The Copyright Fund of Malawi has urged stakeholders in the arts sector to utilize their talent to help the nation source foreign currency.

Announcing the winners of the 5th call for proposals today in Lilongwe, the fund committee’s chairperson, Robert Kapsyepsye, stated that talented individuals should start thinking beyond the country’s borders and market their talents globally.

“As you know, the economic blueprint for Malawi, Malawi 2063, is very clear about exposing Malawian products on the international market as a way of generating foreign currency,” Kapsyepsye explained.

“When we look at SADC platforms like Zambia and South Africa, you’ll see that the GDP contribution from their cultural and arts sector is very encouraging, probably hovering around 10 to 16%, while ours, I think, is around 2 to 3%,” he added.

Kapsyepsye believes that Malawi’s arts and creative industry is now ready to compete in the international market, thereby assisting the government in forex generation.

“The government is also implementing the ATM strategy, so arts can attract or complement efforts in tourism. We believe that if we encourage our artists to go out and compete, their work can successfully compete on the international market and generate forex for their own well-being as well as the sustainability of the Malawian economy. Therefore, we believe supporting those with capacity is a move in the right direction towards achieving Malawi 2063,” he elaborated.

Today, the fund disbursed 161 million Kwacha to 18 projects, bringing the total amount disbursed since the program’s inception to 430 million Kwacha.

One of the recipients, musician Theresa Phondo, who has been granted 19,091,600.00 Malawi kwacha, expressed confidence that the funding will enable her project to collaborate with an international artist from Kenya.

“I am very excited to have been granted this fund. The project we pitched involves my team and me going to Kenya. A Kenyan artist named Guardian Angel reached out and said he wanted to work with me, and he sent a song. I went to the studio, and we recorded the song. So, what we want to do is shoot a music video, not just one, but also another one in Kenya,” Phondo explained.

“We also have plans to do a joint event with Guardian Angel, co-funded by both of us. Additionally, we want to attend workshops they hold in Kenya, where they discuss the music business at a global level and other music-related content,” she added.

Ngale 42b Arts Centre, sustainable cape Maclear, Likoma secondary school and musician Dan Lu, are among the 18 awarded in the 5^th cohort.

The 6th call for proposals has since been opened today, where 10 projects will be selected to showcase their talents outside the country.

Educational institutions across the country have been urged to prioritize the welfare of vulnerable people living near their schools, thereby providing effective education and fostering the holistic development of students.

Perpetual Chimwala, Secretary in the Chaplaincy department at Chaminade Marianist Secondary School in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, made this statement on Saturday, May 24, after a successful charity event held at the institution.

Chimwala highlighted the importance of a holistic education, encouraging students to apply what they learn in school to positively impact their communities.

“It’s important for school administrations to involve learners in almsgiving activities so they can follow Jesus Christ’s teachings,” she said. “He said, ‘let little children come to me,’ so besides teaching them academic work, they also need to do charity work. This will fill their school and home communities with love.”

She further explained that while the charity work was initially planned as a Lenten season activity, it was deliberately held later to teach students that almsgiving isn’t limited to a specific time of year.

In his remarks, one of the beneficiaries, Davison Chimphepo from Chinkhoko village, expressed profound gratitude for the donations.

“I’m speechless. This is my first time receiving such gifts,” Chimphepo said. “This school is truly helping us by encouraging our children to work hard. We hope the management will consider supporting even more children from around the school. We, the elderly, feel encouraged and thankful to God.”

Through its Chaplaincy department, Chaminade Marianist Secondary School students, staff, and management distributed essential items such as maize flour, sugar, soya pieces, salt, and soap to approximately 23 elderly beneficiaries in the surrounding community.

By Alex Nasoni