners need to set up strategies to address the syndrome.

“The issue to do with promotion of tourism industry in the North is possible if marketing is done on concerted efforts where they do their part and we [government] do our part.

“In terms of central government what happens is that when people go out there and market tourism they do generally that come to Malawi there are these services in the North, Central and Southern region and not specifically mentioning the certain units so they need to market much themselves for them to receive more tourists,” he said.

Commenting on government’s financial support for tourism industry he said government has no pocket to give tourism industry business operators saying they should get loans from financial lending institutions.

Finally Mkanda also crushed tourism industry business operators’ allegations that there are no standards to govern tourism industry arguing that government has all standards for various sectors in the tourism industry that defines each sector.

Tukumphire guest house, Moni Lodge, Chatonda lodge and Ndagha lodge among others share the same feelings.

EKWENDENI MARKET COLLAPSE WITH FIRE, MP CALLS FOR SUPPORT

By Frank Kauteka Tembo

Member of Parliament for Mzimba East Constituency Catherine Gotani Hara has called on well wishers to assist Ekwendeni Market business operators who have lost their businesses due to fire accident that hit the market on Monday’s night.

Speaking with Voice of Kanyawazi yesterday when she visited the collapsed market, she expressed sadness saying the accident is a heavy blow to the lives of people as the business is their source of survival.

“I would like to share my sadness to the people of Ekwendeni which is my constituency, as you know this was their source of livelihood and as am talking, these people are in despair because they have lost everything.

“Now you set back and think of a family that has been relying sorely on making little something from the produce they have been selling here some of them had taken loans, for me as MP that makes me so sad,” she said.

Hara promised that shortly business operators will move into the new market which government is about to finish its construction. 

She appealed to all well wishers to assist with a little something they have and urged all financial providers to assist with loans so that these people may have a little to start with.

According to one of the eye witness Deliwe Chirwa the fire started around 10pm on Monday 19^th at Ziba’s shop at the market.

She said people tried to stop the fire but to no avail as the fire was so fierce and there was luck of accord because others started robbing the materials instead of assisting in putting the fire off.

When the fire department was called at the start of the fire, the department did not respond timely till late mid night whilst fire had destroyed everything, a development that angered the people and they were chased away. 

During the incident a watchman for the market lost life few hours after the fire started. According to medical report from Ekwendeni hospital the watchman died due to high blood pressure.

LACK OF REGULATORY BODY LESSENS LIBRARY SERVICES

By Frank Kauteka Tembo

Malawi Library Association (MALA) says lack of regulatory body and professionals in Library and Information Science lessens quality library services in the country.

In an exclusive interview, MALA President Fiskani Ngwira told Voice of Kanyawazi that poor library services in the country are due to lack of regulatory body and professionals in library and Information Sciences.

"The main reason why the country has poor library services is that the country has no library regulatory body that could monitor all libraries so that they follow right procedures and standards in their day to day operations.

“The another reason is that books, journals, computer among other library and Information Science equipments are purchased abroad, with the economic hardships the country is facing it has been a challenge for libraries to purchasing these resources as a results our libraries offer poor services," he said.

Ngwira added that with lack of regulatory body the country has no career structures that all libraries could follow a development that also diminish quality library and Information Science services.

However, he said there is hop that all these problems will be history as the Association will soon be registered to assist in improving library and Information Science.

"The good news now is that MALA registration will be finalized soon, currently our [MALA] lawyer who is processing the registration says the registration will complete soon.

"We have also found the Board of Trustees which is assisting the Association in different ways and we hop soon things will be better in the country's libraries." Ngwira said.

Ngwira said the delay of Association's registration was due to lack of professionals that would work with the Association and government reluctance.

He said with the introduction of Library and Information Science degree program at Mzuzu University (MZUNI) the country now will have enough librarians who will work with MALA and libraries across the country.

He appealed to all libraries in the country to recruit these Library and Information Science graduates rather than people with certificates who are currently working in most libraries.

Malawi Library Association was found in 1976 by Harrison Ken of United Kingdom and was inaugurated in 1977.

FEED THE CHILDREN ALLEVIATE MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN

Fortia CBCC in Rumphi

By Frank Kauteka Tembo

Infants death due to malnutrition in the Northern region have been drastically reduced following Tiwalere Orphan and Other Vulnerable Children (OVC) project being implemented by Feed Children International.

The Zone Manager for Feed the Children in the North, Chakufwa Munthali has disclosed this on Tuesday that over ten thousand children who were at risk of malnutrition and other related problems in the region have improved their health status due to fortified porridge and other food staffs being provided by the organization through Community Based Child Care centre’s (CBCCs) in the region. 

“The provision of vitamin flour to these Community Based Child Care centre’s has improved the nutrition status of children in that when we [Feed the Children] partnered with these CBCCs, the weight of most children was not good and after we started providing this vitamin flour to these centre’s the reports from Health Surveillance Assistants in the area we are operating shows that there has been a huge improvement in terms of growth of children,” he said.

Munthali added that the development has also increased the enrolment figures and the attendance rate of children in the CBCCs.

The another intervention the organisation is implementing under Tiwalere OVC project is ‘Thanzi groups’ whereby the community members who are participating in care giving are taught how to prepare nutritious food from their locally available resources in order to reduce the malnutrition levels in the communities.

Chakufwa Munthali-Feed The Children Zone Manager North

According to Munthali the organization also implements activities aiming at improving food security whereby the organisation provide some agricultural inputs such as cassava cuttings, potato vines as well as fruits trees to selected OVC households and CBCCs.

“The idea behind supporting parents and OVC care givers with skills and materials in the communities the organisation is working with is that we [Feed the Children] want them to take a leading role in the implementation of the project so that together we combat malnutrition among children, expectant women, breast feeders just to mention a few.

“In response, CBCCs have come up with communal gardens where they grow various crops and Feed the Children is very sure that when Tiwalere project phases out in 2015 there will be continuity of food availability in the CBCCs the organization is working with,” he said.

The five years Tiwalere project which started in 2010 is currently being implemented in four districts in the North namely Mzimba, Rumphi, Nkhata-Bay and Likoma targeting the Orphans and Vunerable Children under the age of five.