Malawi is a country that is blessed with abundant fresh water from Nsanje to Chitipa. However, we note some dilapidated rice schemes in Karonga that are not as vibrant as one would expect. Despite having numerous perennial rivers and swamps during the rainy season, as well as vast irrigable land, we are always a hungry nation that depends on handouts, as defined in the social protection policy and often labelled as ultra-poor. In one of the social protection programmes, the AIP, you realise that there are numerous flaws affecting the delivery of the programme.
Firstly, we are not sure whether it is a lack of appreciation or merely a poverty of the mind, but affordable inputs are sold to those who have the capacity to purchase without subsidy. We hear buyers saying and informing each other that they have organised to purchase from the ultra-poor with no remorse.
Secondly, the pilferage of these inputs occurs through various channels, including the fertile calendar, and trading often happens at night, making every place a crime scene. Remember, law enforcement agents are aware of such situations. We therefore ask: what is the main problem? Thirdly, irrigable land remains ideal, yet no one knows what to do or what they want to do, so they ignore it. In this edition, we would like to ask: “What is Malawi offering to the outside world?” What we offer to the world is a reflection of our worth, and we can only be respected if our offerings are of good value.
Currently, Malawi offers nothing to the world. We do present our poverty, as we are being marketed as one of the poorest countries in the world. Whether this is to elicit sympathy or not, it affects our mindset. It impacts our energy and drive to produce. Any good product starts from conceptualisation in the mind. The narrative being projected globally is one of poverty. Images of our children featured in marketing systems and fundraising platforms depict poor and unhealthy children. We are still asking: are these poor images what we offer to the world?
Reading the newspapers daily, one might almost believe that another product we are offering is corruption. Every day, we read about arrests for abuse of office or corruption. What is worrying, though, is the lack of conclusion in the corruption cases. We have seen cases of corruption moving from government to government, and this has negatively impacted service delivery to the average Malawian. Corruption ranges from dubious procurement to the creation of companies that exploit free money.
As Malawians, can we sit back and show the world what we did with Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) funds? It was a very good concept, but it was grossly mismanaged. As a community, do we conduct audits of the resources that come to our areas? We have seen scandals in almost every loan fund created, yet very little is done. The stories we hear now about National Economic Empowerment Fund Limited (NEEF) and Mega Farms are the same stories we heard about Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDEF), Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (MEDEF), and the Youth Loan Scheme. While we are accusing the institutions of being politicised, we need to ask ourselves as Malawians: what are we doing?
As Malawians, are we putting in the effort to deal with this? The law is in place, but we consistently note that the institutions responsible for fighting this issue are underfunded and do not perform to the expected standard. We are concerned because we are aware of genuine applications that were referred back to the applicants from these institutions, while the funds ended up in the hands of politically connected individuals.
We are very worried because these resources are lost, and this has created a very negative perception of the lending institutions. We are uncertain whether this money will ever be recovered. We can only urge the government to address this issue and ensure that the institutions responsible for managing resources at all levels are held accountable and manage those resources effectively. These resources are meant for all Malawians, not just a select few.
Let us not forget the cause for women as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) convenes from 9 to 21 March 2026 under the theme of access to justice. We want to bring to the attention of all actors that we focus especially on access to justice for survivors of child sexual abuse and many other forms of gender-based violence (GBV).
The peaceful coexistence of men and women is fundamental and needs to be promoted; therefore, access to justice will be a key aspect of this endeavour. We are aware of the many cases regarding access to justice for young girls, including access to post-case services. The courts, police, social services, and the handling of cultural values are among the critical aspects that we need to address at all levels to support survivors. More research needs to be conducted into the various aspects of the work we are doing.
Have a wonderful March!
