Malawi

ICEIDA has a well-established relationship in development co-operation with Malawi dating back to 1989. It has been focused on Health, Fisheries and Education sectors. In 2008 there were 28 ICEIDA´s employees based in Malawi, therof seven Icelandic staff members and one intern.

 

From ICEIDA´s Annual Report 2008:

Introduction

A recent census carried out in Malawi in 2008, showed a population of more than 13 million, of which almost half is under the age of 18. The population of the country is growing fast, creating a significant and growing pressure on land use as more than 80% of the population are farmers engaged in subsistence farming. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries and remains in the group of countries at the bottom of the UN Human Development Index (HDI). On the other hand, the economy has progressed over past years, with economic growth amongst the best in Africa, and exports have likewise increased, especially in tobacco and other raw commodities. Nonetheless, Malawi is still far from being able to sustain itself and receives extensive and multifarious development aid. The main donor countries estimate that almost half of state expenditure is covered by donations. In addition to this, development agencies, organisations and individuals run numerous development projects in the country.

The country’s food acquisition is largely based on the cultivation of maize. Crop failure could have very serious consequences as demonstrated in 2005 when hunger hit many households.  Most of the current population has experienced famine; one child in four is believed to be undernourished and over 40% of all children suffer from stunted growth due to poor diet. Therefore, the present government of Malawi has subsidised fertilisers for farmers to increase maize production. Initially, this decision was criticised, especially by those who maintain that market solutions are optimal for developing countries. In the second half of 2008, this criticism subsided to a degree as it had been demonstrated that maize crops had increased through the increased use of fertilisers. Most of Malawi’s chief donor countries have themselves subsidised their own domestic banks and other industries due to the current world recession and are, therefore, not in a position to criticise state aid. As a matter of fact, most donor states subsidise their agriculture themselves. Many outside observers commend Malawi for its policy and contend that the “Malawian way” of food security is a model for other African states. In recent years, Malawi has managed to produce enough food, but only just.  Cultivation is a prominent economic and political issue in Malawi and has been heavily debated in the 2009 election campaign. One issue, which needs to be addressed, is how to improve the storage of corn as at present there is an annual depletion of up to as much as 30-40 percent of the harvest according to some estimates.  Furthermore, the aim is to increase production substantially through irrigation.

Although Malawi has in many ways succeeded economically, e.g. received good prices for tobacco and raw commodities, other factors counter this positive development, such as rising prices of various imported goods. Furthermore, deadlock in the political arena, characterised by disputes between politicians, has brought parliament to a virtual standstill for long periods of time. The dispute is mainly between the current president, Muthurika, and the former president, Muluzi. President Muthurika split with the largest political party where the two had previously been comrades in arms to form his own party.  In the process a number of MPs followed suit and crossed the floor. The ensuing rivalry has been quite bitter at times. Foreign observers have closely followed the election preparations in Malawi and many think it most important that the elections are credible, not least in the light of the state of affairs in neighbouring countries, such as Zimbabwe and Kenya. Voters´ registration was by and large successfully conducted in 2008. An electoral committee has been operating under close scrutiny to ensure transparency.  The election and its preparation is financed to a substantial degree by the major donor states.

In recent years, Malawi has enjoyed increasing goodwill of states providing development aid. This can be attributed to the fact that despite political disputes the economy has been stable and economic growth impressive. In addition, certain steps have been taken towards improved governance. The ratio of development aid in the country’s economy remains very high and will stay high in the foreseeable future.  It is evident to anyone living and working in Malawi that there is still much work to be done to secure improved living conditions, health and education for the people. In certain areas, Malawi makes progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals and in other areas these goals will not be reached in the foreseeable future. Malawi’s future is uncertain but could improve with more stability in the political arena, with the elections conducted in a credible manner and if the economy continues to grow. The country’s infrastructure is nonetheless extremely weak, roads poor, the power grid prone to failure, health service defective and human resources meagre.  Only just over half of the children complete primary education, with less than 10% going on to secondary school. For the majority, infant mortality is the hardest to bear, along with one of the highest ratios of childbirth mortality in the world. The leading causes of death in children are malaria, respiratory illnesses and undernourishment. HIV infection is common and claims many lives with an estimate of up to 14% of the population infected. In many places access to clean water is limited and every year there is an outbreak of cholera.

 

ICEIDA’s Development Cooperation

In 2009, 20 years will have passed since Iceland started its development cooperation with Malawi. ICEIDA’s activities are concentrated mainly in the Mangochi District, especially the Monkey Bay area, with projects in the field of education, health, fisheries and water and sanitation. Malawi was, in 2008, as in previous years, ICEIDA’s single largest recipient, receiving around 23% of the total financial support.

In April, Stefán Jón Hafstein took over from Skafti Jónsson as Country Director in Malawi. Two new project managers were hired: in February a new project manager took over the health project and in March a new project manager commenced work in the field of water and sanitation. An intern was employed for six months and a special administrator to the office employed on a temporary basis throughout the year. Locally employed full-time staff of ICEIDA totalled 19 with an additional core of up to 20 provisional local workers.

Icelandic and foreign consultants for various projects, as well as staff from ICEIDA’s head office in Reykjavík and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, visited Malawi in the first half of the year. Furthermore, a delegation from the primary school Mýrarhúsaskóli visited its sister school in Monkey Bay, the primary school Namazizi. One student doing his masters in development studies did his research project in Monkey Bay with the support of ICEIDA.

 

Support to the Health Sector

ICEIDA and the Government of Malawi (GoM) have collaborated within the Monkey Bay Health Zone Area since the year 2000, when ICEIDA began supporting the Monkey Bay Health Centre, which gradually became the Monkey Bay Community Hospital (MBCH). Prior to ICEIDA’s commitment to the area, health care was rudimentary and services were lacking. Now, eight years later, a health institution with a wide array of services has risen and is growing fast.

Some important milestones in making the MBCH a fully fledged community hospital, as specified by Malawian guidelines, were reached in 2008. The surgical theatre became operational on July 1 when the first C-section was performed. Since then 55 more C-sections have been performed and a total of 194 various operations have been done, such as orthopaedic operations, evacuations for abortions, etc. The utilisation of the surgical theatre has been good in terms of its intended purpose but some days have gone by without any surgeries as there is only one anaesthetic clinical officer at the hospital. Proper laundry facilities are essential for the good running of any surgical theatre. Construction of a new and improved laundry started in September, scheduled to be ready in 2009. In the Nankumba Health Centre, the building of three new staff houses was completed in the first part of the year.

As in previous years, ICEIDA supported various educational and training courses for the staff in the Monkey Bay Health Zone Area, including refresher courses for TBAs (Traditional Birth Attendants) and CBDAs (Community-Based Distribution Agents), cholera training for new staff in the zone, and surgical theatre technique orientation for health workers and support staff. One scholarship for further education in nursing and midwifery was granted and the project coordinator was sponsored to go to Swaziland for training in public health management in March-April. ICEIDA supports the operation of ambulance services in the area and of motorcycles for the outreach clinics.

Work on a new Project Document for the MBCH was initiated in August after an evaluation of the project in May-June by two consultants from the University of Reykjavík. ICEIDA is committed to continue to support the project activities in the Monkey Bay Health Zone Area until 2011, and will work in collaboration with the Malawian government towards the goal of making the MBCH a fully functioning community hospital. 

Staffing and a chronic lack of medicines are major problems at the MBCH but there have been some improvements. Staff levels were increased from one clinical officer, who is able to perform C-sections, to two, and the number of nurses increased from 10 to 15. Attendance at the MBCH is on the rise and the annual bed occupancy increased from 68% in 2007 to 77% in 2008. More people are accessing patient services, and deliveries by trained health personnel have also increased with the surgical facilities available. The Monkey Bay Community Hospital serves an area of 110,000 inhabitants.

In 2008, the planning for a new three-year extension of ICEIDA´s support to the hospital was brought to a conclusion and presented to the Ministry of Health. The main thrust of the support in coming years will include completion of new structures, such as a maternity-paediatric ward and an outpatient department. ICEIDA also plans to support services in the health zone, such as clinics and outreach. Furthermore, ICEIDA will provide consultancy and limited financial support towards maintenance and operations. It is foreseen that by 2011 the MBCH will be fully integrated into the Malawian health system.

As in previous years, ICEIDA supported the Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe, through collaboration with a charity organisation, Friends of Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe.

 

Support to the Social Sector

Adult literacy

According to household surveys in Malawi, older women living in the rural area in the southern region of Malawi, have much higher illiteracy rates than other groups. Since 2001, ICEIDA has been targeting this group by assisting the Government of Malawi by sponsoring an Adult Literacy Project (ALP) in T/A Nankumba, Mangochi District. The project’s catchment area was expanded in 2008 when twenty new circles were established in the area. Now there are 84 circles operating, serving more than 90 villages in T/A Nankumba. The average number of participants is around 1,200, mainly women.

A process review of the ALP in Nankumba was carried out by Dr. Alan Rogers and Dr. Foster Kholowa in early 2008. The results from their findings will be used for the future planning of ICEIDA’s adult literacy policy and they will also be included in the future work plan of the ALP.

A refresher course in Training of Trainers (ToT) was conducted for 18 participants from the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and from the Mangochi District. In the training, outcomes of the process review were emphasized and used as a focal point to promote efficiency of training participants in implementing ALP using the REFLECT approach. Two more students from the National Adult Literacy Centre in Lilongwe, which falls under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, were chosen to receive a scholarship from ICEIDA to further their education in adult literacy at universities in Malawi. ICEIDA supported the celebration of the International Literacy Day as has been the case in previous years. This year, the ceremony focused on education and health. Four ministers were invited to the function to draw attention to the importance of ALP.

Piloting of livelihood activities started in 2008 to boost economic empowerment of participants with income generating activities. Eleven groups were chosen, selecting winter cropping, goat keeping and poultry as their focus. All of them received training in management and technical skills.

Construction of a Community Resource Centre in Monkey Bay started in 2008 and continued throughout the year. The plan is to accommodate the ALP offices, library, conference hall, smaller rooms for seminars and staff houses. The building will be completed in the first half of 2009.

 

Primary schools

One primary school was built in 2008, St. Augustine I, in Mangochi Boma, which has around 4,000 students. The project was relatively large and constructions consisted of four school blocks, administration building, pit latrines and extensive renovations of older school blocks. The school was, in addition, provided with furniture that will be handed over in 2009. ICEIDA financed renovations of three primary schools, in Mponya in T/A Nankumba, Masasa and Malenga, which are closer to Mangochi Boma. School blocks, pit latrines and teachers’ houses were refurbished and the schools were given furniture that will be handed over in 2009. Bunda Primary School in Lilongwe was assisted. The community asked ICEIDA to support them in finalizing a block intended for usage as a science lab, library and for children with learning difficulties. All work was done by the community. Furniture was provided.

Less support was given to the National Nutrition, HIV & Aids Quiz Programme to introduce their programme in secondary schools in the Mangochi District.

ICEIDA gave support to the District Education Office in Mangochi. This included funds to implement a sensitisation programme for the communities in Mangochi to actively participate in school management and primary school education for the benefit of the students in the area.

 

Advancement of women

ICEIDA continued supporting the Society for the Advancement of Women (SAW). The focus was on the promotion of the rights and empowerment of women and institutional support for the running of a women’s shelter in Lilongwe for victims of gender based violence.

 

Support to the Fisheries Sector

The Small-Scale Offshore Fishery Technology Development Project (SOFTDP), a community-based project, was initiated in 2005 in collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries, now under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The overall goal is to aid in the development of an offshore fishery to allow small-scale fishers to expand their operations to under-exploited resources in the deep offshore water demersal and pelagic zones of Lake Malawi. The aim is to improve both food security and income of rural fishing communities. This is done by developing appropriate offshore fishing technology and creating awareness of navigational safety for the small-scale fishery on Lake Malawi. This will be concluded during the first five year pilot phase of the project. In the second phase it is proposed to develop the technology further and promote it to the fishing communities.

The project is based in the Nankumba Peninsula in the Mangochi District and has three main components: Gear and Craft Technology, Fishery Research and Capacity Building. For gear technology development, potential gear types were identified and their operational potential established. Recommendations from stakeholders´ workshops were carried out in developing safer crafts made from locally accessible alternative materials. The design and construction of two kinds of craft was completed in 2008 and initial results have been positive. In the latter part of 2008, fisheries research under the project was conducted during the economic fishing trials where fisheries biologists from the Department of Fisheries sampled catches. 

The African Development Bank entered into cooperation with ICEIDA in 2008 with the aim of strengthening research and share results. Unfortunately, LMAFDP had not started its part of the operation by year’s end.

SOFTDP continued to train the fishing communities in safety at the Lake. Training of trainers (frontline staff of the Department of Fisheries) was completed in 2007 but the last 40 received their certificates in 2008, of which 6 were women, or 15%. A total of 1,695 individuals in non-project area fishing villages were trained in safe navigation and first aid in 2008, of which 6% were women. This makes the number of individuals from fishing villages trained in safety navigation and first aid 3,123 in total from the beginning of the project, of which 8% were women.  Training in Business Management for small-scale fishing traders continued in 2008 in the project area. These well-received courses of empowerment have now been given to 739 beneficiaries in fishing communities, of which 45% are women. 

Development and rehabilitation of a fish handling and processing facility was carried out in the fishing village of Madzedze, which is a fish landing site close to Monkey Bay. In addition to an improved landing site, it is envisioned that the facility will be used as a training centre for post harvest fish handling and processing in the fishing communities in the future. 

The project was reviewed by an independent team of experts in 2008. Its findings and recommendations were important for charting the way forward for the project to achieve its chief goals. Main findings were that the capacity building part of the project had been in the forefront with good results but at the cost of progress in others. The main recommendations were to prioritize testing of developed deep-water fishing gear and modified vessels and evaluate their economic viability during 2009.

 

Support to Water and Sanitation Issues

The UN Millennium Development Goals on development provide, amongst others, for improved access to water and sanitation facilities in the developing countries in order to increase economic growth. Poor sanitation and access to potable water leads to water-related diseases, such as cholera and diarrhoea. Such health problems are more prominent in rural rather than urban areas. In 2005, ICEIDA received a request from the Malawian authorities for support in regard to improvement of water and sanitation facilities in TA Nankumba on the Nankumba peninsula in the Mangochi District, and subsequently a project document was signed by both parties in early 2007. Around 110,000 people live in TA Nankumba, with over 22,000 homes in around one hundred villages. There have been cholera outbreaks every year in this area, leaving tens of thousands infected and hundreds of lives lost.

The main objective of the project is to reduce water and hygiene-related diseases in the area. In order to achieve this goal both sanitation and sanitation facilities for the inhabitants have been improved and access to clean potable water improved. The aim is that by the end of the project period in 2010, sanitation facilities will have been improved substantially and the inhabitants in the project area been given access to potable water within 500m of their homes. The plan is to establish 400 water points (100 boreholes and 300 shallow wells) in the area rehabilitate another 50 and help most homes with improvement of their sanitation facilities, e.g. by erecting ecological latrines. Improved sanitation requires a new way of thinking and changes in daily habits and therefore emphasis has been placed on sensitisation, education and dialogue amongst people in the local communities. The project is based on requests and demands by the communities themselves. A water supply system will be established if the locals request it on the premise that they themselves will initiate transformation in sanitation matters. The project is therefore carried out in close cooperation with the locals who provide, amongst other things, labour and material insofar as they are able. The waterpoints will be under their ownership and the aim is to disseminate knowledge on how to build and maintain wells and ecological latrines in the area in order to ensure sustainability

Towards the end of 2008, around 120 shallow wells and 60 boreholes, as well as 8000 improved latrines, mostly ecological, have been constructed. In addition, ICEIDA established two solar-powered water supply systems. One of these serves three areas of the village Chabwera in the Nankumba health-zone and the other the health centre in the Malembo health-zone. The ministry overseeing water issues welcomed this ICEIDA initiative as solar-powered water systems could be a future solution in the rural areas of the country. For the duration of the project, these systems and their efficiency will therefore be closely monitored.

 

Gender Mainstreaming

Education is the key to improving the status of women, as investment in education and training for girls and women has high social and economic returns. However, access to education for girls and women is considerably more restricted than that of boys and men in most developing countries, and Malawi is no exception.

The Adult Literacy Project (ALP) in the Mangochi District places particular emphasis on reducing these imbalances in the education opportunities of the genders. It targets illiterate people of whom the majority is women. In Mangochi, there is a significant gender difference in adult literacy rates, with less than 33 percent of women in the area literate but over 72 percent literacy among men. Literacy of women is the key to improving health, nutrition and education in the family, and to empowering women to participate in decision-making in society. The ALP links literacy training to community development and empowerment. Information on cross-cutting issues, such as HIV/AIDS, family planning, gender, environment, is disseminated through drama performances, radio programmes, newspapers and easy-to-read materials, and guest speakers are invited from time to time to the literacy circles. The ALP also provides circle participants and other community members with opportunities for income generating activities through livelihood projects, such as vegetable growing, goat-keeping and poultry. In addition to being a source of income and nutrition, these projects also expose participants to training in management and technical skills, and, therefore, the benefits are multiple. Over 90 percent of circle participants are female learners. This can partly be explained by the substantial gender difference in adult literacy rates in the district but also by the fact that men seem to be more reluctant to attend adult literacy classes. 

Increased basic education of parents is a crucial part of ensuring school attendance of children. In Malawi, nearly as many girls as boys start primary school but the drop-out rates for girls are much higher than for boys. As part of its Primary School Project, ICEIDA has supported special courses that are designed to raise awareness among teachers and parents of the importance of educating girls as well as boys. School facilities also have impact on the pupils. The Primary School Project focuses on improving the learning environment by constructing and rehabilitating school buildings. Efforts are made to invest in gender-friendly infrastructure by building separate sanitary facilities for boys and girls, which is important in keeping girls at school because the lack of safe, separate and private sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools has an even stronger negative impact on girls than on boys.

A report from the District Education Office in Mangochi indicates that school attendance is higher in ICEIDA’s project area than in other areas within the same district, and it is considered that this good result can be attributed to, among other things, the Primary School Project and the Adult Literacy Project going hand in hand.