My Nest

The time was well past morning. It was cloudy and chilly but with no drizzles insight as is usually the case in winter. The dust was still billowing up—at least that is what Lilongwe is known for, dust. But on this day, Salima beckoned me and at the mention of Salima my mind started wondering in all directions. I pictured the blue waters, the white sands and myself taking a skin-dip into the water. I have never been to Salima save for the time I pass through the district when I am going to Mzuzu. On this particular day, I was lucky in that I was in company of other journalists who are familiar with the place and gave me a briefing on what a Salima had in store especially if you are fun loving With jokes here and there as Mlaka Maliro kept us entertained, the trip seemed shorter than I had expected. The trip to Salima was necessitated by Media Council of Malawi in conjunction with Unicef who were touring some sanitation facilities in the district. We arrived after lunch-time and got

They may not look that bright because of the dust and also the dirt clothes they are wearing but for sure these pupils captured at Chisitu Primary School in Mulanje, Malawi, know that education is the key to a brighter future.Carrying exercise books and pencils in a packet of sugar--an improvised schoolbag, the sky is the limit, everything being equal. However 17 years since Malawi embraced the multi-party system of government and 47 years since it gained independence, many government schools are an eye-sore.Pupils still learn under trees-- that is if trees which have been cut-down due to population increase and need for more farming land, are available. Everyone says that education standards have gone down, but no-one wants to act to change the status quo.

Pupils at Chisitu Primary School in Mulanje, Malawi. The picture was capture during an impromptu break the pupils had following the noise from a rally that one of the Members of Parliament from the area organized right in the middle of the school premises. Classes were disturbed to pave way for the function.

By Sellina Nkowani in Vienna,Austria As the world has converged in Vienna Austria, global leaders have called upon countries in Africa, Malawi in particular, to repeal its homosexual laws that criminalize homosexuality and laws that also criminalise prostitution. Malawi was one of the countries that have been asked to repeal their homosexual laws. On drug users especially drug injectors, the world leaders said countries in Africa and the rest of the world should stop spending money on the police chasing and arresting such people, but instead channel the money to treatment and care for them. This they said will help countries to respond positively to the fight against HIV and accomplish the Universal Access to HIV care, treatment and support. In her opening remarks on Sunday evening, President of the Austrian Aids Society and Aids 2010 Local Co-chair, Dr Brigitte Schmied sent a strong message to countries such as Malawi to respect the rights of such people. “Treatment, not persecution,

By Sellina Nkowani in Vienna, Austria Funding for HIV/Aids projects in Malawi largely depends on donor aid and the situation will remain like this for years to come, Zeke Emmanuel, Health Advisor in the Office of Management and Budget in the USA has said. This is also true for the National Budget which also carters for HIV/Aids response. Emmanuel added that at the moment there is nothing Malawi can do to avert the situation since it has no capacity to do so. “You just have to be efficient in what you do. Focus on what is working and stop wasting resources on what is failing. It is very important for HIV/Aids response to be result-based.” “One thing that governments are failing to do is to stop wasting resources on what is failing and direct them to what is working,” he said. Emmanuel made the remarks at the Reed Messen International Conference Centre in Vienna Austria, soon after Malawi representatives made their presentations on Global Perspectives and Insights—Elements of a country o

Two journalists from Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) Publishers of the Daily Times, Malawi News, The Weekend Times, have won regional awards for their articles on poverty, food security and social protection. BNL’s Supplements Editor Chipiliro Kansilanga has emerged the Southern Africa regional winner for her story, Transferring Cash to Reduce Poverty, which appeared in The Daily Times of March 1, 2010. Malawi News Weekend Editor Sellina Nkowani is the runner up for her story, Social Cash Transfer; Changes Lives of Poor Malawians, which was published in Malawi News, February 20-26th. Another Malawian Michael Kaiyatsa, emerged winner for Malawi, for his article, Cash Transfers Giving Hope to Vulnerable Women, published in The Sunday Times of January 31, 2010. The competition was conducted by Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP) following an intensive training it organised in conjunction with FrayIntermedia in five countries in the SADC region between the months of Octobe

“God will make a way where there seems to be no way and he works in ways we cannot see...” So goes a very popular song by Don Moen. The song is popular and been memorised by many especially when they are found in difficult situations, when all hope is gone. We silently sing this verse and believe that surely a way or a door will open. No matter how thick a forest can be, there is surely a way out of it. Let me say it here that I am not trying to preach but if what I have said has touched you or you do relate to it, then join me on this journey. In my life I have always grown up knowing or better still believing that if I am in problems, I need to call upon God's name and He will bail me out and often times He has. But, I also do believe God uses people to help other people. I have just been vindicated on this but unknowingly I have ignored this fact until one day when my way was blocked and someone, very unlikely showed me the way out. Richard Botol