ADRA, CAM raise awareness on breast cancer

By Elias Banda
ADRA Malawi and the Cancer Association of Malawi (CAM) worked in collaboration to raise awareness and advocate for improved services for those affected.  CAM declared the month of October as a breast cancer awareness month to put more emphasis on the prevention, early detection and management aspect of breast cancer.
According to Regina Njilima CAM Coordinator, breast cancer was posing a big threat among other cancers in Malawi mostly attacking women above the age of 40. She said however that men accounted for only 5% among those affected.
ADRA Malawi provided the Nzatonse Radio platform for the association to raise the awareness campaign which ran for three weeks. The first program featured one of the breast cancer survivors, Jean Pheluwa  of Chilomoni township in Blantyre who testified how she survived by seeking early detection and treatment. Though one of her breasts was removed, Jean said her cancer was completely cured.
Regina Njilima also said that the association was facing many challenges in the fight against cancer which included lack of finances to carry out outreach activities in the remote areas of the country. She said that due to lack of awareness on cancer, many patients on referral program declined to be surgically operated and some even ran away for fear of the medical services. She said however that the association put more effort to trace them and brought them back for surgery.
Njilima also said that the other challenge the association faced was that out of over 2000 cancer emerging cases annually, there were only two cancer specialists in Malawi making it difficult for them to attend to all cases adequately.  Meanwhile, the 2B Ward section of Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been set aside as a cancer make-shift clinic while waiting for the cancer clinic under construction in Lilongwe.
The Nzatonse Radio Program on the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is sponsored by ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social Change Program.

  

Reach out and touch for Mary

By Stanley Mpasa

Mary Chauya was born Amwalembe Village in area of chief Mkumba in |Mangochi District. She has a history of epilepsy. She developed epileptic fits after the birth of her first child and she fell in the fire on  two separate incidences and had her arms amputated. Despite her condition, Mary is looking after her old mother and her late sister’s children.

Mary at her house

A Trainer of Trainers (TOT) volunteer of Maranatha Cousnellors’ Club noticed Mary selling some fruits on the roadside and he was interested to find out more about a person who had no arms but could carry and sell fruits like any other normal person. The matter was reported to Maranatha Counsellos’ Club which responded by donating various items worthy K71, 0000 (about $190) to Mary.  The matter was further referred to the District Social Welfare Office for more assistance. The

Television interview

TOT project Manager appealed for support from the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC TV) to feature Mary on the Reach Out and Touch Program, a platform through which people with disabilities and special needs  ask for help from the general public.
MBC responded and featured Mary on the program. Maranatha volunteers further donated food items and clothes worthy K61, 000 (about $161) to Mary. During the recording, Mary narrated how  difficult it was to coped with life under such conditions.  “It is very hard,” she said, “ although the people around us feel pity and help, they, too, are poor and need to take care of their families.” She added that she is very grateful for the assistance she has received both from TOT and the community members.
After airing of the program, MBC official hinted that people are now making enquiries on Marys condition and there is a ray of hope that some may come forward and assist.
Meanwhile, the TOTs have also sourced K100, 000 (about $265) which would be used to rehabilitate Marys house.
The TOT Prooject is supported by Sweden to bring about individual and society change.

Mangamba HC in clinical MC breakthrough

By Lino Limbithu and Elias Banda
Mangamba Health Centre in Machinga has achieved a clinical male circumcision breakthrough after registering 182 referred cases, defying the traditionally operated circumcision by herbalists known as angaliba in local language.  In 2012, the centre registered 134 cases and according to Aubrey Kambalame, Clinical Officer at the health centre, the rise in the figures was attributed to the intensified campaign on clinical circumcision campaign conducted in the area. Mr kambalame hinted in an interview that last year three boys were referred to the clinic while unconscious due to excessive bleeding after a botched circumcision operation at one of the traditional initiation ceremony camps. Kambalame said the situation triggered a spate of fear in the community as it was reported that apart from their lack of knowledge on clinical procedure, the ngalibas used old and blunt knives when cutting foreskins and the boys were not given any pain killers after the operation and they were left to endure the pain without proper care.
ADRA Malawi through the Action for Social change Program collaborated with chiefs and health workers in the area and launched a campaign against traditional circumcision. ADRA Malawi also facilitated a series of community dialogue sessions involving all sections of the society to find a lasting solution on the matter and community members resolved to take their children to the clinic for a safer and clinically administered circumcision.

The Ngaliba and the boys captured at the Ndagala last year.

In September 2012, it was reported that over 60 boys were detained in the initiation ceremony camps known as Ndagala for a month after schools were opened for them to complete the initiation ceremony which included circumcision, putting education in the area at stake.
A radio program facilitated by ADRA Malawi  called Nzatonse was recorded at Mgundiwa where community members condemned the practice and called on chiefs to take drastic measures on the matter.  When the program was aired on the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) last year in September, it attracted a wider condemnation as callers participating in the program wondered why people in Machinga highly valued culture than education.
Nevertheless, a spot check in the primary schools around Mangamba Health Centre conducted by ADRA Malawi in September this year revealed that all boys within the initiation age were in school, signifying a tremendous change in the community perception towards value for education.
The Action for Social Change Program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Machinga, Mulanje, Lilongwe and Mzimba.

.  

ADRA Malawi donates clothes to needy women

By Stanley Mpasa and Elias Banda.  
ADRA Malawi through the TOT Project donated clothes to needy women in Chikwawa District. TOT Project Manager Stanley Mpasa confirmed the development and said that project counselors had identified 25 vulnerable women who received the clothes at Ngabu in the district. Mr Mpasa said most of the

A woman struggles to stand for her turn to receive her clothes

beneficiaries were above 70 years and had difficulties to walk. He said two of them were epileptic. The distribution exercise was conducted at Makande Seventh –Adventist Church, about 2 kilometers from Ngabu Tradition Center.

The clothes were donated to ADRA Malawi by a Blantyre based Good Samaritan Vivian Mwakalgho.

One of the beneficiaries receives her clothes

Receiving the donation, one woman who declined to be named thanked ADRA Malawi for choosing Ngabu for the donation and Vivian for the timely assistance.

She said that it was very rare these difficult times for an individual to think about others in this way and that God should bless her abundantly

ADRA Malawi heads GBV Committee in Mulanje

By Elias Banda

ADRA Malawi through the Enhanced Livelihood and Gender Empowerment (ELGE) Project is currently chairing the technical committee on Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the district ahead of the event marking the winding of activities marking 16 days of Activism against Gender Violence. 
I6 days of Activism against Gender violence is a global campaign  that highlights the plight of women and calls for action to end all forms of gender related violence. The event, which connects between women, violence and human rights was launched on November 25 and will end on December 10.

women are victims of wife abandoning in Mulanje

According to Andiyesa Mhango, ELGE Project Manager,  the GBV committee is focusing on rising awareness on highly reported GBV cases in the district.  She said that common among GBV cases are wife abandonment and rape.
She said that Mulanje District is alarmed with cases where men are abandoning their wives for no valid reasons, making them desperate to survive. She said that this has been quoted as a form of violence because many women depend on marriage for survival and the abandonment makes them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
Andiyesa also said that rape cases are higher in the district but hinted that the most common form of rape is that which involves younger girls. She said that there is a common belief that if a man rapes a younger girl, he would succeed in cutting and selling good timber from Mulanje Mountain.  Timber selling is currently hot business in the district and men have gone on rampage, raping girls in order to prosper in business.
In the wake of the event, ADRA Malawi and partners are sensitizing community members in the district. Recently, ADRA Malawi, through Action for Social Change Program (ASC) facilitated capacity building for civil society actors in the district to map out a strategy on the campaign.
The event ending 16 days of activisms will take place in Mulanje on December 18. The event will be characterized by speeches, drama, testimonies, dances and songs. 
The ELGE Project is supported by the Sweden and ASC program is funded by Denmark to bring about individual and society change in Mulanje District. The ELGE Project is being implemented in Traditional Authority Chikumbu while ASC program is targeting communities in Traditional Authority Juma.

Malnutrition drops at Kan'goma Health Centre

By Elias Banda

men and women participate during nutrition training

Cases of malnutrition among children aged below 5 have reduced at Kangoma Health Centre, East of Lilongwe City. According to Eliot Kazembe, Senior Health Surveillance Assistant at the center, the figures have dropped from175 cases last year to 60 this year, representing a 34.2 % plunge.
Kazembe attributed the drop to community adoption of food security and nutrition technologies mainstreamed by government and other stakeholders in the area.
Malnourished children at the health centre are provided with food supplements, including soy flour.   Mr Kazembe told the Action for Social Program (ASC) mid-term evaluation team in August that ADRA Malawi   ASC Program had contributed to the change. Since last year, ADRA Malawi has built capacity of community based groups on food production and utilization. Food utilization included preparation skills that would help targeted households to diversify diets on locally produced foods and reduce dependency on nsima(corn flour meal) as the main staple food.

some food displays after nutrition training

Kang’oma Health Centre is surrounded by 280 village communities and ADRA Malawi is targeting 60 villages.  The ASC Program is being supported by Denmark to bring about individual and society change.

Mzimba CBG build house for an old lady

By Heatherwick Manda

Flora Chiumia 84 can now afford a smile after a local community based group built a house for her at Pondaponda Village in Traditional Authority Mtwalo in Mzimba.
Flora is one of the vulnerable women in the area trapped between old age and poverty. Her husband died a long time ago and ever since, she had nobody to care for her. Her house collapsed many years ago and she has been seeking shelter in other people’s homes until she won the favor of Tiwonelepo Women’s Group, which constructed a house for her at the tune of K15, 000 ($57.7).

Members of the Tiwonelepo Women's Group

Tiwonelepo Women’s Group started in 2008 after widows of the area came together to advocate for issues affecting them.  At the initial stage, the group composed mainly of widows but now it has incorporated people living with HIV/AIDS ( PLWHIV) ,guardians of orphans, Village Savings and Loan (VSLA)  group members.
Group Chairperson Elizabeth Mbeya said the group was formed soon after its members went through communication for social change and advocacy training done by ADRA Malawi through Lets Fight AIDS in Malawi (LEFAM) Project two years ago. Currently, the group is collaborating with the Action for Social program helping the needy in the community.

Flora in front of her new ho

A few months ago, the group raised K40, 00 ($154) and invested it in chicken rearing business.  Part of the profit was used to build Flora’s house. Members of Tiwonelepo are dreaming big; they are planning to build their own office and run a day care centre for the orphans.
For Flora, the world has now changed around her and she said owning a house of her own was a greatest gift in her life time.

ADRA Malawi intensifies campaign against GBV

Certificate presentation at the function

Over one thousand people gathered at Chisitu School Ground in Mulanje on Friday December 16, to participate in activities marking the end of 16 days of gender activism for 2011. The event was spiced by dances, drama, testimonies and speeches, all depicting gender based violence.
Under the theme ‘From peace in the home, to peace in the world’ men and women sung songs against acts of violence that have destabilized peace in the homes, leading  increased divorce cases and poverty.
Speaking at the function organized by ADRA Malawi through the Enhanced Livelihood through Gender Empowerment Project (ELIGE), Traditional Authority Chikumbu who was Guest of Honor bemoaned the rising gender related violence cases in her area and called on men and women to take full responsibility to end violence. She said women and children become victims of gender based violence.

Simbota captured during the function

During the function, a drama show depicted how violence occur in the homes and the misery it brings. The drama also revealed a strong connection between gender related violence and HIV/AIDS, that divorced wives become desperate for husbands and the need for voluntary counseling and testing are often ignored.
During testimonies, sexual cleansing was mentioned as one of the outstanding forms of violence against women still existing,  despite calls to abolish some cultural harmful practices. The cleansing is done in secret especially when the husband has died and a man is hired to have sex with the bereaved wife as a means of chasing bad spirits in the wake of the husband’s death. If the bereaved wife refuses to do the ritual, the belief suggests that she would be victimized by evil spirits  that would bring calamities in the home.
Speaking to the gathering at the function Makweche Simbota 36,   who had been hired to do the ritual revealed that he had sexually cleansed 22 women in her village and was paid 1500 Malawi Kwacha ( about $9) for each activity. He said there were a few women he did not charge any money because he naturally loved them. However, he said that some of the women he cleansed died. Simbota expressed remorse and regret in his speech that he was involved in such activities.

Reacting to the testimony Traditional Authority Chikumbu thanked Simbota for being brave and open and appealed to all men and women involved in such practices to stop or face consequences if discovered. She however advised Simbota to go for HIV test.

A training session in progress for couples and chiefs

Another testimony came from Estere Baloni who told the gathering that she was married for 13 years and has 5 children. She was sexually abused by her husband for several years and later he divorced her.  She said she was struggling to feed and send the children to school. A few months after divorce, one of her daughters, Mary,   left her for unknown destination. The message was sent to her husband to help find her where about but he did not pay attention. Mary was found three years later working in a bar at Lunchenza and she doubled as a prostitute and was found pregnant at the same time. She was later taken back to her mother.
Speaking earlier, Andiyesa Mhango,  ADRA Enhanced Livelihood through Gender Empowerment Project Manager   said her project has intensified the campaign against gender based violence by engaging couples in health and family matters to reduce violence. During the function, 21 participants received certificates after undergoing a two –week long workshop as peer trainers. Participants included couples and chiefs. The trained couples are expected to train other couples and build their capacity to promote and uphold family values.
Andiyesa  said that her project is targeting girls and young women to support them with primary and secondary education opportunities.       
ADRA is also empowering women with economic activities through Village Savings and Loan so that they can be self reliant other than depending on marriage as a means of survival.

Fighting HIV/AIDS stigma

Reported by: James Masauko
Written by: Krystle Praestiin

Speaking out against stigma & discrimination

HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination viciously attaches itself to People Living with HIV/AIDS causing added grief and pain. Stigma and discrimination are rooted in misunderstanding and a lack of knowledge and it manifests itself in many ways including: being denied care during sickness, social exclusion, people being afraid to shake hands or share kitchen utensils, and even being denied employment.

ADRA Malawi through advocacy initiatives and strong partnerships is continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination- an issue that became vastly apparent to ADRA staff during numerous community dialogue sessions held in July.

A crowd gathers to watch a Drama protraying HIV/AIDs issues

We are partnering with key community leaders such as: the District Health Office, the District Assembly, Area Development Committees, Village Development Committees, and health experts to raise awareness on issues like stigma, to address knowledge gaps and to promote the rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS.


Currently, we are working in 25 Group Village Heads (GVHs) divided into 7 zones  and have been conducting community meetings, traditional dances, dramas, talks and video screenings. Our messages are about HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS prevention, the importance of testing, and disclosing a person’s status, as well as, the effects of stigma and human rights. We also have brought mobile HIV testing “clinics” to the communities far from local health facilities.

Mobile HIV testing Clinic

With these messages, ADRA Malawi wants people to no longer fear getting HIV tests or fear telling people they are HIV positive because fearing these two things is preventing people from getting help and it is also fuelling the spread of HIV.

In addition, our main aim is to reverse stories like the one about a woman from Group Village Head Chambala, who after 2 months of Anti-Retroviral Treatments was forced to stop because she was too sick to collect them herself, and no family member or friend was willing to collect them for her. Their misconceptions, stigma and fears prevented them from caring for their own family.

Group Counselling session

Sadly, this is just one story of many. Through awareness raising, knowledge gap bridging and human rights promotion ADRA Malawi wants to encourage people to fight stigma by respecting the rights and needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The good news is that since the commencement of these activities many people are now aware of HIV/AIDS issues including stigma and discrimination. We hope an impact will be realised as we go on working with different CBGs and stakeholders.

Literacy and Peace- Commemorating World Literacy Day

Written by Krystle Praestiin

She stood nervously in front of the microphone, paper in hand, smiled politely at the guests of honour and began reading her story. A year ago this would not have been possible for Ms. Banda*, sure she was able to speak but never did she dream of being able to write a story and then read it perfectly before a large crowd of people, her voice booming confidently through the speaker system. She told of her literacy journey, how she attended Adult Literacy classes and about her new found confidence in being able to read and write and perform basic sums. Ms. Banda’s simple act of reading directly from her hand written notes was a perfect symbol of the transforming power that being literate is having in the lives of many adults in Malawi.

Yesterday, ADRA Malawi attended the commemoration of World Literacy Day in Phalombe District. This year’s theme “Literacy and Peace” saturated the large school ground at which the program was being held. Coordinated by ActionAid in partnership with UNESCO it featured speeches written and read by women who were once illiterate, dances, music and dramas promoting the importance of literacy, and speeches by the guests of honour- District Commissioner Emmanuel Banda, Principle Secretary for the Ministry of Education John Bisika and Executive Director of UNESCO Malawi, Dr.Mkandawire.

This year’s theme Literacy and Peace represents the importance of literacy in upholding human rights and creating greater understanding and appreciation for issues concerning development. In a statement made by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova she states that, “Lasting peace is founded on a respect for human rights and social justice. Literacy, the foundation of all education and lifelong learning, is one of these rights. [It] is a prerequisite for peace because it carries multiple benefits, cutting across human, cultural, social, political and economic spheres.” (Quote taken from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002113/211318e.pdf Literacy for Peace pdf, pg.1).

Of the 13 million people living in Malawi, 4.6 million are illiterate. The District of Phalombe has the highest illiteracy rate of the country with 38% of the 360,000 people living in Phalombe being illiterate. Giving greater significance for the location at which the program was held. The program aimed to promote to the local community and leaders, of which at least 800 were in attendance, the importance of literacy and to show how beneficial being literate is to improving livelihoods. It was also as an opportunity to express publicly, Malawi’s commitment to reducing the illiteracy rate by 50% by 2015.

So far “3,021 students are enrolled in adult literacy classes, [in Phalombe] and this year 239 students graduated from the program (it is estimated that there are 8000 classes country wide),” says the District Commissioner Emmanuel Banda, “[if Malawi continues to increase adult literacy classes] using the REFLECT approach it will also assist children in school through the encouragement of their parents, who will see the importance of education. Literacy will also help to increase participation in and understanding of development issues, such as family planning [which will improve people’s livelihoods].”

 ADRA Malawi has this year adopted the REFLECT approach to literacy in its Action for Social Change (AFSC) programme, Danida/ADRA Denmark and its Enhance Livelihood through Gender Empowerment (ELGE) project, SMC/SIDA/ADRA Sweden. Throughout the world the approach has proven to be highly effective compared to the Functional Adult Literacy approach which tends to be more academic, because it is practical and relevant, as it combines discussions of relevant community development and social issues with reading, writing and basic mathematical skills. For example, during a class the students might choose to discuss and learn about how to improve farming. Students will then discuss this topic and learn to read and write words that are associated to this topic and to perform calculations (where applicable). As the classes continue to meet the topics will keep progressing until each student is able to read, write and perform basic calculations fluently.

ADRA Malawi is currently training REFLECT circle facilitators who will be responsible for facilitating REFLECT circle classes. AFSC programme has established 34 circles in 34 Group Village Heads and ELGE project has established 19 circles in 19 villages. Through this approach ADRA Malawi hopes to contribute to an increase in adult literacy and empowerment and ultimately improve the livelihoods of many community members.

In his closing speech the Principle Secretary for the Ministry of Education said, “Let us all unite during this year’s theme of Literacy and Peace [to stamp out illiteracy in Malawi].” Together with Non-Government Organisations like ActionAid, ADRA Malawi is committed to improving literacy and peace through all its programmes/projects.


* not real name for privacy

Campaign against gender based violence - World Human Rights Day in Mulanje District

“Commit, act and demand together we can end gender based violence” this was the highlighted theme for this year to conclude a sixteen -day global campaign against gender based violence. The campaign ended on Thursday, December 10 2009.

In Mulanje, activities marking the event took place at Chisitu Primary School Ground attracting over twenty village communities including those targeted by the Women Empowerment Project. The event was graced by drama, speeches, poems, testimonies, songs and dances. All of them highlighted the theme with appealing messages that violence of any form is an evil act and must be stopped.
Earlier in the day, village communities staged a big walk, covering about two kilometers. The procession carried banners and waved placards while singing, telling the world that gender based violence should be stopped.
Speaking at the function, the Guest of Honour, Mr Gideon Mothisa from Ministry of Labour thanked ADRA for championing the campaign and urged stakeholders to take a gallant fight against violence.
Mr Michael Usi, ADRA Programs Director commended all participants and stakeholders for the united effort towards curbing gender based violence and stressed that ADRA would be committed to collaborate with all partners to reduce incidences of violence.
Mulanje Police Station Officer, Mr Bwela said that though gender based violent cases are reducing, there is need for more community awareness as cases come in different shapes and sizes. He said that Mulanje Police through the victim support unit has helped to promote awareness and settling domestic squabbles.
Speaking earlier, WEP Project Manager, Andiyesa Mhango said the event was in line with the project objective to empower women and build their capacity through promotion of information sharing, promotion of male participation as partners in development and advocate for change when human rights are violated.

Author: Andiyesa Mhango

Violence Against Women Hindering Development, Says Agency

November 25th marks the day where international attention is drawn to the Elimination of Violence Against Women. ADRA Malawi as part of the International ADRA Network joined the United Nations in the commemorations of the day, promoting the enditnow global campaign, co-sponsored by ADRA, whose primary aim is to put an end to the global pandemic of violence aimed at the female gender. In the press release from ADRA International, a development project by ADRA Malawi, promoting women's rights, was highlighted.

Bellow the press release from ADRA International:

The deep effect that violence against women and girls is having around the world is not only stalling the development of millions of women, but also that of their families, communities, and entire societies, reports the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

“Although women are often the most vulnerable in a society, as mothers and primary caregivers their empowerment is essential to the well-being of their children,” said Charles Sandefur, president of ADRA International. “Protecting them from physical, sexual, or psychological harm is not only is the right thing to do, but an absolute necessity in reaching our development goals.”

In order to push for the eradication of violence against women, ADRA is joining the United Nations on November 25 to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by highlighting the enditnow™ campaign, a global initiative co-sponsored by ADRA whose primary aim is to put an end to the global pandemic of violence aimed at the female gender.

As part of its first phase, the enditnow™ campaign is gathering 1 million signatures from supporters in more than 200 countries and territories, which will then be presented to the United Nations once the goal is reached in order to drive attention to the issue and advocate for policies that will better protect women and girls.

To sign the petition online, click here. View the campaign video here.

ADRA is actively working to eradicate violence against women and girls through various initiatives, including the Keep Girls Safe Project in northern Thailand, which combats sex trafficking; the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Project in Kenya; the Stop Sex Traffic Project in India; and ADRA House, a shelter for battered women that ADRA recently opened in Romania.

Recognizing the role that inequality holds in many abusive situations, ADRA’s women empowerment projects also help women increase their role within their own families, gain greater control over their own bodies, and become a voice within their own communities.

In southern Malawi, ADRA is running a project that helps women in the Mulanje district understand their rights, improve their health, and initiate self-supporting income generating activities. By its completion in April 2011, it is expected to have benefited 11,000 people directly, and 33,000 people indirectly, including both men and women.

“The project helps men see women as partners in development, improving marital relations among targeted men and women, a factor that has proven successful among other rural families,” said Per Bolling, project officer for ADRA Sweden.

In southern Chile, 200 women from indigenous Mapuche communities in the Araucania region participated in a one-year project that improved their self-esteem, raised awareness on issues relating to domestic and gender violence, and taught them about gender equality and women empowerment.

“We would like to see Mapuche women as a central protagonist of the destiny of the [Chilean] nation,” said José Antonio Viera-Gallo, special minister for the Presidency of the Republic of Chile, during the project closing ceremony held in October.

ADRA is also improving the literacy skills and health of an estimated 2,000 women and children in a region of Bangladesh where approximately 90 percent of women are illiterate.

“Most of the women have never attended a class before,” said Elidon Bardhi, country director for ADRA Bangladesh. “Many have indicated that the project has changed their lives.”

According to the World Health Organization, violence against women and girls is widespread and comes in a variety of forms, most notably through rape, sex trafficking, domestic abuse, sexual assault, honor killings, female genital mutilation, child marriage, sexual harassment, and emotional and verbal abuse.

In the United States, one-third of women murdered each year are killed by intimate partners. Women and girls constitute 80 percent of the estimated 800,000 people trafficked annually, with the majority—79 percent—trafficked for sexual exploitation. In addition, approximately 100 to 140 million girls and women in the world have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting, with more than 3 million girls in Africa annually at risk of the practice. In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence, mostly involving women and girls, have been documented since 1996, though the actual numbers are considered to be much higher, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is recognized annually on November 25, is designed to raise awareness regarding the issue of violence against women. Additional information about the enditnow™ campaign is available at www.enditnow.org.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill

Manganya marching with Malawi Defence Force

By Michael Usi - Deputy Country Director/ADRA Malawi

I will always regard July 24 of this year 2009 as one of my best days of my life in my career as a human rights advocate and an artist because I feel I made an impact on the society in a different way, than usual.

On this day, I was invited to Mzuzu by Moyale Barracks, where they had a function with a theme; "A strong family, a foundation to a strong community," and this started with a march from Kaka Motel to Moyale Barracks, about 20 km.

This function was aimed at strengthening the families of people in Mzuzu, particularly families of the soldiers, the organizers of the function. This came from a background that the HIV/AIDS has not spared the Army, and with a strong family, it would mean a husband and wife remaining faithful to each other, and in the long run being able to avoid contracting the virus that causes AIDS.

This can greatly help the fight against the HIV/AIDS, and that was why I felt duty bound to honor the invitation. They considered inviting me as a human rights advocate and an actor, especially because of my roll in Tikuferanji. They considered that the role of Tikuferanji is also to strengthen the marriages and this matched with their theme.

During the march, Major L.D.G put me as a front man, so I led this match from Kaka Motel to the barracks, the venue where speeches were made.

With my stage title Manganya, the march attracted the youth and the old along the way to the barracks, and the message was loud and clear and spread to the communities that a strong family, is indeed a strong foundation for a strong community.

Most interesting thing was for the soldiers to be the initiators, because soldiers are mostly perceived by some people as those who do not care about their lives, let alone families, but here they were, able to spread the good message among themselves and to the community as a whole.

To me, that's a move in a right direction. Most importantly, the excited community joined the march. On arrival at the barracks, speeches were made and during that function, the soldiers honored me by giving me an opportunity to address them. I asked them to keep playing a role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Most importantly, they gave me an Army uniform and asked me to continue spreading the message about what soldiers are doing to strengthen the families and communities, and the effort they are putting in to fight HIV/AIDS. I do it on the television.

I wear this uniform during the acting of some of the ADRA Malawi acclaimed "Tikuferanji" TV programs, that I also direct, where we spread the message about HIV/AIDS, including what soldiers are doing about it. I do this with great pride because I have never imagined that soldiers can fully participate in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and I was humbled by their invitation, I did not take it for granted. With the Army band playing, they made my day and I am looking forward to more of that.

Human Rights Training - An Eye Opener for Communities

Author: JUSTIN KUMADZULO - DISTRICT COORDINATOR, MACHINGA

The issue of human rights is very diverse in its nature. There are several issues that communities find difficult to understand up to this time. In the context of Malawi society, the issue of human rights brought in some conflicts with our culture. For instance, misunderstanding on the place and importance of the wife in the home. The husband was the only one responsible for the financial welfare for the home even if it the woman was the earner of the money. Women have no say over their own money yet they have every right to access the money because they worked for it. Women had no say when it comes to sexual behavior in the family, but with the coming of the open discussions on human rights they were able to open up and say something, this according to most communities was an insult to culture – a woman had no place to say how she feels.

In some communities the issue of human rights was seen as a way of diluting culture in the sense that parents were told that children especially the girl child had every right to attend school and marry at a more older age like 19, but for most parents this was seen as elusive and being striped off their power as a parent.

Apart from family, other issues affecting human and more specifically children’s rights were given very little attention. An example of this is well exemplified by a specific story told involving a teacher and a student where the teacher impregnated a girl child and as a result the girl, a minor, was dispelled while the teacher’s job remained secure; this was due to limited information that communities had on what are the rights girl child has in such cases.
As such ADRA Malawis Let’s fights HIV and AIDS in Malawi (LEFAM) project saw the gaps that were as a result of lack of information and knowledge on basic human rights. With funding from DANIDA, ADRA organized training workshops in five districts of Chiradzulu, Lilongwe, Dowa, Mchinji, Mulanje, Phalombe and Machinga between June and July 2009.

A total of 700 people have been trained in all the five districts. In order to make sure that all level of people in the community has been reached participants to the workshops training comprised of the following: the clergy, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWAs), youth club members, traditional leaders and men and women group representatives
And to make sure that the trainings carried meaningful content that equal with community needs, facilitators for the training were expatriates in human rights from partner NGOs.

The three day training mainly focused on:

- Background, general facts and overview of human rights

- Local & universal declarations on human-rights-&-HIV-Aids issues with reference to UN UDHR, UN CEDAW, UN Convention of the Rights of Children, Malawi Republican Constitution and HIV-Aids as a human rights issue
- Vulnerability as a Human rights issue
- Role of community in mitigating HIV-Aids & Human-rights issues Human rights vs. responsibility

Through these training participants acknowledged that human rights violations happen but lacked the knowledge on the procedures on how to follow and seek redress of issues concerning human rights.

While closing one of the workshops a group village headman (see the picture below) narrated that it was the first time that his subjects had been exposed to human rights training. He said that the training had been an eye opener and the knowledge gained was priceless.

A village head speaking to the trainees

Participants to these workshops pledged to share with others the knowledge that they have gained so that the whole community benefits.
In the meantime the trained groups are working on outreach strategies to ensure that messages on human rights reach the masses for example through community dialogue sessions, youth days, and kids’ days. The youth have pledged to use theatre for development tools to come up with plays, songs and poems that will have a theme on human rights.
The clergy on the other hand, have also promised to include messages on human rights in their sermons.

Towards a Better Future

In as much as many organizations and nations have tried to diminish the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa, it still remains one of the most serious public health and development challenges. Malawi is one of the countries HIV/AIDS has been affected tremendously. The AIDS epidemic is responsible for eight deaths every hour in Malawi[1]. Out of a population of nearly 14 million, almost one million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007, with numbers infected increasing[2]. Not only does HIV/AIDS worsen poverty but it also renders a women and children vulnerable, as there are nearly one million orphans today in Malawi with women relatives being those most likely to become caregivers and providers, stretching already severely limited resources.

Yankho Konyani, ADRA M&E Assistant with the Tiyambe IGA Group

This is where ADRA Malawi, through Lets Fight AIDS in Malawi (LEFAM) project, decided to provide support. The project aims to empower Malawians both living with HIV/AIDS as well as the caretakers, orphans and the elderly to have access to their human rights such as education, food security and non-discrimination. In view of this the project introduced an initiative of Income generating activities (IGAs) early this year to financially empower communities to care for those impacted by HIV. As of now IGA group committees have been elected and trained in the targeted sites with business beginning this month.

Upon visiting one of the sites, Ntaja, we spent time with one IGA group, called Tiyambe IGA committee, who had chosen to do business selling cooking oil and flour for baking cakes and doughnuts. It is quite a vibrant group and optimistic that the business will thrive tremendously as the chairman Mr. Samuel Banda said “anthu kuno amadya kwambiri zithu zokanzinga mafuta” meaning that a lot of people use cooking oil in preparing their food in the area.

The group is very happy with the initiative because they have already planned that 40% of their profit will go to the orphans, the elderly, the chronically ill and the poor. Their vision is to see vulnerable groups benefit through having enough food, medicine, good education, clothes, soap and shelter. They are convinced their community will no longer be the same and this is all thanks to ADRA for providing not just the capital and tools for the business, but hope and empowerment to provide assistance in their own community. This marks the beginning of a vibrant business and a better life for the community with more updates as progress arises from the business.

By Yankho Konyani and Kerryn Lodo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] UNAIDS 2008 Report on the Global AIDS epidemic. Retrieved on the 29/7/2009 from http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/

[2] Ministry of Health and Population, Malawi (2004), ‘Treatment of AIDS, the two year plan to scale up antiretroviral therapy in Malawi’. Retrieved on 28/7/2009 from http://www.avert.org/aids-malawi.htm

Community decided that this was unacceptable practice...

Before the introduction of the ADRA LEFAM program, it was common to find children in areas of Malawi working in tobacco fields earning less than $5 a month. Often children were encouraged with offers of good jobs and enough income to support their families but were forced to work as free labour with only limited food and shelter in return. One report on child labour done by the ILO (International Labour Office), a branch of the UN, reported that in 2007, approximately 23.3% of children in Malawi participate in some form of labour.

Through the LEFAM program ADRA empowers individuals and communities to discuss the issues which are affecting them and through that dialogue find solutions to bring about the change that they themselves want. There is also an aspect of education on human rights, including that of children, and what their relevance is to each community. In one community, when they identified the practice of child labour as inhumane, the rights of children to safety, education and to be with family were discussed and used to further emphasise the impact of such activity.

With this combination of community dialogue and the human rights trainings the community decided that this was unacceptable practice and resolved to discourage those participating in it. The community bought this issue to the traditional leaders and together approached the offending farmers, informing them of the implications of their practice to employ children. Over a period of time, with the influence of the traditional leaders and pressure from community members, these farmers no longer engaged children in labour but are now employing men from the area and providing full remuneration for their work. Currently child labour, while not completely eliminated from this area, has been greatly reduced and together the community has seen major changes in attitudes and practice.

This is just one example of the impact of community dialogue sessions being implemented by ADRA LEFAM and the wide spread changes which can come when individuals work together as a community to try and implement change. ADRA aims not to solve the problems within a community but to empower communities to identify which issues they would like to change and give them the tools to do this that long after ADRA this process will still be taking place and communities working together to bring about positive change.

Author: Kerryn Lodo

Review of LEFAM Project

The Danish funded project Let’s fight HIV/AIDS in Malawi (LEFAM) has now been running for just over 2 years and it was time for a mid-term review to follow-up on the progress of the implementation and to assess whether any changes should be made in the strategies used to achieve our set goals.

A team of 4 consultants were hired to carry out the review and the team included 1 Ugandan, 2 Danes and 1 Malawian and was carried out over a 2 week period in the month of April 2009. Key members of the project staff and representatives from ADRA Denmark also participated in the review. The review was conducted in 3 of the 5 implementation areas and included Mchinji, Machinga and Chiradzula Districts.

Many different stakeholders participated in focus group discussions during the 2 weeks including government officials from the districts, religious and traditional leaders, members of the targeted communities involved in the project activities like youth groups and farmer groups, project staff and leaders from ADRA Malawi administration.

The main focus of the project is to strengthen the communities through activities of HIV prevention and awareness, mitigation of the impact of HIV/AIDS and finally creating awareness and action on human right issues. The overall strategy is capacity building of both individuals and the communities at large in order for them to be able to act on their problems and create social change in their communities. One of the main methodologies is to use dialogue among individuals and groups to engage them in taking action on improving the situation of the communities.

Thus the review was aimed at assessing whether the project has been able to take its beneficiaries and targeted communities beyond mere awareness into creating social change, e.g. understood as people taking action into changing social norms, advocating for own rights and holding leaders accountable for their responsibilities.

Some of the preliminary findings from the review are that significant positive changes and improvement in health and social life have been made in the project sites and the project has managed to open up spaces for dialogue and discussions in the communities about issues like stigmatisation of HIV positive people and cultural and social norms. The youth has been engaged in rising awareness on HIV/AIDS in their communities and people living with HIV/AIDS have benefitted much from Home Based Care. One of the activities with the greatest success is gathering people in farmer clubs and improving their knowledge on farming methods which has improved the produce of the households and thus the resilience of people in their everyday lives. An area which on the other hand has faced some difficulties is awareness on rights and creating an environment where people know how to act on the problematic issues.

Now, after the review, what remains for the last months of the project is to implement the remaining activities according to the recommendations given by the review team and to develop an exit strategy in order to try to ensure that the communities will continue with their activities when the project staff no longer is there to supervise the activities.

Author: Anja Larsen - ADRA Denmark

A case of child abuse

Ziwani Ziyendani (not his real name) is 14 years old and has been a victim of child abuse since the death of both parents. ADRA Malawi Community Workers have helped him to report the abuse to the District Social Welfare Office.

Ziwani Ziyendani moved from ill-treating aunt
Ziwani Ziyendani lives in Chikumbu, Mulanje District, and lost both parents in 1998. When he was orphaned he came to live with an aunt, who was treating him ill. This matter came to the awareness of the wife of village Headman Malota, who has a keen interest in the affairs on the orphans in the village. She rescued Ziwani Ziyendani from his aunt and brought him to his cousins.

Driven out of school by abusive family
Ziwani Ziyendani has lived three years at his cousins’ place, but here the abuse only continued. Ziwani Ziyendani was against his will forced out of school. He was in standard 6 at Mithande Primary School. Ziwani Ziyendani was so interested in continuing his education that he attended classes even though he was told to stay out of school. He was discouraged when the family sold his goats he got from the Oxfam’s Income Generating Activity programme and when they tore all his note books apart to make him stay out of school. The family got their will and Ziwani Ziyendani has been out of school since.

Ziwani Ziyendani reported the abuse with help from ADRA
The wife of village Headman Malota became aware of the abuse and reported it to the chief who is yet to intervene. Ziwani Ziyendani also reported the abuse to one of ADRA’s Community Workers, who has been talking with the Headman concerning the issue. So far psychological support has been rendered. The District Social Welfare Office is the highest level in the District which looks after the welfare of children and women and turning in a report takes willpower and courage. ADRA has helped Ziwani Ziyendani to report the abuse to the District Welfare Office by empowering him and giving support. Now Ziwani Ziyendani’s rights and welfare are in focus and the abuse will be stopped.

Authors: Elizabeth Kantukule, Sidsel Faurholt

Strengthen rights and gender-based initiatives for civil society groups

Four civil society groups conducted open days campaigns to advocate for gender and HIV/AIDS rights, the rights for the elderly and disabled, women and children alike.

During these open day campaigns, drama groups and dance troupes where involved in dissemination of information on rights and HIV/AIDS in addition to speeches that were made by high powered delegations from relevant public and private entities.

In attendance to one of the functions was the Principle Secretary for Ministry of men and women with disabilities.
In total, 11,000 people attended the open days of which 68% were women and children. This means that the message and pieces of information that were disseminated to the participants fell on the fertile ground as the target group dominated in attendance.

In one of the functions that were conducted by OWACO, 4 wheelchairs and 20 pairs of crutches were donated to 24 disabled people of whom 18 are women.

In a bid to establish and strengthen links between the civil society groups and the public as well as private entity,

Government ministries of women and children affairs, ministry of the disabled, ministry of health and HIV/AIDS, Society of people living with AIDS, NAC, as well as district assemblies were invited to take parting the campaigns. Representing the government ministries and departments and private sectors were District Commissioners, principle Secretaries and heads of departments and private sector CEOs.

These open days were conducted by Four organisations namely; CAPLA (Care for People Living with AIDS), Orphans and Widows Awarenes and Care Organisation (OWACO), Health Initiative for All (HIFA) and MIRACLE organization. These organisations have their registration certificates with the registrar general of the Malawi Government, a constitution, and a three - five years strategic plan.

Author: Themba Phiri

"Women empowerment starts with us"

Women Empowerment Project (WEP) started on 1st April 2007 with the aim of facilitating women empowerment through promotion of their rights, improvement in health status and implementation of self supporting income generating initiatives. The project targets poor vulnerable women. These include widows struggling to survive, those that are taking care of orphans and the chronically ill, the disabled and those that are denied access to resources for economic empowerment.

Main activities include;
Ø Trainings in Health, Water and Sanitation, Gender and Human Rights.
Ø Adult literacy.
Ø Home gardening and compost manure making.
Ø Provision of portable water.
Ø Goat rearing.
Ø Provision of maize mills for Income Generating Activities.


Picture above: Women Empowerment Project photograph of Traditional Leaders, Project staff and ADRA Programs Director Mr. Micheal Usi

One of the strong points in the project has been the positive response and support from Traditional Leaders. These are the entry point as well as custodians of tradition and culture. Some negative traditional rituals involving risky sexual practices contributes to HIV/AIDS infection rates. A strong tradition persists to maintain the low status of girls and women and this extends to marriage and throughout the life cycle. This contributes to increase in violence against women. These negative deep rooted cultures affects community development. With this background, the project first step was to sensitize and empower the 20 participating traditional leaders to fully understand and participate in fulfilling the objective in empowering women. This is working well because most village heads are in the forefront participating in development activities. The traditional leaders have been drilled on women’s role in community and importance of encouraging men to support the women empowerment initiatives. Once the leaders are empowered it becomes much easier to reach to the grass root. With time, there is hope that these deep rooted negative cultures will be a song of the past.

Community leaders in action:

Picture above: Village Headwoman Waruma and beneficiaries appreciating safe potable water..
Picture above: Village Headman Ng’oma and his wife in their home vegetable garden.

Picture above: Village Headman Namputu stressing a point during Gender and Human Rights workshop.

Author: Andiyesa Mhango