By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza
District commissioner for chiradzulu district council, Francis Matewere, has urged World Vision International and other non-governmental organisations operating in the district to extend their projects period to ensure sustainability and that they reach many communities in the district.
Speaking over the weekend in Blantyre during stakeholder engagements, Matewere said the year ending 2023 has recorded a great transformation of people’s livelihood in the district as the results of non-governmental organisations activities.
“Government is overstretched with some other projects, therefore, non-governmental organisations have done a commendable job in the year to compliment government activities,” he said.
Among others, Matewere said the district has recorded tremendous reduction of child early marriages, school dropouts, child malnutrition, health related complications, food insecurity as well as water and sanitation cases.
“Just in one traditional authority, over 35 child marriages have been terminated and ensure that the children are back to school. The beneficiaries have also been fully supported,” said Matewere.
However, Matewere expressed disappointment with the tendency of some parents who were still perpetuating the child marriages in the district.
Commenting on the issue, World Vision International Malawi (WVI) director of operations, Charles Chimombo described child marriage issue as very complicated.
Chimombo said unless the driving factors such as illiteracy, poverty and cultural norms were fully addressed, the issue of child marriages could be the thing of the past.
“This issue calls for a multisectoral approach to be addressed. Other beneficiaries do return to marriages due to lack of support both at school or in their communities,” said Chimombo.
However, the director of operations said inadequate funding from donors and emergency issues such as cholera outbreaks and cyclones have impacted some strides in the years.
According to Chimombo, the stakeholders meeting was organised to take stock of how the christian based organisations has performed in the ending 2023.
World Vision International Malawi (WVI) has been working across the country in the areas of Health, Agriculture, Water and Sanitation, Education and Child protection among others over the years.
