Stakeholders promoting agroecology interventions in the country have expressed optimism about the farming system’s potential after a field visit in Dowa district.

The visit was part of the practical session of the ongoing National Agroecology Conference, where participants on Wednesday, toured a Lilongwe archdiocese’s Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) project site, under Traditional Authority (T/A) Mponela, to gain firsthand experience with agroecology.

showcasing manure making

goat farming

compost manure site

One of the participating farmers, Catherine Masiza from Kadyamaliro Section, described the agroecology farming system as a relief to the rising cost of farm input and the degraded soils.

‘’I have seen some impact of the agroecology; in my garden I no longer buy fertilizer to apply as the soils have been improved through the use of compost manure.’’ She explained.

A member of the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) and a farmer from Eko Tione Farms, Tione Matthews Pwandapwanda, who are among the stakeholders, emphasized the crucial role of practical field visits in promoting agroecology.

“For us to encourage people, we need to show them what is working on the ground, the field visit was a deliberate effort to provide participants with an opportunity to witness what others are already doing, thereby helping them appreciate the importance of agroecology,” he said.

Pwandapwanda expressed his positive impression of the work at Mponela EPA, highlighting the special household gardens and the use of seed banks, where he observed farmers conserving and storing seeds for the next season using traditional, local methods.

“This is very impressive, and it is in line with the agroecology principles,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Agricultural Extension Development Officer for the Kadyamaliro Section under Mponela EPA, Ephraim Mlamba, praised CADECOM for aligning its project with government agricultural policies.

“This project is very important to us and also to farmers because as the Malawi government, we are encouraging farmers to do integrated household farming and also use of organic fertilizers, So CADECOM has brought that in another way of agroecology. So, it’s very useful and it’s very important,” Mlamba said.

CADECOM’s Acting Secretary, Madalitso Chilalire, described the event an eye-opener as it has helped them identify areas for improvement.

“Today’s event was mainly the practical part of the 2025 National Agroecology Conference, whereby participants decided to have an experiential learning or to experience what agroecology really looks like on the ground,” he said.

Discussions focused on various aspects of agroecology, including constructing goat sheds, improving plant interrelations, compost manure making, establishing seed banks and the use of biological pesticides.

Chilalire expressed great satisfaction with the level of adoption among farmers, which has exceeded their initial expectations.

“A number of farmers have adopted, and some are doing it even though they are not part of the project,” he said.

He added that while each CADECOM agroecology champion is responsible for training nine farmers, many have exceeded this number due to high demand and positive results.

“We are in good shape; we are heading in the right direction,” Chilalire concluded.

CADECOM is implementing the project in Dowa and Ntchisi districts with funding from NCA-DCA alliance, with the aim of promoting transition toward more sustainable, integrated, and resilient farming.

By Lester Mhone

The Holy Childhood Coordinator for the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) Office of the Archdiocese of Boston in the United States of America, Daria Braithwaite, has concluded her first mission experience visit to Salima Parish in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.

During her visit, Daria engaged with various stakeholders, including Christians, catechists, and school administrators, to understand the challenges and successes of the church’s mission in the area.

During the visit at St. Gabriel Outstation (Katelera Zone), which has over 3,672 Christians, Daria heard about the challenges faced by the community.

“The number of Christians is always growing here at St. Gabriel, and that is why we have a vision of having our own parish based on the number of Christians and outstations that we have here. The coming in of visitors here has really motivated us,” said Lawrent Mkungula, the catechist for the St. Gabriel Zone.

Daria also visited Kaphatenga Outstation (St. Teresa) and a mission hospital, where Gilbert Mwasiya, chairperson of the church council, highlighted plans to construct a new church and secondary school.

At Kalonga Full Primary School, a Catholic school under Salima Parish, Daria was impressed by the school’s outstanding performance.

“In terms of our performance as a school, we are doing very great. But we have challenges in terms of lack of school blocks, office administration, desks, teachers’ houses, toilets, and financial resources to finalize completing the construction of the school façade,” said Mr. Mayingiso Tembo, headteacher of the school.

The headteacher also appreciated the financial support provided by the Pontifical Mission Societies under the Holy Childhood project, which enabled the school to construct a fence.

After visiting these places, Daria expressed her gratitude and joy at seeing the church’s growth and mission in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.

“I was so excited to see how happy Christians are here, especially children, and how they have welcomed me at an outstation even though it is not a parish, and also seeing different projects being undertaken here by the PMS,” she said.

Daria dancing with Servants of Charity members at Katelera zone, Archdiocese of Lilongwe

Daria with the youth at Katelera zone

Katelera zone give Daria a goat as a gift

Representing the Parish Priest for Salima Parish, Father John Kaliwamba described the visit as a motivation to the Christians.

“We are happy about the visit by the PMS from the Boston Archdiocese to see and hear some of our successful stories as far as evangelization is concerned and also to hear from us the gaps that are there in our different mission areas and schools.”

The visit is part of the mission experience program for the PMS office from the Boston Archdiocese, aimed at fostering collaboration and understanding between different Catholic communities.

Written By Titus Jata Phiri

Photo Credit: Eric Norman Mkwaira

The Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) has officially handed over eight newly constructed water kiosks to Area 45 in Lilongwe. This development is set to provide clean and safe water to over 5,000 residents.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, LWB Board Chairperson Inkosi ya Makosi Mbelwa V stated that the kiosks were built at a cost of over 20 million Kwacha.

“This potable and clean water will help the people of this area overcome the challenges they previously faced due to unclean water,” said Inkosi Mbelwa V.

The Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, who served as the guest of honor, commended the board’s initiative and emphasized the importance of clean water in promoting public health.

“Water is a critical component in preventing many diseases. The arrival of clean water in this area will help reduce the spread of illnesses such as cholera and COVID-19,” she stated. Cholera had severely affected the area in 2022.

Welcoming the development, Lilongwe Likuni Member of Parliament and Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza, urged residents to safeguard the kiosks to ensure long-term benefits for the community.

She noted that the initiative reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to clean water and sanitation across the country.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Fane Nawene, expressed her gratitude for the kiosks, saying that access to clean water will help protect them from diseases caused by unsafe and contaminated water.

By Monica Chinyama Lipiya

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has reaffirmed its commitment in ensuring that Malawi hosts free, fair, and credible elections by making sure that peace prevails across the country.

This commitment has been made during a training of trainers’ academy on electoral management skills in Lilongwe, ahead of the 16 September general elections.

CCJP Programs Officer Gollie Khonje, highlighted that CCJP believes preventing conflicts and ensuring everyone’s participation in free and fair elections is crucial for the nation.

“We believe that conflict can arise from embedded issues that have happened before and are also happening now. So, we believe if we pinpoint those issues, we can be able to prevent violence,” explained Khonje.

Khonje called for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders if the nation is to achieve its goal of having free, fair, and violence-free elections, observing the current state of peace as worrisome.

“I think we’re not doing well. I would say there’s more that we need to do to prevent any escalation beyond this point. So, we believe if indeed we can take part in this, any initiatives that are there, we can do it,” she added.

In his remarks, CCJP Acting Coordinator in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe and a participant in the training, Fletcher Mbewe, expressed confidence that the knowledge gained will help them sensitize communities on the need for peace.

“As you know, CCJP, we advocate for peaceful elections. So, with these coming elections, we are supposed to take part in making sure that these elections are free and fair, and also, we need to sensitize those people about the importance of them taking part in elections,” Mbewe said.

Mbewe then committed to championing the message of peace in communities to achieve the goal of a peaceful election.

“We have to go to the communities and make sure we sensitize them. So, as far as elections are concerned, they should, one, take part in the electoral process. They should also avoid getting involved in violent activities. And also, they should also make sure they manage conflicts when they arise,” he added.

As September 16 draws closer, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will on Monday, 14 July, launch the official campaign period, with a number of stakeholders calling for unity and tolerance among various political parties for the period to be violence-free.