Malawi News

Karonga flooded again

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:38:46 -0500

Since February, the Karonga area in northern Malawi has been afflicted by flooding from extensive rainfall which has overflowed riverbanks in the area. Recently, a dike built in 1985 to protect the Karonga city area has failed, sending flood waters throughout the city streets. Sadly, women and children are most affected by this flooding, which happened at harvest time, just as families were preparing to bring in the harvest. Everything was destroyed in an area of about 2570 acres. The ELCA Disaster Response will target a response through the Evangelical Lutheran Development Services in Malawi to assist affected households.

Bishop Bvumbwe launches Malaria Project

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:08:41 -0500

By NYASA TIMES
Published: April 22, 2011
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) Bishop Dr. Joseph Bvumbwe has said anti-malaria campaigns in the country like indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are failing to be effective because of knowledge gap, misconceptions and fear among rural masses.
To overcome these challenges, Bishop Bvumbwe said the ELCM has come to intervene through its project known as Malaria Prevention and Control Project which has been designed to address fear, misconceptions and knowledge gap among rural individuals and communities in its pilot districts.
“Though government and other organisations are distributing ITNs and conducting IRS campaigns, still some individuals and communities are not welcoming the interventions because they believe that these interventions make one impotent at the same time others fear to take Novidar SP malaria drug thinking that it may cause abortion,” the bishop said when he addressed a gathering witnessing official launch of the project in Nkhotakota District.
In addition, the bishop said due to the knowledge gap and misconceptions, some people along the lakes and rivers turn the ITNs into fishing gears, which he condemned as the abuse of resources.
Bishop Bvumbwe said the project would also advocate prompt use of Lumefantrine Antemether (LA) considering that some do not know the frequency of taking the drug and its importance.
He said it is sad to learn that malaria is claiming majority of people’s lives despite that it is controllable and curable than AIDS.
“In this project, ELCM with its partners intends to ensure that communities and individuals take responsibility of practising basic malaria prevention measures like slashing tall grass around their houses; draining stagnant water, and advocating prompt use of ITNs among others,” he said.
He said distribution of ITNs to its target groups would be considered later on after the people have changed their negative attitude on the intervention. --(Reporting by Mana)

Karonga flooded

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:48:02 -0600

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) is informing its partners, companions and other well wishers to be in prayers with people of Karonga, as the district of the northern Malawi is struggling of how it could give shelter to those affected with the over flooding.

And the church is sending an alarming alert that if people of Karonga are not assisted as soon as possible the history is going to repeat itself when many people suffered in 2010 due to the earthquake that hit the district.

According to the telephone interview with Pastor Enough Nyirenda, the Assistant to the Dean of Karonga Deanery, heavy rains started during the day of February 17, 2011.

The rains kept falling until the following morning, which has caused many people displaced, starting from Rukuru River to Kabwe going towards Ngerenge.

People have left their homes and are taking shelter along the road to Tanzania.

“I am happy that you have called me this morning. As I am speaking heavy rain have just started slowing down. The rains started yesterday in the afternoon and kept on raining until today. A lot of people have been displaced and are taking shelter along the main tarmac road. Displacement of people has started from Rukuru River to Kabwe. More than 3,500 people do not have shelter,” says Pastor Nyirenda.

So far no significant assistance has been given to Karonga villagers, the district most affected.

The situation is quite pathetic in the villages around Rukuru as they are just still experiencing the trauma of 2009 to 2010 earthquakes that affected the same areas where people have just started rehabilitating.

According to Daniel Mazengera one of the staff of Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) the flooding which has caused havoc in Karonga has made the situation tense and that hundreds of animals including goats, cattle and chickens are missing.

Thomas Chamboza, the Deanery Accounts and Administrative Assistant of Karonga Deanery said that so far four villages have been affected and indicated that more flooding has affected Kambitoto. About 3,500 people have been affected.

“Four villages of Vindi, Kambitoto, Kayunga and Kasikisila have been affected. Water was flowing from Kambitoto village where 50 houses have collapsed. When I talked to the headman of Kayunga village, he is estimating that the whole four villages have lost about 300 houses. It is really terrible to see displaced people who within less than two days have lost their belongings and animals due to heavy rains,” narrates Chamboza on phone.

Contrary to heavy rains and floods in Karonga almost the whole central region of Malawi is affected with dry spell with almost two weeks in February of no rains.

This is dangerous as most maize (corn) fields are tussling.

Pastor Nangwale reflects on Academy

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 16:23:04 -0600

Pastor Innocent Nangwale reflects on the Pastor’s Academy. He gives it more than a 100% rating!

Pastors on the Move

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:12:48 -0600

In early November, at the end of the Pastors’ Academy Todd Iverson, Greg Kaufmann, and I participated in, a number of pastor relocations were announced by the head office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi. These relocations were prompted by the fact that four of the nine Deans of the ELCM are going to the seminary in Iringa, Tanzania for further studies. The Deans who are studying are Dean Pearson Banda, Dean Issac Siyanni, Dean Justin Mofolo, and Dean Derison Stima. This meant that Acting Deans and Assistant Deans needed to be appointed, resulting in quite a few of the pastors now being moved. As Dean Joseph Banda told us, the ELCM is a sending church! To see a list of the synod congregations that are matched with a parish in Malawi, go to Match List. To see pictures of the pastors and where they’re serving, go to Pastor Photos.