Tag Archives: Agness Nyalonje

Human Rights, Malawi

CDEDI dares Labour Minister Nyalonje on Oman’s enslaved Malawian women

Maravi Post Author

By Iommie Chiwalo

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is not relenting on the rescue mission to see the return of enslaved Malawian women who are stuck in Oman.

In a letter addressed to newly appointed Labour Minister Agness Nyalonje, CDEDI has indicated that despite a recent cabinet reshuffle, government business is not supposed to grind to a halt.

“We at CDEDI therefore, would like to believe that you have had an opportunity to have a proper handover, and therefore you only have three days left in order for you to push cabinet to approve funding for the rescue of our young women,” reads the letter signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa.

Namiwa says in case of failure by Nyalonje to passionately appeal to the Cabinet Chairperson who in this case is the President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera himself to release the funds to bailout the stranded citizens, it will be a call for action.

Lady abused in Middle East

“Anything contrary to our request, will force CDEDI to start knocking on the doors of the international community and well-wishers within and outside the country to join in a fundraising initiative to free these vulnerable women from slavery,” he said.

Nyalonje who has confirmed to have received the letter from CDEDI is coming into this ministry at the time when the nation is deeply concerned with the plight of about 60 Malawian women that are enslaved in Oman, in the Middle East and six others cannot be accounted for in the past six months.

And before her appointment, CDEDI gave government a seven-day ultimatum to intervene after noting with dismay lack of seriousness on part of authorities in dealing with the matter in the past seven months by evidently attempting to sweep the whole matter under the carpet.

The labour Minister has indicated that “still will have to follow up the matter with relevant authorities as it is beyond labour matter,”

In its letter, CDEDI expressed shock over modern day slavery after revelations that in Oman, where our women went to seek greener pasture, are called ‘shagara’, which means slave.

“As the name suggests, our sisters were bought by agents of slavery at $2,500 each. This is the amount of money that was spent on each one’s air ticket, visa, medical tests, police clearance and related travel requirements,”says Namiwa who apart from congratulating Nyalonje for taking up an opportunity to lead a crucial ministry and has also reminded her that the Malawian youths are still waiting for the delivery on the campaign promise of the one million jobs.

Education

Limbe Leaf hands over school blocks, desks to Kanjoka School in rural Kasungu

Maravi Post Author

By Mc Donald Chapalapata, Contributor

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company Limited (Limbe Leaf) last week handed over two new school blocks and 120 desks worth MK81 million to Kanjoka Primary School in rural Kasungu district.

The school, located in Lisasadzi area in Kasungu has a current enrollment of 1,112 pupils of which 589 are boys and 523 are girls.

Limbe Leaf has been investing in the school since 2017 to facelift the rural primary school to be one of the model schools in Kasungu district.

Among others, a Library was built in 2017 season worth K27.5million and stocked with curricular and literal books in 2018 for use by the school and the surrounding community. In 2019 renovation works were done to the headmaster’s office worth K26.7 million. In 2020 a 2-classroom block worth K68.8 million has been refurbished and furnished with 120 desks worth K13 million.

Handing over the 2-classroom block and the 120 desks, Limbe Leaf Director of Corporate Affairs Febbie Chikungwa said through the Company’s Agricultural Labor Practices (ALP) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, Kanjoka was one of the schools identified to benefit from projects that address issues of child labour.

“By providing a conducive learning environment, it is a proven fact that more children enroll and remain in school instead of the fields where they could be exposed to child labour working in fields. As a company we strongly oppose children working in tobacco fields,” said Chikungwa.

She noted that the solar installation to the library in 2019/20 has had a profound effect on the school and the community at large saying since Kanjoka Primary School is located in an area with limited and minimal access to electricity, students from the community have been able to come and study after hours leading to some students from the surrounding community day secondary school who were using the library at night to qualify for university education.

“All Limbe Leaf CSR projects currently focus on promotion of livelihoods through multiples sources of income and strict adherence to labour practices.  Some of the company’s projects to complement the ALP program include: provision of safe water, support for women groups, support of grass-root sports, primary education infrastructure and learning materials and sponsorship for university students. Through the Company’s ALP program, projects that promote primary education are central as evidenced by what we have done for Kanjoka Primary School,” said Chikungwa.  

Asked about the future of tobacco in Malawi, Chikungwa said, as long as Malawi produces a compliant and traceable crop, in a sustainable manner, there is a great future for Malawi tobacco. She said that is why, to ensure compliance, among other initiatives, adherence to labour practices on tobacco farms is one of Limbe Leaf’s priority.

Speaking when she received the donation on behalf of government, Minister of Education Agness NyaLonje thanked Limbe Leaf for transforming Kanjoka primary school to a model school in Kasungu District.

“We are grateful to Limbe Leaf for supporting governments efforts in providing quality education to its citizens and what you have done here by transforming this primary school is very commendable. As a Ministry, we are looking at a permanent pupil-classroom ratio. We need to get it to 60 pupils per classroom. For this school, Limbe Leaf has greatly contributed to the attainment of that ratio. We would like other companies to emulate what you have done,” said NyaLonje.

Malawi

Malawi’s education minister sent out of parliament for not wearing school uniform in celebrating girl child

Maneno Chimulala
Malawi’s female parliamentarians in school uniform on Tuesday

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Minister of Education, Science and Technology Agnes Nyalonje was has today morning been sent out of parliament for not wearing a school uniform as other female legislators did in celebrating the girl child.

Today, female parliamentarians are putting on school uniforms as one way of celebrating a girl child.

Among them are Cabinet Ministers, Patricia Kaliati, Nancy Tembo and Deputy Minister of Local Government, Halima Daudi.

The MPs waved standing order 204 yesterday, to allow for this dressing.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of parliamentary women caucus is expected to address the media on the commemoration of the African child.

The Lawmakers are in the 7th and final week of deliberations for this year’s National Budget meeting of the National Assembly.

Education, Malawi

Malawi Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 trashes teachers’ demand

Richard Kayenda

Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 has trashed the Teachers Union of Malawi’s (TUM) demands of receiving Covid-19 risk allowances, saying giving teachers the allowances will be going against the terms and conditions of the civil service.

Making the remarks in Parliament on Wednesday when she was presenting a ministerial statement on the reopening of schools, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Agnes NyaLonje, stressed that government will make it a priority for all teachers to access vaccination against Covid-19 when its administration begins next month.

“What you must appreciate is what I said before. Issues of conditions of service for civil servants are issues that are under DHRMD. As such, the negotiations do not just involve Ministry of Education as a parent ministry for the teachers, but they also involve the wider government machinery because terms and conditions for civil servants are uder DHRMD which is under OPC and there are safe ways in which that is done.

“The assurance given to parents cannot be complete from me because the negotiation by nature it’s like we are negotiating; if I was to assure them, my assurance is that we are committed to making sure that we  do everything possible to make sure that we resolve the issues between us and that schools come back to normal,” explained NyaLonje.

However, TUM’s President, Willie Malimba,

emphasised that teachers in public schools in the  country will not put their guns down if government does not consider their demands.

Malimba further said his committee will hold an executive meeting on Thursday morning and the transpirations of the meeting will be communicated to the general public thereafter.

On Tuesday this week, President Lazarus Chakwera held an interface meeting with the Executive Committe for TUM and he directed that the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 should look into the teachers’ demands on Covid-19 risk allowances.

Malawi

Malawi students back to school on Monday

Maneno Chimulala
Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda orders reopening of schools after three-week recess due to Covid-19

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—After a five-week break due to Covid-19 resurgence, students across the country can now afford a smile as Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 has given a go ahead for the re-opening of schools next week Monday February 22.

Co – Chairperson for the Taskforce who is also Minister of health Khumbize Chiponda has disclosed this on Wednesday evening in Lilongwe during a COVID – daily update.

In her remarks, Minister of education Agnes Nyalonje said Government has since given her Ministry K5 billion for schools’ response against the pandemic.

The decision to reopen schools comes following a drop in the country’s COVID 19 positivity rate from about 30 to 16.2 percent.

On 18th January, President Lazarus Chakwera directed the Ministry of Education to close all schools for three weeks after noticing resurgence in Covid-19 cases.

The students were supposed to go back to their respective schools after the expiry of the three weeks but the government extended it to 22nd February, 2021.

After reporting no positive cases for almost two months, the country had seen a sudden resurgence in coronavirus cases since the middle of January this year.

The situation left President Chakwera with no choice but to introduce new preventive measures to contain a jump in confirmed cases and deaths from the pandemic. 

The restrictions included school closures, a night-time curfew, and no gatherings over 50 people.
 
The measure came five days after Chakwera declared a state of national disaster in response to the spike in COVID-19 cases.

Health

Malawi’s education minister Nyalonje bemoans lack of potable water in schools in the face of Covid-19

Richard Kayenda
Agness Nyalonje (Centre) presiding over the release of PSLCE examinations results last month

Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—Minister  of Education, Science and Technology, Agnes NyaLonje, has disclosed that about 200 secondary schools and 260 primary schools in the country have no potable water in the face of the incessant pandemic of Covid-19.

Speaking on Friday during an interface meeting with opinion leaders in Mzuzu, the minister said after assessing the current situation, her ministry already has plans to drill boreholes in the schools as one way of combating the pandemic through regular hand washing.

“What we have decided is that instead of spending a lot of money on tents and providing tents as a temporary measure in the schools, we feel that while it may take a bit longer, it’s better to invest the few resources that we have in more permanent structures which can be done more quickly but also be as durable as possible,” explained NyaLonje.

The minister further said the ministry has been allocated K5 billion which will be used to drill boreholes, construction of 363 classrooms and recruitment of 3,270 new primary school teachers.

 In his remarks, Minister of Justice, Titus Mvalo, who is also a member of the Presidential taskforce on Cvid-19, said there is need for the taskforce to engage with community leaders and share with them their findings on the gravity of Covid-19 for the benefit of the locals.

Mvalo said: “The engagement with traditional leaders and the religious leaders is very very important because these are the leaders that are with the people in the villages, in church; everywhere, in markets they are with people and people listen to them.”

One the traditional leaders, Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga District, appealed to government to fully resource the leaders for them to be able to identify challenges which have come about due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the taskforce has advised that schools should remain closed for at least a fortnight so that further assessment on the safety of learners and teachers is conducted.

Education, Malawi

Malawi education minister bemoans limited space in public Sec. Schools as MANEB releases PSLCE exams results

Maneno Chimulala
Agness Nyalonje (Centre) presiding over the release of PSLCE examinations results

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Agness Nyalonje, has lamented lack of space in public secondary schools in the country, a challenge that has resulted in low selection rate in the just released Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations.

Nyalonge expressed her concern on Monday afternoon when she was presiding over the release of PSLCE examination results.

Malawi National Examination Board (Maneb) has approved the examination results as credible.

The education minister announced that 225 387 learners have passed the PSLCE out of 277 007 who sat for the exams representing 81.37% pass rate.

Nyalonje said the pass rate is the highest in the last five years. She has hailed the pass rate saying “despite the challenges that were there, learners made it.”

Nevertheless, out of 225 387 learners that have passed the PSLCE examinations, only 84 987 learners have been selected to public secondary schools due to limited space.

Nyalonje bemoaned the lack of enough schools in the country saying it has deprived many learners of access to secondary schools.

To address the challenge, she said her Ministry has made the construction of secondary schools a priority.

Apart from constructing new secondary schools, Nyalonje said that her Ministry is exploring short-term solutions that would accommodate learners that are being left out of the public secondary school selection.

She said while the government is building secondary schools to alleviate the problem, her Ministry is also looking at the possibility of open distance learning for secondary schools.

She said building schools is a long-term measure and there is a need for short-term solutions.

Those selected to various public secondary schools will have to report for school on February 1, 2021.

Malawi

Malawi’s education minister attributes poor education standards to rapid population growth

Maneno Chimulala

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Agness Nyalonje, has attributed the crumbling of education standards in the country to rapid population growth.

Her remarks come days after President Lazarus Chakwera pleaded with the private sector to invest in secondary education.

The minister says due to population growth, the country has had difficulties over the years to sufficiently invest in education hence the lowering of education standards.

According to Nyalonje, rapid population growth continues to pose as a serious threat in improving the quality of education in the country hence the need to tame it.

Reacting, social media users have asked the government to stop petty reasons for the dwindling of education standards in the country.

“Stop blaming rapid growth of population when there’s too much looting and corruption in the government imagine in 2020 ana akuphunzirirabe pansi pantengo while the children of politicians and government officials are sent to expensive private school or even abroad you gotta change the system otherwise we are forever doomed,” commented Chifundo Balakasi.

Rabson Hdc Nyirendah said “We will never develop when we keep on giving untrue reasons for our misery in the economy. You mean each country that has had an increase in population also saw its education crumble like ours. We need to learn to tell the truth.”

“The population growth is not the reason for our education to go down  in the country, but you political Leaders, you don’t care about Malawi, because your sons and daughters, are Learning in other countries,” Louis Kalilombe ranted.

So far, government intends to construct 34 secondary schools, a project that will cost up to 100 billion Malawi Kwacha.

Though it is a fact that population growth affects the quality of education children receive, Malawi education system has been crumbling due to lack of political will.

Some Community Day Secondary Schools are still using structures that were constructed haphazardly during the Bakili Muluzi regime and they are dilapidated state.

Many primary school pupils are still learning under the trees due to lack of classroom blocks as politicians are becoming billionaires overnight once they take over government.

 In terms of population density ranking, Bangladesh is the most densely-populated with 1,252 people per square kilometer; this is almost three times as dense as its neighbour, India.

It is followed by Lebanon (595 per km2), South Korea (528 per km2),

the Netherlands (508 km2) and Rwanda(495 per km2)  completing the top five.

The current population density of Malawi is 161.46 people per square kilometer, a 2.69% increase from 2019.

Malawi

Malawi government admits 2020 national exams leakage

Richard Kayenda
Biology-2020-MSCE-exams-paper-leaked

Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—Government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has admitted that the 2020 secondary school national examinations have leaked.

In a statement issued on 3th November, 2020, the ministry indicated to have taken note of the development and that the national examination body, Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB), convened an emergency board meeting at 5 o’clock PM to map the way forward.

Apparently, the examinations which started on October 27, 2020, have leaked with Agriculture Paper 2, English Paper 1 and Biology Paper 1 being shared by different people on the social media.

When contacted on Monday, Minister responsible, Agnes NyaLonje, expressed ignorance of the development and asked for more time before commenting on the same.

About 152 thousand candidates are sitting for the 2020 national exams which were initially slated to be administered from June 18, 2020, but were postponed due to Covid-19 which led to closure of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities.