Dear Readers,
We are in May 2026 and it’s time to start reflecting seriously on our Malawi 2063 Agenda that aims to transform Malawi into an inclusively wealthy, self-reliant, and industrialized upper-middle-income economy by 2063. We probably need to start asking ourselves what it will take and what sort of sacrifices we are prepared to make for the Malawi we want in 2063.
What behaviors and actions do we need to display and live to achieve the Malawi we want in 2063? What behaviors and actions do we need to drop and which ones do we need to adopt to increase chances of attaining the Malawi Vision 2063.
Recently, there was an announcement by one international partner on the issues of allowances to community volunteers and there was a massive rebuke to this organisation that its policies were meant to impoverish the community volunteers. Words and descriptions were used to make this organisation look terrible. We do not want our community volunteers and community workers used and abused by any organisation.
However, we also want to make these processes sustainable and contribute to meaningful change in the lives of our volunteers and community workers. Are we sure that paying allowances and transport refunds will reduce poverty? One critical question that we saw emerging is βwho is supposed to benefit from these initiatives?
Is it the implementing organisation or the community? We note throughout this conversation that as Malawians, we seem to not own these projects. There is so much on Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSA) and lunch allowances that obscures the need for the activity, session or workshop. We have ended up boycotting training because we were given full board.
We are not sure whether many of us understand the meaning of DSA or lunch allowance. In fact, the issues of DSAs and other allowances have plunged this country into more poverty. As development workers, let us reflect on the costs that we encountered. We should also reflect on a publication in 2012 by NORAD entitled βHunting for Per Diems: Uses and Abuses of Travel Compensation in Three Developing Countries – 2012β which unfortunately spells out what our development partners think about us.
Emphasizing the point that these allowances will not lead to achieving the Malawi Vision 2063 is the test that the Trump Administration has put on the many developing countries in his infamous Executive Orders. In less than 24 hours, government health budgets that were hefty with huge salaries, field allowances and stipends for our community budgets crumbled and the big organisations were humbled and brought to their knees. Our community workers that relied on the stipends closed the shops and services crashed. It should be noted that our development partners study our behaviors, practices and actions to manage us.
They are very sure we will not think beyond allowances and stipends and will ensure that they bribe us with those. Even when they know this will not change anything they insist that we implement it and we agree because we are thinking about DSAs and allowances.
Let us imagine that the funds being paid to volunteers or community workers was transformed into something different – An investment Fund for the Community Volunteers/workers. Some projects have been paying a stipend of MK120,000 per month. It does mean that on average the project pays MK1.4m but given bits and pieces with additional allowances as lunch and transport.
Imagine the MK1.4m being paid for 5 years in year 1 meaning each volunteer at community level will have a budget of MK7m and the project was working with the volunteers to commit so much time while investing in a productive business.
This would mean an investment which will (a) develop a tangible livelihood opportunity that would sustain the volunteer/Community Worker beyond the life of the project and (b) the volunteer through the business engagement would create employment for others and may be contributing to the 1 million jobs.
This in our opinion would be more sustainable than the lunches, transport and DSAs we give to our volunteers. This would also allow the volunteers to own the programme and you could continue recruiting volunteers without allowance. Unfortunately, because we are not united to the cause, we think we will sustain our work with allowances.
Local CSO leadership has called names to this INGO and asked the organisation to do the work themselves. We have a different view. Most of the leadership are either Christians or Muslims and they volunteer too much time in Church, Mosque or weddings without asking for allowances and transport refunds. In fact, we have contributed resources. What makes Malawians seriously work and contribute to these social events at community levels? A wedding for example is a project that eventually benefits 2 individuals. We contribute our money, time and materials for this project that the critical beneficiaries are the bride and groom.
We do lots of fundraising for the project and it becomes successful. This is called βlocal philanthropyβ. Why are we not using this local philanthropy to mobilise the resources for the “Construction of the Girls Hostel or Home for Street Connected Boys and wait for some white person to adopt the home or the schoolβ? These are hard questions we need to answer as we move forward with Vision 2063.
What do we need in all this frenzy 2063 Agenda? Enabler 1 is critical and that is where change will take place. βThe Mindset Changeβ. Unfortunately, this is given little thought, no investment and no one wants to talk about it. We need a mindset change on allowances at all levels. Why are we giving people allowances?
Is another poverty alleviation programme? We need to begin to think differently.
A long time ago, we tried to hold accountable the HIV and AIDS Funds and were told point blank that AIDS money was not for livelihood opportunities when evidence is clear about vulnerability of women and young people to HIV infections because of lack of livelihood opportunities. We faced the chop from MCCM and we knew the reason while it should be the aspect of alternate members and of course the alternate member was a walk over.
This happens in many development engagements which makes sure that funding models are never questioned. 15 years down the line we continue to face the realities of HIV infections with current development show a huge challenge for the young adolescents. We need to change our mindset.
Have a lovely May 2026.
