By Charles Kachitsa Suleman Khonat a Malawian born in Mangochi district is to become the first African Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council from May 2022. This follows his selection as the new Deputy Mayor of the council on Thursday 25th March 2021. Councillor Suleman Khonat will assume his Deputy Mayor duty from May 2021 which will automatically usher him to the top position come same month next year. His Malawi roots are so deep having lived in several district in the country. Mr Khonat’s parents relocated to Mponela in Kasungu district when he was young before moving on to stay in Lilongwe Nkhoma from where Suleman left for the United Kingdom UK in 1976. He moved after his father passed away in Nkhoma, Lilongwe. In announcing his recent appointment he said, “I am very pleased to share with you some good news. Tonight on 25th March 2021, I have been selected as the new Deputy Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council from May. Thereafter I will become the Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council from May 2022. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of the councillors for their widespread support for placing their trust in me now and always. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all my family, friends and colleagues, for their immense and unconditional support over the many decades of public service I have been able to provide. Without your prayers and support, I would not have achieved this, thank you all. I would also like to thank the Shear Brow and Corporation Ward constituents, for their continued support. I am truly honoured and humbled to continually have your support. Whilst I am in this very privileged position, I will continue to serve the good people of the Borough to the best of my abilities. I would like to end by wishing each and every citizen of the Borough, good health, happiness alongside a prosperous and peaceful year ahead.” According to the Lancashire Telegraph, 61 years old Councillor Suleman Khonat who owns newsagent is well in line to become the first citizen of Blackburn with Darwen Borough in 2022. The current Mayor, Councillor Derek Hardman congratulated him for being chosen to his new office and promised to support him when he takes over the new office though they represent different political parties in the council. Mr Khonat is also on the executive of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents in the UK. As if that is not enough for such an honourably man, he is again a local Magistrate sitting in Lancashire Courts since 2001. Despite all these responsibilities he has still a soft spot for his home country Malawi and wants to contribute to its development which already does through some NGOs. His bothers Omar and Salim Baghas are still in Malawi and help in some of the initiative to help in assist with developing the country. Many people of Blackburn and Darwin have congratulated him as first African, in this case Malawian to assume such an honourable position in the UK.
Category: Inspired Living
Entrepreneurship – Going Green With Joseph Mphande
By Philes Davis 2020 may have been one of the worst years to have ever hit mankind in recent years. Who can forget this year when the ugly face of Covid-19 pandemic is still visible? Literary all sectors of mankind were and are still directly ransacked by this monster virus. The economic sector is no exception. In Malawi, examples are many whereby both established and up and coming business firms have either closed down their operations, or are swimming in muddy waters all courtesy of covid-19. For youthful Joseph Mphande, 2020 presented an opportunity; an opportunity for him to establish his name in the country’s echelons of economic prowess. He established his first professional business firm, Greenfield Garden Services. Greenfield Garden Services are specialists in landscaping, and other related garden services. According to Joseph, his firm aims at ensuring that its clientele live in a healthy and majestic environment. “Our core business is ensuring that we live indelible marks in all our dealings. We strive to create lasting healthy environments to our clients’ compounds,” he said. So, as most of his peers had been wincing about the adverse side effects of Covid-19 pandemic, Joseph has been fine-tuning his Greenfield Gardening Services to ensure it reaches all corners of Malawi. “It’s obvious Covid-19 may take time to be annihilated. So, I couldn’t have been wincing daily. I’d to establish this firm and properly equip it so it becomes a household name,” he challenges. Origin Prior to the establishment of Greenfield Gardening Services, Joseph had an eight-year stint in Cape Town, South Africa. It was here where his passion for gardening originated from. “I’d a friend who was into this industry. So, I used to spend most of my time with him…learning the basics of the trade. I then vowed that I shall venture into this industry once I get back home,” he recalls. And it was so, energetic Joseph Mphande started saving the little he could get towards the establishment of his firm. He also started gathering other resources and updated his knowledge base of the industry. “I then had a goal to achieve. I needed to know every bit of this trade and at the same time gather as many resources as I could so I could get full throttle once I kicked off,” he said. Hiccups Typical of start ups, Greenfield Gardening Services has had its own share of hiccups along the way. Firstly, being a newbie in this industry, getting recognized by prospective clients was no kids’ play. “It’s very challenging to convince clients when your firm is just new in the industry. It takes serious marketing strategies to break through,” he testifies. Another challenge that Joseph has noted is that a cross section of Malawians do not embrace gardening services. “Many Malawians feel hiring gardening services firm is for the elite. This is a wrong mindset. We all need to live in healthy environments, and contrary to popular beliefs, gardening services are affordable,” he said. A word to the youth Joseph Mphande believes that Malawian youths need to have the will power to rise above their guts amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. According to him, they just need to devise a formula and a workable business idea. “Let’s be creative and come up with practical solutions to the problems mankind is facing. Out of that, we can easily start earning a little something. Staying idle won’t bring food on our tables,” he advises. Greenfield Gardening Services is currently operating in Lilongwe Area 47 Sector 4, and in Sunnyside, Blantyre. About the Author: Philes Davis is a writer and reporter for Leyman Publications. She originates from Chisenga area of Chitipa district in Malawi. Born in June 1996, Philes is the first born in a family of three children. After her secondary school, she stared as a part-time actress in several productions. She recently has just completed her journalist studies at the Malawi Institute of Journalism.
Widows Group Donates To Chintheche Rural Health Centre
By Deborah Nyirenda Nkhata Bay, December 31, Mana: Kovyana Widows Group of Nkhata Bay Wednesday shared its Christmas celebrations by donating assorted items to Chintheche Health Centre. The items included sugar, bread and soap worth K150, 000.00 which was distributed to patients at the facility. Chairperson and Founder of the Group, Lizzie Sapawa said the group decided to share their joy during the festive season with those who can’t meet the needs meant for celebrating especially people who are admitted to the health facility. “We wanted to demonstrate our charity spirit by cheering the sick as one way sharing our love through material donation. We are grateful for having fulfilled our goal,” she said. Sapawa urged all members to continue being cooperative so that our operations are of benefit to the needy. She appealed to individuals and organizations for support for the group to be reaching more vulnerable and needy people. Nurse In-Charge for Chintheche Rural Health Centre, Chrissy Nkhata commended the group for their gesture saying the donation was timely. “On behalf of all health workers at this facility, I would like to thank the Kovyana Widows Group for sharing their love to our patients. Sometimes patients need this kind of support especially when they are away from their families,” she said. One of the patients, Gaston Banda commended the group saying most the relatives of patients admitted to the facility are far and can’t afford to come cheer them. “We are excited because we have received a gift which we never expected and from people whom we do not even know,” he added. Kovyana Widows Group was formed in 2011 with the aim of helping the needy, promoting girls’ education and supporting it’s member’s businesses. The Groups membership comprises 50 widows from within Chintheche.
Pre-Christmas Love Party
People Matter Organisation in partnership with Sizwe’s Lounge magazine and Mthunzi Ministries present fundraising day for the Christmas Love party. They are raising money for a Christmas party for street children which will happen on the 23rd of December at Mthunzi Ministries. The fundraising will take place at Mthunzi Ministries tomorrow from 09:00 to 16:00. With charges of MK1,000 per head audience will be entertained with performances from Original Passenger, Saxess, Annemarie Quin, DJ Gene, Agorosso and Jacca Steppers. Food that will be sold include Christmas cakes, pastries, cookies, chips, sandwiches, pizza, sausages and chicken braai. Non Alcoholic Beverages, Coffee, Tea and punch will also be available on sale. Last years Christmas Party This is the second annual Christmas party for street children and expectations are to have an event bigger than last years. “This we are expecting more fun, more food and reaching more kids than last year” Said Michael Walker Chauya the founder of People matter organisation. You can send your donations through to Walker, +265 881 024 626 or Daniella, +265 999 294 904.
Brainlock Fam To Cheer Up Orphans
By Blessings Kapina Lilongwe, Mana: A musical group based in Lilongwe, Brainlock Fam is set to visit Home of Hope Orphanage in Mchinji along Mkanda road on December 24, 2020 with the purpose to cheer up with orphans as well as share some food items. In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) Sunday in Lilongwe, one of the artists in Brainlock Fam, Jeff Nyimbo said the event seeks to celebrate together with the orphans during the Christmas period. “We all grew up in the culture where Christmas is the time; we gather together and celebrate as one. We do not want our friends of Home of Hope Orphanage to be left out, hence the event,” he said. Nyimbo said the meeting was an opportunity to chat, eat and enjoy as one family, as well as giving out food stuffs and other necessities such as bags of maize, soya and groundnuts. The year of 2020 has been a great year with a lot of fruits, so the event is organized to give back the people what we got, he explained. Part of the occasion is to give everybody a bright picture of what Brainlock Fam is all about. The meeting is a big motivation to the group as such it will motivate them to go higher. The artist pointed out that music is not only about going to studios, making sales of the records and rocking stage but one can use talent to help others with their needs hence the programme. He said Brainlock Fam would continue scheduling such events next year and more years to come. “After this event, we will continue visiting and helping needy people across the country and in the year of 2021 we will launch a project aimed at helping the needy, called, Ndife Amodzi Project,” Nyimbo continued. Brainlock Fam will be headlining the event, supported by local artists, such as Krypton, Angie and Aaron Carlos and a headlining DJ Nathan Tunes. He requested good people out there who are willing to sponsor this meeting, to contact them before the event. One of the members, Annie Gwaza said she feels so honoured being part of the event and to have time to interact with the orphans during the festive season. “We will be able to interact with them, getting to hear their stories and share our stories and I feel the festive season is to show God’s love and kindness,” she said. Brainlock Fam started in 2016 and is comprised of five artists as well as a team of management. The event will commence on Christmas Eve at 7:00am till the next day. For support visit Brainlock Fam Facebook page, Instagram pages @BRAINLOCK FAM. And emails Brainlockfam@gmail.com
MUST Researchers Get UNDP Grant
Two academic staff members at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) have received a grant of K30 million from the United Nations Development Program in Malawi and the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) to develop an alternative energy source at Lizulu market in Ntcheu. The two researchers are Mr Hope Chamdimba of the Energy Resources Department in the Ndata School of Climate and Earth Sciences (NSCES) and Dr Ella Kangaude-Nkata of the Applied Studies Department at the Malawi Institute of Technology (MIT). They will be supervised by two officials, one from National Commission for Science and Technology and another from Mzuzu University. According to Chamdimba, who is the principal investigator (PI) in the project, said UNDP and EAD are funding their project under the Climate Change Research and Applied Innovation Window which seeks to enhance Malawi’s adoption of technologies and approaches that stimulate low carbon development and facilitate green growth. “The UNDP and EAD made the first call for proposals under this initiative in September, 2019 where MUST, through Energy Resources Department was one of some 29 applicants for the grant. We submitted a proposal on commercialisation of biogas at Lizulu market in Ntcheu and fortunately, our team was one of the five to be awarded US$40,000 per team,” said Chamdimba, adding that the MUST proposed project seeks to use market waste to generate biogas that will be sold around Lizulu and in the process solving waste and energy challenges. The award ceremony for the grants, organised by the UNDP and EAD, was held at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) on October 26, 2020 and was, among others, attended by Honourable Nancy Tembo, Minister responsible for Environment and UNDP Resident Representative in Malawi, Shigeki Komatsubara. The dummy cheque was presented to Chamdimba and Dr Kangaude-Nkata, the project’s co-principal investigator. In their remarks, both Tembo and Komatsubara congratulated the awardees and urged them to contribute to Malawi’s sustainable development through their proposed climate innovations in line with government policies. The project implementation period is one year from October, 2020 and the MUST team will work with Green Technologies Impact on the commercialisation part.
Shocking: How I Murdered My Student
I was in class that fateful Friday afternoon teaching my students when she raised her hand to ask a question. I permitted her and she asked a rather too simple question that I supposed she should know the answer. I had already covered that topic the previous week. “Will you sit down there! With your Ugly face! Olodo!” was the only answer I gave her. The whole class bursted into laughter and she looked embarrassed. I went on with my lesson but felt somewhat guilty over what I had said. I finished my class and left. On Sunday, I went to Church. The preacher was talking about the tongue and its power. He spoke about how you could bring others down by what you say. I remembered what happened on Friday and became guilty. I swore I was going to apologize to her on Monday when I got to the class. On Monday afternoon, I went to the class but I didn’t see her. I asked after her from her course mates but they didn’t seem to know who I was talking about. I then said I was looking for the person I insulted on Friday. “Oh, that’s Joy Sir! She is not in class today” they answered. Who is her friend? I asked. “Aisha” they chorused. But Aisha was not in the class either. Suddenly, a girl with Hijab walked in. “That’s Aisha Sir” my students informed me. Where is your friend? I asked her. “Which one?” She replied without looking at my face. Joy! I said. The reply shocked me! She is in the mortuary Sir. Mortuary????? Doing what there?? I asked “She died on Friday Sir” Aisha replied. How come?????? I later found out that after my class on Friday, Joy was hit by a fast moving vehicle. She was crossing the road absentmindedly probably because of what I said. “Her burial is on Saturday and you are invited Sir” Aisha continued. As I stood trying to overcome the shock, Aisha said admist tears ” you killed my friend Sir”. She was right! I should be the murderer! Some girls in the class were already crying! I didn’t know what to say, whether to apologize to Joy’s friend or Joy’s ghost. I submitted my resignation letter the next day. Dear Lecturers and Teachers, please stop insulting your student. They are in school to learn from you. If they already know, they won’t be in school! The Bible says that Life and Death lies in the tongue.-Proverbs 18:21. Please mind what you say to other people. Are your words bringing life or death to the hearers?
Life Lessons We Can Learn From Honey Bees
Honey bees. Some people love them and others fear them, but there’s no denying that they’re an important part of our lives. Honey bees, after all, make a deliciously sweet elixir that humans have harvested for thousands of years. In fact, some scientists believe that our hominid ancestors may have been able to evolve larger brains due in part to their intake of calorie-packed, easily digestible honey. Not to mention that, as pollinators, they’re responsible – along with their fellow pollinating insects – for pollinating more than a hundred standard food crops and flowers, including celery, cashews, onions, potatoes, watermelon and tangerines. Our diet would be remarkably less varied without the hard work of honey bees and their ilk. But honey bees are beloved beyond the tasks we humans benefit from. Since childhood, I’ve enjoyed sitting outside and observing bees as they dart precisely from flower to flower. They’re a sign of spring – of warmer, brighter days – that lift people’s moods. Despite a socially engrained fear of their stingers, your chances of getting stung by these mostly docile insects is only 6 million to one, so it’s safe in most cases (unless you’re severely allergic) to get up close and marvel at their skill. So, when I suggest that we can learn something from the bees, I follow in a long line of people enraptured by these industrious insects. 1. No [bee] is an island Bees are fully imbued with the skill to go about their tasks in relative independence, but they know it’s best to work in a team. Bees switch jobs throughout their lifetime, as needed, to ensure that the hive runs efficiently. Before they become foragers in the last 2-3 weeks of their lives, they tend to the hive, working as nursemaids, caretakers, cleaners, honeycomb builders, nectar ripeners, pollen packers and hive repairers. When they are older, they will begin the public work of collecting water, pollen, nectar and propolis (the thick wax that holds the hive together), then working with the house bees to appropriately store and utilize their goods. 2. Always give 100% The relationship between honey bees is not a 50/50 partnership or a competition. If a job needs to be done, any available bee will jump on it. This makes their community both incredibly efficient and harmonious in a way rarely seen in human society. In some cases, if the Queen becomes ill or dies, a worker bee will even lay eggs to protect the genetic legacy of the colony. Though she cannot fertilize the egg, a male drone will be created through the process of parthenogenesis. The colony will still die out – after all, it needs female worker bees to thrive – but the drones may go out and mate with other colonies’ Queens, and this means that the health of the larger bee community is maintained even as the local hive dies. 3. Leave a legacy Did you know that bees and flowers communicate with one another? Researchers at the University of Bristol found that not only could bees “read” the negative charge of plants, the bees’ relative positive charge (acquired while flying through the air) reacted with the electrical field of the plants and changed their charge for several minutes after they concluded their nectar and pollen collecting. Bees flying by effected plants would then be able to avoid them until the flower regenerated its resources. In the words of Professor Daniel Robert: “the last thing a flower wants is to attract a bee and then fail to provide nectar; a lesson in honest advertising since bees are good learners and would soon lose interest in such unrewarding flower. 4. Have each other’s back If a bee is itchy, another bee won’t hesitate to jump on her back and find the source, according to Jacqueline Freeman, author of Song of Increase. A worker bee in need of grooming will dance to signal her need for assistance until a fellow worker comes to her aid. In addition to basic maintenance, worker bees do not hesitate to share information about the best plants using a “waggle dance” to give precise directions. Bees, through complex and patient communication, work together to ensure that their colony thrives. Honey bees provide a model for precise, compassionate community that can be achieved only through attentiveness, communication and hard work. Though it can be difficult when our communities and work places don’t seem fair, if we absorb these lessons as individuals, we can foster them in others, and maybe someday soon we’ll figure out that dynamic and peaceful community is as simple as learning from the honey bees.-By Leah Wise
Grace Foundation to Support Vulnerable People
By Daniel Namwini Lilongwe, July 22, Mana: Grace Foundation is planning to support vulnerable people such as the elderly and orphans by giving them two goats and bags of fertilizer each so that they can improve their crop harvest and way of living. Programs Manager of the Foundation, Watson Kulinji disclosed the development on Tuesday saying the organisation will target vulnerable people from Traditional Authorities (TAs) Tsabango, Chadza and Masumbankhunda in Lilongwe district. “We are targeting them because most of the elderly people and orphans in these areas experience food shortage every year though they have land to cultivate their crops such as maize, cassava and legumes among others due to lack of 23:21:0+4s (NPK) and UREA fertilizer to apply to their crops,” Kulinji said. He added that male and female goats given to the elderly people will help them sell the off-springs after multiplying and pay school fees for their grandchildren and be able to support themselves without depending on others. Last year, the organisation donated five kilograms of maize seeds and 50 kilogram bag of UREA fertilizer each to 13 vulnerable families from the three above mentioned TAs as a starter pack to apply to their crops. One of the beneficiaries from Malingunde in 2019, Loveness Chimoyo who has five children said the initiative is very effective because this year she managed to harvest more yields than ever before. “I had shortage of maize in previous years but after received the UREA fertilizer which I applied to my one hector of maize field, I have managed to harvest more than ten bags of maize which I will use the whole year,” Chimoyo explained. TA Masumbankhunda urged other organizations to learn from the gesture shown by the Grace Foundation. Masumbankhunda appealed for more partners and well-wishers to support the charity work by Grace Foundation so that they can build houses for those elders and reach to more vulnerable people. Grace Foundation is a Lilongwe based non-governmental organization founded in 2016 to assist orphans, women and girls including people living with HIV and Aids and the elderly people in the district.
Woman Arise Brings ‘SHE MATTERS’ Meetings to Your Living Room
By Tikhala Chimpango Realising the impact that COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd has had on the BAME community. Woman Arise has organised a series of Virtual interactive meetings with aim of starting a conversation about the issues that these two have brought to the fore. Statistics have shown that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community are more vulnerable to COVID-19 which invariably has wider social economic implications i.e. work, poverty and immigration laws. Here in the United Kingdom, the BAME population accounts for 13% of the entire population for Wales and England. Evidence shows that not only are BAME community disproportionately impacted by health inequalities, the economic impact is likely to hit them harder too, with rates of poverty in BAME communities being twice that of other communities. We therefore invite you to join us as we start having conversations around these two issues and as we discuss how as a community we can move forward; becoming the bridges and at the same time addressing some of the factors that seem to impact us negatively. This call is on each one of us to start participating and building a better future for ourselves and the generations to come by having empowering conversations. We must speak. We are not going to say everything perfectly, we should all strive to become part of a solution one step at a time. Having a conversation about these is one of the steps. In this season, “silence is agreement.” We need conversations about race, privilege, apathy, and what it will take to become the bridge to a better future. In the next few weeks, we are going to have a series of Zoom meetings which will touch on Health, Moneysmarts, and Inequalities in our World. The first two are about our health. The first meeting is on 20th June, 2020 from 3pm to 4:30pm with Dr Maggie Nyirenda-Nyangwa as the Guest Speaker. (Click to Join Meeting on the Day). The second is on 4th July, 2020 from again 3pm to 4:30pm with Ms Thandeka Kasenda as the Guest Speaker. You can click the meeting description to link on to either of the Zoom meeting on the scheduled day or look up the details on the flyers within this article which have Passwords and meeting ID numbers for use to access the two meetings. Woman Arise Woman Arise mission is to serve women by empowering, inspiring, building and challenging them up through personal development and entrepreneurial workshops, seminars and conferences and our Vision is to see every woman rise-up, walk in their power and find their wings to soar. Realizing that she matters, and is worthy the goals she wants to pursue, whatever that may be. Below are the objectives of the organisation: to provide a platform and a network where women are accepted, embraced regardless of background, race and ethnicity. to provide a platform where women are mentored, coached, challenged and dared to arise as they follow and pursue their dreams and passions. to embrace and accept all women regardless of background, race and ethnicity to provide a platform where women get exposure to personal development and business mentors and coaches. to help women find the music that stirs their souls thereby start walking in their purpose in life. to mentor, train and build up the youth. to provide a platform for Networking. to challenge cultural norms and beliefs that do not serve women and the youth. to provide a platform where mental health and physical health are discussed. The organisation is managed by Tikhala Chimpango and Mary Kachitsa and has got three trustees namely Barbara Makhalira, Tamanda Kalua and Chrissy Mlota.