By Vincent Gunde
District Commissioner for Dowa Stallichi Mwambiwa, has assured World Vision Malawi that its interventions it has been implementing in the district are not going, it is with the communities they have been working with for 18 years.
Mwambiwa said the Dowa District Council has been working hand in hand with World Vision Malawi to see to it that its interventions are being implemented in the interest of all expressing hope that this will continue for the sustainability of the project in the district.
Speaking at the closure of Lipiri Area Development Program at a function held at Lipiri in the district, Mwambiwa said World Vision has proved to the Dowa communities and the council that it is a friend in need saying this was also evidenced with visitors who came from abroad to witness the function.
“World Vision is winding up its activities in Lipiri Area Development Program, we have learnt quit a lot, we are very happy that its interventions are not going out, it is in the people,” said Mwambiwa.
World Vision Malawi’s Director of Operation Charles Chimombo, said his organization has been at Lipiri Area Development for 18 years saying their approach is to go and run programs from 12 to 15 years but this has gone to 18 years.
Chimombo said for the last 18 years, World Vision Malawi has achieved most of the objectives from the thematic areas of Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, WASH, Child Protection, Gender and Governance saying time has now come to wind up its activities in the area.
“The project has seen the reduction of illiteracy levels in the area, increasing numbers of children enrolled in schools, access to safe and portable water and empowering the community to be self-reliance so that they can support their children, among others,” he said.
He expressed hope that the achievement registered in the area will continue banking hopes in the council to continue supervising and monitoring the interventions and the different committees trained on their roles and responsibilities.
Speaking earlier, Member of Parliament for Dowa West constituency Dr. Ephraim Abel Kayembe, expressed his appreciation to the interventions of World Vision Malawi in the area saying the communities have learnt quit a lot.
Dr. Kayembe said World Vision Malawi has constructed girls’ hostels, school blocks and built capacity of local communities to take up any initiative on their own without massive support from government saying the organization has done a commendable job.
He requested World Vision Malawi to go to adjacent areas for the impact of the sustainability measures of the project to be seen in Lipiri and surrounding areas under Senior Chief Kayembe and Dzoole in the district.
