Mangochi District Council has taken an extra gear in resolving border issues with their counterparts from Mandimba, Ngauma and Macanyela districts in Mozambique bordering Mangochi following a meeting held on 11- 12 November in Mangochi.

On Saturday, December 19, the District Commissioner for Mangochi Dr. Raphael Piringu accompanied by some officers from the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), Malawi Police Services, Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), department of Immigration and council officials visited Mandimba district for an official meeting with the DCs.–

During the meeting, the DCs agreed to have joint boarder patrols, settle boarder issues in Makanjira and Katuli. They also resolved to start offering boarder pass between two countries for easy crossing of local people.

During the meeting, the Malawi team also negotiated the release of four Malawian nationals from Bwananyambi who were arrested based on boarder issues. They later established that they had no crime. The four will therefore be released on January 7.

“We also agreed on sharing health information outbreaks including Covid- 19, cross boarder management and cross boarder theft. We also seized the opportunity to market the beautiful shores of Mangochi and invite them to visit as part of boasting tourism,” said Piringu adding that the next meeting will be held in April 2021.

This vital trip was supported by Malawi Red Cross Society, World Vision International (WVI) and Emmanuel International under Titukulane Project.

FDH Bank plc has named its Lilongwe Old Town Branch Account Relationship Manager Pempho Khomba as the Best employee for the year 2020 christened ‘Machawi employee of the year’.

Presenting the award in Blantyre Monday, FDH Financial Holdings Limited Chief Executive Officer William Mpinganjira applauded Khomba saying he has demonstrated excellence behaviour which is encouraged by all employees across the Group under the FDH Excellence Culture.

“Pempho (Khomba) has been consistent in his performance throughout the year 2020 and won Spot Award of June 2020, Employee of the Second Quarter and Employee of the Fourth Quarter. FDH Group will send Pempho and his wife on an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai with $1000 shopping money to celebrate his achievement and to encourage and motivate him as well as others,” said Mpinganjira.

He said some of the notable achievements that made Khomba scoop the ward include the acquiring of a MK2 billion deposit from a customer through persistent and good customer engagement and that he recruited the highest number of new Small and Medium Enterprises clients in the last three months.

“You will all agree with me that this young man has earned the Employee of the Year 2020 award, beating other strong contenders in Damiano Chimwala from CIB and Charles Mtambo from FDH Money Bureau Limited. I am proud to be handing over the award to him today.”

“FDH Group remains committed to staff development and welfare with the aim to facilitate the growth of our staff and the growth of our customers as we serve them better every day,” said Mpinganjira. 

Mpinganjira said they rebranded their employee award programme last year under the name Machawi Employee Awards and the first to win Employee of the Year Mercy Mchacha enjoyed an all paid for trip to Cape Town with her spouse after successfully designing and implementing the FDH House and Blantyre Service Centre refurbishment project.

He said many employees have also won the other Machawi Employee Awards; Innovation Award, Spot Award, Employee of the Month, Service Centre of the Month and Employee of the Quarter and added that the Bank also award its long serving employees.

Khomba was all smiles after being named employee of the year and thanked the bank for the recognition.

“I would like to thank FDH Bank plc and the entire management for recognizing my contribution to the Bank. It has been a tough year mainly due to Covid-19 which affected most Small and Medium Enterprises but with God’s grace we have sailed through. I look forward to going on this trip with my wife and I will surely come back motivated. Last but not least, to my clients!!!! This award has only been possible because of them. Thank you for supporting a truly Malawian bank,” said Khomba.

Malawi’s premier mobile network and ICT services provider, TNM plc on Tuesday delivered computers to Yamba Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Chitipa District. 

The company donated 12 sets of computers replete with internet connectivity tools (Wi-Fi)as  part of the company’s ‘ICT for Schools’ initiative, which will see selected public education institutions benefitting from TNM’s digital literacy agenda.

Presenting the computers, TNM’s Brand and Communication Manager, Limbani Nsapato said the donation is a continuation of TNM’s quest of increasing access to information technology education in schools adding that the delivery of the computers underscores the company’s commitment towards improving education through exposure to information technology.

“TNM as a Malawian company understands various technological trends in the developed world, where education is being delivered through the use of technology. We acknowledge the gap in Malawi as most school do not have access to ICT facilities hence the donations in secondary schools to align them with the world trends,” said Nsapato. 

TNM through the initiative is empowering schools to access ICT infrastructure which is in tandem with government’s efforts to enhance learning.

“Some years ago, government incorporated ICT/Computer Studies in the Malawi national education curriculum and it is examinable at Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE). As a Malawian ICT company, TNM plc is demonstrating its passion as a promoter of digital literacy in secondary schools through provision of ICT infrastructure,” he said.

Nsapato said TNM believes that the ICT infrastructure at Yamba CDSS will enable learners to do more in their education.

“Just as many community schools in Malawi, Yamba CDSS lacks ICT equipment to support the delivery of fully-fledged ICT education. This donation will equip students with requisite technological knowledge to support their education and skill development,” added Nsapato.

‘ICT for Schools’ is TNM’s brainchild initiative which seeks to equip community secondary schools with modern technology to adapt to the changes in the education sector.

Speaking on behalf of fellow students at Yamba CDSS, Anna Mazunda thanked TNM plc for the gesture but said the computers may not be enough for all the learners at the school.

Chitipa District Education Manager Votie Mboweni advised and cautioned teachers at the school to guide the students properly to avoid abusing the facilities by accessing harmful sites not related to their education like pornography.

“I am sure that with these computers teachers here will do more research and we should expect increase in pass rate at this school,” said Mboweni.

The Yamba CDSS donation was the third one under the initiative after its inception, first to benefit was Januwale CDSS in Thyolo followed by Chayamba CDSS in Kasungu.

By Mc Donald Chapalapata, a Contributor

Press Corporation plc staff members on Friday took time off their duties to cheer and donate presents to patients at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre as part of festive season.

Staff members presented assorted humpers worth K2 million to patients in various wards including children oncology wards.

PCL plc Group Administration Executive and General Counsel Benard Ndau said they decided to cheer and donate the items to the patients at QECH and wish them well during Christmas as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy.

“We wanted to have an early Christmas with the patients as some of them will still be in hospital on Christmas day and as you know this festive time is time for giving and compassion hence our visit to QECH,” said Ndau.

“Although the year 2020 was challenging because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we thought we should share the little that we have with the patients,” added Ndau.

He said it was satisfying that all members of staff, including executive management took part in the visit and distributed he items personally to patients in various wards.

Most of the patients were surprised to see PCL staff members giving them the Christmas gifts.

“Thank you very much for this, we did not expect this gesture and God should bless you and your company, thank you,” said one emotional guardian in Ward 3 B.

PCL which is listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE) the largest holding company in the country with interests in different sectors of the Malawi economy including financial services, telecommunications, food and beverage, energy and consumer goods.

FDH Bank plc has committed another K30 million sponsorship towards Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Top of the Class in 2021 which will mark six years of ongoing sponsorship from the bank.

The bank’s Head of Marketing and Communication Levie Nkunika made the announcement during the 2020 MBC Top of the Class Finals that were held at Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

MBC Top of the Class is an educational quiz program which sees secondary schools competing against each other in several knockout rounds all the way to national level finals annually.

Nkunika said FDH Bank plc as a homegrown institution is committed to advancing education in the country.

“FDH Bank plc as a development partner of the Ministry of Education and the Government, commits to continue sponsoring the Top of the Class next year with K30 million,” he said

Nkunika further said that the bank believes that education is key to development and constantly supports initiatives in the education sector is well as fund various scholarships at MUST, at UNIMA and under a partnership with Hope for the Blind.

“After signing the partnership, we also introduced a Financial Literacy segment in the quiz to champion financial inclusion as one of the key catalysts for growth and economic development in the country,’ he added

Responding to the sponsorship announcement, MBC’s Board Chairperson Reverend Vasco Kachipapa said the overarching objectives of the public service broadcaster are ‘to inform, educate and entertain and ‘Top of the Class’ triples as an informative, educative and entertaining programme.’

“As a national broadcaster, we promise to continue from where we have stopped. We are fortunate enough our sponsors have committed to fund the contest, we don’t take this for granted,” he said

In this year’s finals, the third season of MBC Top of the Class, Blantyre Secondary School (BSS) emerged winner after beating Dedza Secondary School with 37 points to 32.