Malawi Leader President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has held multilateral talks with OPEC Fund for International Development, Director General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa as a side meeting to the on going Doha Qata Meeting
President Chakwera held talks with Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, Director General of the OPEC Fund for International Development at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha.
While commending OPEC for implementing reforms that have allowed Malawi to benefit from grants rather than loans, His Excellency has called on OPEC for further collaboration and to consider expanding the current OPEC financial portfolio for Malawi from USD 60 million to USD 200 million over 3 years, in order to allow the fund to be functional, in the absence of co-financiers therefore increasing Malawi’s potential to graduate to a middle income country.
Among other issues his excellency highlighted the benefits that have been reaped with the assistance of the OPEC Fund including the construction of Rumphi, Mchinji and Chikwawa Teachers Training Colleges; the construction of the Karonga Town Water Supply Scheme and the implementation of the Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme among many others.
The OPEC Fund for International Development is a multilateral development finance institution which was established in 1976 by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC.
*Writing on his Facebook Page , President Chakwera described the descussion as fruitful.*
“I took time to commend OPEC for implementing reforms that have allowed Malawi to benefit from grants rather than loans. I also expressed gratitude to commend OPEC Fund for a number of infrastructure projects and programmes they have facilitated in Malawi over the years.”
Chakwera says ; These include construction of Rumphi, Mchinji and Chikwawa Teachers Training Colleges; construction of the Karonga Town Water Supply Scheme and the implementation of the Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme among many others.
He said he has further sought more collaboration from the Fund by among things consideration to expand the current OPEC financial portfolio for Malawi from US$60million to US$200 million over 3 years in order to allow the fund to be functional.
“All these current and expected interventions from the Fund have the capability to spur economic growth and sustain our aspirations of becoming a middle income economy,” said the Malawi Leader.
Police in Lilongwe are keeping in their custody Nevas Chimphanje,26, for allegedly cutting down five Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) power line poles, also known as spans, and theft of 1,500 metres of conductor wire, all valued at K9 750 000.
Lilongwe Police public relations officer, Hastings Chigalu has confirmed the arrest of Chimphaje saying he was caught in the act by Katete Forest Rangers who were on patrol in Dzalanyama Forest Reserve on Friday, March 3, 2023 at Kaweche Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Masumbankhunda in the district
.
Says Chigalu “They found the suspect cutting down the poles using an axe, five had already been taken down by the time,” adding that Chimphanje who comes from Sinyala Village, which is within the same T/A Masumbankhunda will appear before court soon to answer theft charges.
Malawi has finished her tenure as the chairperson of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) at the 5th United Nations Conference on the LDCs underway in Doha,Qatar.
Delivering his endnote, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has challenged leaders in the LDC bloc to work collectively towards lifting each other out of poverty.
He said: “Our path to responsible development in this new world involves working together, leaving no one behind”
President Chakwera indicated that LDCs will tirelessly work hard to make sure that they graduate from the bloc .He said if all things were equal countries should not have found themselves in the LDC group but they willingly do so in order to find solutions together on how to to uplift each other on their way to achieving middle income status.
“The LDC is the only body of nations none of us want to belong to indefinitely.The LDC is the only body all of us are working to escape and graduate from”
The Malawi leader then exited the stage with a word of promise to continue helping the incoming leader of LDC to ensure that the Doha Programme of Action which is geared towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), becomes a reality.
Malawi gracefully exited the stage as the Chair of LDC having led this bloc of 46 countries for the past four years.
In most circumstances, when we hear street kids, we usually think they are dirty, they eat bad food, they wear torn clothes, and are usually smelly. We do not believe these people can be better in future. We do not believe they can be leaders in years to come.
We call them ‘ana masikini’ . We never want to associate with them in any way. When important people come to the country, we carry them like bags of potatoes and hide them because they bring shame.Life in the streets is really tricky and it iss about survival of the fittest where the weak die of cold, violence, diseases and hunger. But how shameful of us to treat street connected children without dignity and respect?. In this article, our reporter Chisomo Phiri caught up with Michael C Walker ( a former street kid) now philanthropist,computer scientist, marketing consultant, career development coach and a scholarship coach who help people win scholarships outside Malawi.
Q1. First of all introduce yourself?
A: I am Michael C Walker. Was born Michael Chauya. Professionally, I a philanthropist, author of several books, a computer scientist, a business development and marketing consultant, acareer development coach and a scholarship coach who help people win scholarships outside Malawi.
Q2. What circumstances led you to become a street child? And at what age?
A:I have never seen my both parents in my life. I was told my Father was the first to die, and my mother with all my 4 sisters and a brother took us into streets of Lilongwe where we became street kids by default, we were from a poor family which lacked food,shelter and security that is why we went to the streets. I do not know when I was born so I am not sure when I was born but I am a 5th born.
Q2. What happened to your parents?
A:They both died.
Q3. For how long were you in the streets?
A: I am not sure, but I was in streets since birth up to 2005. I was there for quite a long time that I thought that is normal life.
Q4. How did you survive in such tough environment of being a street kid?
A: Life in the streets is tricky, it is about survival of the fittest. The weak dies of cold, violence, diseases and hunger. The environment was tough because I was sleeping under bridges, markets e.g mchesi and area 24 in Lilongwe. In the streets when you beg and gets food or money gang leaders or those who are powerful take away your food. But I got tired of it I was violent that I rose through the ranks and I became a gang leader with my territory and businesses. I survived on begging, attacking people at same time not trusting anyone.
Q5. When and what made you leave the streets?
A: As long as I enjoyed the street life because I was born there, but I got worried about my future. Because I wished to be rich and be smocking. In 90s and early 2000’s rich people I saw were smockers so I thought that was life. In the streets, I saw that life was not fair, no food, no security, shelter and above all our future was guaranteed death or jail. I was not happy I wanted to change. Lucky enough my sister recognized me and took me home where I started a normal life but I ran away because she treated me badly, kept me 2 years without supper and not sleeping in the house and I went back to the streets but another sister came to my rescue and took me to Salima where my life changed.
Q6. What did you go on to do as an occupation?, Did you go back to school?
A: I did my primary school in 5 years. They made me skip some classes because I was very a genius. I did STD 1 and 2 while staying home and I did STD 3 a single term while staying in streets, after that term I went to STD 6 where I continued scooping first position. In college I did ICT at Soche Technical college, then Bachelor’s of IT at Blantyre International University, then later BBA at Exploits University.
Q7. Where did you learn to become a business development and marketing consultant?
A:My journey to Consultancy started in 2019 when I decided to develop myself into a brand. I combined my IT skills and Business Adminstration to make it a brand to be helping SME’s in business development, business plans, proposals, business models , sales and marketing strategies digitally or on site. I have developed most of my skills through online learning because much of the work I do I did not learn in school.
Q8. Who do you do your consultancy with?
A: As a business of a one man band cannot survive for long, but with the one with business systems and workforce it can. I have a team of 2 people. Anganile Lwesha who handles most of career development programs, and Ghaddson Standy who handles Digital marketing, business plans and proposals.
Q9. Does your Facebook page assist you to get business?
A: My Facebook page Michael W Chauya, is a powerful tool, and a brand as well as a school. I normally post personal finance, business development, sales, marketing and career development lessons for people who love success in these fields. Much of my clients find me through social media, my Facebook page, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Q10. Heard you are also an author, what is the title of the first book you wrote? And When was it written?
A: My first book is Top Money Making Ideas You Can Try Today. It was written in 2022. It is a book with business ideas that can work anywhere despite an economic crisis.
Q11. What inspired you to write the book?
A: Throughout my work as a consultant, many people have been approaching me or just seeing them on social media asking. I have 200,000 what business idea I can do? And I felt pity when covid hit a lot which led to the closure of SME’s. With these happenings, I decided to help by writing a book with business plans and industries that work.
Q12. What is the title of the second and also when was it written?
A: My second book is also a business book, but targeting 6 to 11 years old children. The book is titled “How to earn money as a kid”. It is a version of business ideas that children can do to earn money. My understanding is children must learn we don’t grow money but we make them. It was written in 2022 as well.
Q13. Where are they being sold and at how much?
A : Currently I am selling in ebooks and hard copies. When one wants to buy they get my contacts to get in touch. Both eBooks are at k2,000 and hard copies at k3,000
Q14. Who published it and how many copies so far sold?
A:Pastor Kayuni at college of medicine published my 2 books.
Q15. Going forward, what are your big plans?
A: My plan is to establish my brand as a top 5 consultation company in Malawi in field of business development and marketing. I would want to help 1000 SME’s in 2023 to establish their brands and scale up their businesses to dominate the market. For my Facebook page I want it to be ranked as the most educative page in business development and marketing. I am also planning to release 4 more books, turn them into digital courses that people can enroll and develop themselves. Of course I already have how to start a business mentorship program.
Q16. Any closing remarks
A:People always tag me or mention me when street kids attack people.Here is my take.
I was once among those who were attacking people in lilongwe in those days from 1994 to 2005. What I know is poverty leads to desperate decisions and choices, if you live with poverty for long it changes your perspective towards good. Currently I am helping 168 street kids but all 168 do not go out of our safe homes, and they are not the ones attacking people. For those who are victims I am really sorry, I feel your pain.
To the government of Tonse and past Regimes, I feel they are failing and missing the solution. They focus on scaring the kids forgetting those kids are capable of anything and they fear nothing because they have nothing to lose. We have enough security experts in police they can allocate each other in the places where people are attacked. The kids which are attacking they are simply thugs. Chasing them in the places where they beg during the day, is not a solution as well. They just relocate to another area.
If the government wants to find solid solutions to street connected kids then they must work with NGOs which are specialized on these cases.
Police at Chilipa in Mangochi District are keeping in their custody a a 25-year-old man identified as Mphatso Baison, on suspicion that he was offering to sale his own sister at a price of K4.5 Million.
It is alleged that, Baison on March 1, 2023 approached one of the Community Policing members under Traditional Authority Mtonda and pitched a business offer whose commodity was his own sister.
The reporter tricked the suspect and lied that he was running out of cash.
Mphatso Baison
However, he took him to the chief before sneaking out and alerted the police.
Meanwhile Baison who has confessed to have wanted to sale his sister due to poverty will appear before court after completion of paperwork to answer the charge of buying or disposing of any person as a slave contrary to Section 267 of the Penal Code which attracts a maximum penalty of 7 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Baison hails from Chawanje Village in the area of Traditional Authority Ganya in Ntcheu.
