LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Dowa South East constituency, Halima Daudi, says the Citizen Action for Local Government Accountability (CALGA) project will help her work better with the community when implementing development projects.
Daudi said this when members of a Community Action Group (CAG) and Community Journalists (CJs) in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mkukula engaged her to understand her development plans for the area.
CALGA is a three year project which ensures that office bearers and local councils are transparent and accountable to people through the formation of CAGs and identification of Community Journalists (CJs).
The project is being implemented in Dowa and Ntchisi districts by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe with support from Irish Aid through Dan Church Aid (DCA).
Following the engagement meeting, Daudi expressed her commitment to work with the CAG members and CJs to ensure that development projects fully engage citizens and are effectively monitored.
“I urge all the CJs and the CAG members to actively inform the community on all the work we will be doing together for this is what will ensure the transparency and accountability we all need,” said Daudi.
CAGs and CJs support communities by investigating the abuse of public funds and revenue for local development projects.
After the engagement meeting, an informal agreement on the implementation of development projects was signed between Daudi and CAG members and CJs in T/A Mkukula.
The agreement, among other things, will ensure that the CAG members and CJs will easily have access to information pertaining to development in their community and how funds meant for such developments are being used.
