Apart from being known to the outside world as the warm heart of Africa, Malawi is also regarded as one of the God fearing nations.This the more reason President Lazarus McCarthy, took time on Saturday to thank God for taking this country through troubled times.
Speaking at a function called Big Sabbath, Church of the Seventh Day Adventist which was taking place at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe, President Chakwera said although Malawi has gone through some difficult periods in its history, in each of those moments God has seen this country through.
He said: “As you can see, Man of God, the Lord has been taking our nation through multiple tests, but his words have always been with us because his favours rests on us”.
President Chakwera thanked the Seventh Day Adventist church for its contribution to this country.
The Seventh Day church is one of the biggest christian denominations in the country.
On every good thing someone is doing motivation remains a big thing. Any hard work requires motivation.
This is exactly the reason why President Dr Lazarus Chakwera on Friday, July 14th, expressed his gratitude to the social enterprises awarded during 2023 Zikomo Presidential Awards, saying their service to the country is bringing in solutions to social problems and reducing the culture of dependency in the country.
Speaking at this year’s Zikomo Award presentation ceremony, Chakwera applauded the awardees for choosing to be part of the solution rather than creating a problem to gain a political capital or a platform to earn money.
The President said their achievements are worth celebrating as they refused to stand aside and engage in figure pointing at who is responsible for the country’s social problems or choose to stand in the way of those who want to help Malawi but rather bring solutions themselves through their innovations.
He urged them to continue their service to the nation as they have chosen to be part of those building a new Malawi whose building is in progress.
The 2023 Zikomo Presidential Awards awardees have been providing solutions through their services such as water supply, food security initiatives, youth employment, improving refugees living conditions, health and girl child education among others.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza said the awarded social enterprises have improved the wellbeing of both rural and urban communities and are promoting the spirit of self-reliance as highlighted in the Malawi 2063.
She said government is committed to supporting their innovations as they positively impact Malawians.
Some of the 2023 Zikomo Presidential Awards recipients include Napoleon Dzombe, Uchembele Wabwino, BASEflow, KIBEBE, Tingathe, ACADES, Henga-Phoka and Tengani Water User’s Associations among others.
-I’m therefore not withdrawing on the basis of endorsements showered on our Party President.
One of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential aspirants Dr Paul Gadama has maintained his earlier position, saying he will still compete at the convention despite others endorsing former president Peter Mutharika
Gadama said he is aware of what is happening in the party, especially seeing some people endorsing Mutharika, but he was quick to say that the development doesn’t bar anyone from contesting.
“Yes, I will contest. The DPP is maturing. The politics being practiced clearly shows that the party is transitioning. Democracy entails freedoms. Endorsements in politics by a group or individuals show that these freedoms are safeguarded. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with the endorsements for APM by some quarters or party followers,” he said.
Gadama
Gadama said the endorsements do not necessarily constitute President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s stand to contest or not.
“If APM hinted as to his stand in this regard, my candidature would’ve been reconsidered. Without that, I take it the same way if other quarters endorse me or any candidate in the party. I’m therefore not withdrawing on the basis of endorsements showered on our Party President,”he said.
Gadama admitted that he did not attend the NGC meeting because he was out of the country.
Asked if such endorsement created fear in him, Gadama said not at all. He said the endorsements have never shaken him. “I have only been interested and following keenly,” he said.
As part of promoting hygiene in the country, a Lilongwe- based youth group led by Ambassadors Charity Trust (ACT) on Tuesday launched a project under Lilongwe City Waste Management Project called “Lilongwe City NYASI MAYAZI.”
Speaking after the general sweeping exercise in the Malawi’s capital city, the Nyasi Mayazi movement chair, Connie Lulanga said they would like to make Lilongwe Bus Depot as an example that it is possible to have Clean cities in Malawi.
He said the initiative is also one way of contributing to the actualization of MW2063 as youths.
A representative from Lilongwe City Council Grant Kusamba appreciated the gesture from the youths saying, the project will help them as the city council to effectively manage sanitation and proper waste management in Lilongwe Town, hence making the city look more beautiful.
As part of ensuring effective collaboration in this noble task that has been set ahead, the Bus Depot Community Policing chair, Alex M’baya expressed his excitement to work with this youth grouping to ensure that the Bus Depot is always tidy.
The chair emphasized that they will take full responsibility to ensure that people do not litter everwhere in the Bus Depot.
Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Friday honoured distinguished social enterprise through Zikomo Award at a function which took place at State House in Lilongwe.
Speaking during the function Chakwera said he was happy to gather to express gratitude to members of society who have distinguished themselves by their service to Malawi and its people.
The President said in this third instalment of the Zikomo Presidential Awards, he thought it appropriate to honour some of our nation’s outstanding social entrepreneurs and the social enterprises they lead to provide solutions to some of the social challenges Malawi faces.
“Social enterprises are admirable because of their pursuit of sustainable solutions that build self-reliance and reduce the culture of dependence that is often associated with other kinds of interventions,” he said.
Chakwera said fundamentally, the remarkable individuals who established and who run these social enterprises have rejected three retrogressive paths they could have easily taken in response to the social problems seen around the country.
Said President Chakwera: “Whether it is the social problem of water inaccessibility that is being addressed by awardees like Baseflow, Tengani Water Users Association, and Henga-Phoka Water Users Association; or the social problem of three food insecurity that is being addressed by awardees like the School of Agriculture for Family Independence, ND Madalitso Food Plant, and ACADES; or the social problem of poor access to healthcare services that is being addressed by awardees like Blessings Hospital, Partners in Hope, Uchembere Wabwino, Micromek Limited, and Wandikweza; or the social problem of youth unemployment that is being addressed by awardees like Mtalimanja Holdings and Tingathe; or the social problem of refugee living conditions and economic needs that are being addressed by Kibebe.”
The Malawi leader said the first path that each of these social enterprises have rejected is the path of being part of the problem in our country, which some in our midst are very good at.
“We all know that in this country, there are some who prefer to create problems for others, who prefer to keep things in a broken state because they know that keeping Malawi in a state of dysfunction gives them relevance, gives them social and political capital, and in some cases, gives them a platform for making money,” he said.
Chakwera said social enterprises are driven by people who genuinely want Malawi’s problems to be fixed for everyone, so they just get up off their feet every day and work with others to provide solutions. And tonight we celebrate that.
